1. What is your earliest memory of how or what attracted you to photography?
My earliest memory of what attracted me to photography is the image of my grandfather taking photos of us with his box camera. I had only seen ‘instant’ cameras and the idea of this ‘box’ into which you looked and could frame the subject was the coolest thing I had ever seen.
When I was slightly older, the works of Pop and Dada artists in books, opened up a whole world of how a photographic image could make itself so versatile and ubiquitous in art.
2. How has your B.F.A. in painting from the University of Baroda and study of animation film design at the National Institute of Design (NID) informed your photographic practice?
My training in painting and animation has made my artistic practice one that is inherently cross disciplinary. It also opened up the world of film and photography in a way that was unique and interesting to me. The idea of the film, deconstructed as 24 singular images per second has perhaps made the biggest impact to my work. It has made me deeply interested in the formal aspects of the moving image and the constructed image.
One of the things that finds its way into my work, and is often a starting point, is the ‘found image.’ Often photographic in nature, these can be as varied as magazine pictures to actual photographs. Over time, this practice of using the photographic image made me more sensitive to the way I was using it and I began, in a sense, to construct / take my own images. I began working with archival photographs initially, and this has now become integral to my artistic practice.
3. In your opinion, is it important to have formal training in photography?
That’s a tough question! I think I would say it is not a necessity, but it certainly can enhance and provide much needed tools for a photographic practice. It is entirely possible to be self-taught and have a great photographic practice, especially now with all kinds of available information online. And a formal education is sometimes a privilege that is not available to a lot of people.
Having said that, the advantage of a training course is to provide a backbone upon which one can build a practice. It can provide the much-needed array of options, skills and knowledge, which can shape a talent.
4. If you were to design a photo program for young Indian photographers, what would it look like? Would it be a degree course? Workshop format? Mentorships?
I would design a program that could easily be a comprehensive degree / diploma course. A course that would be very wide reaching in what is taught and shown. For example, I think it is imperative to provide a window into film studies and visual arts as part of this program. Practical courses in analog technologies, also are important as a foundation for understanding the origin and creation of the photographic image. Regular presentations, discussions and interactions among students, teachers, and visiting photographers, artists etc, would be a must. There would have to be some tech heavy courses that can introduce and explain digital processes from shooting to printing. And lastly, there needs to be a solid academic module on photographic history and contemporary practices. Evaluation would be through a jury system and based purely on coursework and projects, and would not be a graded or marked system.
5. Who or what has inspired you to pursue photography and/or continues to do so?
I have so many artists, writers that have greatly inspired me. My long abiding debts would be to Robert Rauschenberg, Stan Brakhage, Joseph Beuys, Norman McLaren, Joseph Cornell, and Tacita Dean. The works of these artists give me that palpable, tactile sense of what makes me want to produce art.
6. Is there a book, an exhibition or a body of work that has really impressed you and maybe even influenced your work / life?
I bought a copy of Boris Mikhailov’s Unfinished Dissertation years ago without knowing anything about him. I loved the book and the way the photographs were laid out and the odd bits of text that peppered the book. It remains something I return to again and again.
7. What draws / drew you to the subject matter you are pursuing in your current work?
The ideas in my work emerge while I am in the process of making. I usually start off with a particular image in mind that I want to create and move on from there. As I work, the idea becomes (somewhat) clearer! My work emerges from a deeply personal space of negotiating popular culture, memory, and literature.
8. Do your projects typically run in parallel, or do you focus on one project at a time?
I do work on projects one at a time. However, it’s not like I have a distinct or clear idea of where the body of work will head when I am doing it. Because of this there is always a distinct overlap into previous work, such as in the case of the projects Time Travel and Vanishing Point, and even Isometries. Especially with these projects, as they have emerged from a common denominator, which is the stock of photographs from my family archive that forms the basis of this work.
I have always worked in a combination of sporadic, intense work followed by periods of assimilating thoughts and ideas. Basically, spending time reading, watching, writing, and thinking. This is an essential stage for me to focus and consider my own work.
9. Do you work in analog only or digital as well? What is your preferred mode and why?
I work with both all the time. I work with analog photographs and manipulate them digitally. I have done a lot of work with archival analog photographs, which I have used both as itself and as digitally-composited works. For example, my moving image works are often scanned analog photographs, which I have then animated / altered digitally.
10. Digital technology has changed photography drastically over the last few years. Did you initially embrace the changes or resist them? Do you believe the changes have been good for the medium or not?
I did resist a bit initially but soon realized the immense potential for pushing the boundaries of my work. I think change is always good, even though there are bound to be certain pitfalls. The digital has presented itself as yet another medium with which we all engage and use in some way and as artists; it is always exciting to try to find newer avenues of expression.
11. You don’t use photography in the traditional way it’s often used. Can you please talk a bit about this choice / departure?
I am not a photographer, per se, as my own practice has never been only about photography. As a visual artist and animator, photography offered a certain kind of image that I was interested in, and I was happy to cull that from all the sources I could. Primarily, a collagist aesthetic led me to explore and use photography in my work.
12. How do you measure success or that a body of work is going well?
This is very tough to do. I do this mostly by gut feeling. I am shy about sharing work with friends and colleagues before I am absolutely ready with it. Of course, knowing when one is ‘finished’ with a piece of work is again a hard place to arrive at.
13. Do you ever find yourself creatively ‘stuck?’ Is there something that is particularly helpful to you in overcoming this?
There have been many times when I have been ‘stuck’ – unable to find inspiration or even sometimes the motivation to produce work. For me there are a couple of things I do to try to get out of this phase. One is to organize and clean up the studio space. Reorganizing space is a great way to get creative juices flowing. Another thing I do is to re-visit and look, read, watch much-loved works. The mind needs space to breathe, recalibrate and think before new work can start. Another useful thing I find is to make a few ‘failed’ experiments or utter disasters! It is useful to remind yourself that everything you do might not always be good, and that is okay and necessary in making art.
14. How much effort do you put into getting your work shown? Is this important to you? Does showing your work feed your creative process or does it distract from it?
I have been very lazy and perhaps reticent about getting my work shown. I have never been very pushy about my work. I am very happy when I am able to show my work and get feedback from people who see it (appreciation is great!), but it doesn’t necessarily feed my creative process. I am, however, conscious of the fact that visual art needs to be seen.
15. Do you feel that there are adequate opportunities and avenues to share / show your work in India, or do you always look for such opportunities abroad?
There are increasingly more and more opportunities within the country. Even though galleries are still too few, there is a growing interest in smaller, curated shows and alternative spaces. I look for whatever opportunities present themselves, both here and abroad, so it really often depends on someone having a great idea for a show at times!
16. We know that fine art or documentary photography is not always enough to make a living. Some do commercial work, others teach. Are there other photography related areas that you work with in order to supplement your living? Some that you would recommend aspiring photographers consider?
Yes, I have often had to do a lot of other work to supplement my living. I have done years of graphic design work, which I still continue to do. This stretched from book design, exhibition design, publicity design for Bollywood films etc. I have also taught and taken workshops on and off at various places, such as NID, Pearl Academy, Metaphor Studios etc.
Aspiring photographers should choose something they enjoy doing and that connects to their practice, if possible. Although, doing vastly different jobs can be fun too! But yes, till we reach a cultural ecosystem in the country that supports artists, it is quite necessary to do other work.
17. Do you think there is a universal language that photography uses? Do you think that Indian photographers are finding that they are judged by western criteria and standards?
There is universality about all image-making but, unfortunately, the western standard does impose itself a bit. Having said that, while it is important to find one’s own idiom, I do not know whether we need to identify as an Eastern or Indian aesthetic.
18. With your years of experience, of the lessons you have learned, what is the one thing you wish someone had told you when you were starting out?
Perhaps if I had known the importance of having a studio space a bit earlier than I eventually did. I used to always work out of home and manage that way, but the importance of having a dedicated workspace is so essential to any creative practice.
19. How would an interested collector go about buying your work?
I represent myself so interested collectors would need to contact me directly.
20. If you didn’t do photography, what other career might you have pursued?
Hmmm… Lawyer, doctor, graphic designer, book illustrator? Not sure!
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Copyright © Sukanya Ghosh
20 November
