At a time when society is largely moving into a surveillance society and cameras of any kind have almost become an extension of man. Proliferation of images has become a sense of reality which is also coupled with the idea of democratisation of the space to capture images.
Most of us now are obsessed with flashing the trendiest of mobile phones where it has taken a new meaning of being a symbol of status. J. Saravanachari, a differently-abled artist hailing from Jaihindpuram in Madurai, has used the mobile phone as a gadget to capture telling images.
He has displayed carefully selected images at the photo exhibition under way at Gandhi Museum.
Using his Sony ericsson K-750 I and 800 models, he has captured more than 3000 pictures over 4 years travelling places as far as New Delhi and Madhya Pradesh.
By capturing images that forms the part of our everyday lives this photographer by exhibiting them has tried to bring out one of the most utilitarian aspects of the mobile phone.
Images in the exhibition include the mundane scene in front of the Red fort in Delhi, Thirupparankundram, Naicker Mahal in Madurai, nature, landscape, flowers, fruits burning candle, urban roadside images, shepherd at work all does reflect the sense of aesthetics and the commitment the artist has to show the world that many aspects of heritage and culture too can be captured in a better way using a mobile phone.
Noted philosopher and literary expert Walter Benjamin's words do seem to be prophetic that any man can lay claim to be filmed is a realistic condition driven by the sheer fact of the burgeoning number of devices that capture our everyday lives, in fact our every move, could also turn out to be a disciplining gaze.
The two-day exhibition closes on Sunday evening.
