A picture speaks a thousand words. It is,when the captured images do the talking and break the silence. Sometimes it is the other way around. The noise comes to an end when a very powerful picture starts talking.
This is the power of captures… power of photographs!. It is not necessary always that a photograph is interpreted as it was conceived in the mind of the person behind the camera. It is sometimes an idea that makes an eternal connection with circumstances.
The photographs , some of which are random clicks, hold an importance in itself. Some photographs that are shared, tells a story about the person capturing it. To me , it shows how a person can find detail to remember, to capture and later tell stories about it. It makes me wonder, if sometimes a photograph selects its photographer 🙂 .
In this fast paced world of rapid exchange of ideas and the virtual world becoming the new normal, our online class on Tools and Technologies in Art Education, took us to virtual journies of exhibitions around the world through photographs. The exhibition which I am discussing here was held in the renowned Design Museum London (https://designmuseum.org/)
Our T&T instructor shared his personal collection of pictures from this particular exhibition held by Ferrari by the name ‘Under the Skin’ at in the year 2017. (web link: https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/ferrari-under-the-skin#)
This museum housed a number of life size as well as models of internal structure of the legendary car called Ferrari. The structures displayed must have been a treat for industrial designers for sure. It provided minutest detail and the thought process behind the functioning of the car.
In some communities, museums and art galleries are taken as niche places for people who stare silently at the exhibits and move on with a daze in their eyes. For viewres who value the importance of visiting archives understand its function for researchers, historians, artists, designers etc . Photographs have been and will always remain the most easily accessible archive of anyone’s history.
The website below, takes you to a tour of Pakistan’s historical archive. It is a treat for all who want to learn about Pakistan’s history as it was captured.
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/pakistan-history-historical-archive-archival.html
Some photos from archive of the history of any city, engages the viewers in mesmerizing ways. When I see a picture of the same place and get to compare it from now and then, I feel myself connected to the years bygone and that triggers my imagination. I then feel that the time machine has sent me years back and from there I am looking at the future with my eyes wide open.
The following are some picture from my birth city Karachi.
The Citizens Archive of Pakistan is a platform for preserving Pakistan’s history and heritage .Its website can be accessed by the link http://www.citizensarchive.org/
For me, a photograph, when taken, might not even have a purpose behind it, but when it is available for viewers many doors for interpetations open.
It is amazing to see how one image is perceived and interpreted by people from various cultures and backgrounds.
Many would just talk about it on the surface but to many it will stirr emotions, anger, anxiety. Sometimes, a photograph can provoke campaigns or revolutions. Click to see the video below about a cultural revolution that took place in China and which started with a photograph.
The above video captured my attention when I was trying to find out more about how photographs have brought about a change in the societies as well as communities at large.
The documentary talks about, when American and European industrial revolution took place, the need of cheap labour arised. To fulfil the requirement, young children of poor families were involved in work not appropriate for their age, size and capabilities. It was when photographer Lewis Wickes Hine (1874-1940) was assigned a task by the National Labour Committee formed in 1904 to collect data on child Labour in U.S that raised the concern to its most significant form and resulted in the end of child labour. More can be read here: https://www.history.com/topics/industrial-revolution/child-labor#:~:text=Many%20laws%20restricting%20child%20labor,Supreme%20Court%20declared%20them%20unconstitutional.
While photograpy has revolultionaized communities, it itself has revolved over years. It is also discussed that photography was a result of industrial revolution. The US and European industrial revolution started from 1760 to sometime in 1820 to 1840 . The era produced the camera and photohraphy started playing an integral part. Find some brief detail about beginning of photography and industrial revolution in this prezi presentation below.
https://prezi.com/jubhn9otedqe/photography-and-the-industrial-revolution/
If we talk more about how this medium has stirred revolutions, the Black Chronicles has to be followed closely. It is an exhibition of photographs potraying lives of blacks and their experiences in 19th and early 20th century living in Britain. The potraits of Africans and Asians bear witness to Britain’s imperial history of empire and expansions.
https://autograph.org.uk/exhibitions/black-chronicles-ii
Another related medium i.e motion pictures, that are not only made in Hollywood, Bollywood and Lollywood, but in many other countries like Italy, Iran, Russia etc also touch upon taboo topics and use the medium to send accross a message. Sometimes only to stir emotions. These movies are very easily aceessible on internet. These contributions from the parallel cinemas are also valuable archivable resources.
Some from the archived old movies can be viewed using the link . They also have a collection of movies of different languages. https://archive.org/details/feature_films
While some people are busy taking photographs , some are busy collecting many. This video will sum up my conversation here. How photographs talk. They often dont even need any titles or context, they just do the talking.
Over years, Pakistan has progressed in this field and has made their name worldwide. More can be read about the most famous ones here : https://theculturetrip.com/asia/pakistan/articles/10-pakistani-photographers-you-should-know-about/.
Tools & Technology in Art Education 