KARACHI: Photographers capture a fleeting moment to impart immorality to it. Extraordinary photographers make immortality relevant. This means the captured moment is treated objectively and not as mere subject matter.
A photographic exhibition titled ‘One Shot’ curated by Riffat Alvi and Noor Ahmed that commenced at the V.M. Art Gallery on Monday hints at how Pakistani camera-clickers are swiftly graduating from being exuberant photographers to perceptive artists.
Arif Mahmood has proven credentials. It’s a bit of pleasant surprise to see his work not based in his motherland. His images of Nepal are quite a visual treat, mainly because they keep true to the mystique that surrounds the country. The fact that the motifs inalienably associated with Nepalese architecture and ritualistic practices are shot with great respect for that culture adds to the aesthetics of the images (archival inkjet print).
Sana Burney examines ‘phenomena’ of life through the equestrian theme. The artist uses close-ups as well as medium-range shots to enhance the vocabulary of the images (digital print) reflecting the aspects of life that she wishes to analyse. While doing that, she manages to engage the viewer in her pursuit in a pretty convincing manner. Madiha Aijaz is fascinated by the relation between public and private spaces and makes the Native Jetty bridge her topic. The low-angle shots (digital C print) are worth watching, because they set the bridge, with its daily routine happenings, against the backdrop of the sky.
Rahmatullah Khan is known for his fondness for the historical places that exist in the interior of Sindh. His use of light and shadow lend an image-within-image feel to his work, making the subject all the more intriguing to look at.
Uzair Akram’s attempt at arresting the beauty of Thar and Nameera Ahmed’s photography of the flood-hit Thatta is praiseworthy. But it is the young Bilal Danish who impresses the most as he makes as simple an activity as blowing bubbles at the beach look artistic and insightful.
The show will continue till Aug 31.