CURATOR’S NOTE
There are two kinds of photographers. Those who are able to document a
reality and those who can create from that reality. Siddharth, a designer by
training and a photographer by passion, belongs to the second category. He
‘translates graphic building’ (Julius Shulman), he transforms the reality of
concrete and glass into a language he is learning with dexterity.
Since 1839, when the camera was invented, photographers had always
taken photographs of buildings. If they initially focussed on documenting,
replacing topographic drawings with photographs, it slowly evolved towards
an interest for the form.
When looking at Siddharth’s photographs of his campus in Coimbatore, the
buildings are a pretext to study their forms, their colours, and the contrast
with their surroundings. The photographer is less of a witness and more of
an interpreter. He translates his vision of the building into an image he oers
to his public. He cares about the aesthetic of the image. He chooses the
right angle, the right exposure, the right depth; he chooses the right composition,
the right granularity. He uses the available technology to create an
abstract representation of an existing space. Siddharth’s parti-pris is to
consider the space for the space. There is no human interference in his
images. Throughout the series, he develops a rapport with the object, a sort
of devotion to the object. Is this his campus ? His classroom ? His dorm ? A
wall ? It does not really matter as long as the viewer gets something out of
the interpretation.
When I see architecture photographs, I cannot help thinking about a title
the artist Anish Kapoor uses quite often for his artworks : turning the world
upside down. The young artist tries his hand with the concept and nowadays’
available technologies can let free his instincts. Why should he accept
the world as it is seen by most of us ? Why not oering us his views of the
world ? I was reading a quote by Leonard Bernstein recently : a piece of art
work does not give answers but asks questions. A body of work such as the
one oered to us by Siddharth challenges my sense of beauty.
Siddharth started a journey. There is unlimited number of spaces to explore
hence a larger multiple of opportunities to propose to the viewers. Creative
photography had modestly gained a place within the realm of visual art. I
believe we need to give photographers more platforms to showcase their
works and make photography a leading art form of the 21st century.
- Franck Barthelemy
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
Size: 22" X 33" | Framed and Mounted | Printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Bright White Archival Paper
POETRY OF THE SHADOWS
A great Telugu poet Sri Sri said that a street dog or a soap bar or a match stick, no subject in life is
unsuitable subject to become a great work of art. I firmly believe that Art is not a profession but a fine
quality. A quality by which anything, however mundane, could be elevated to a level of Art.
Arthur Conan Doyle, in his famous Sherlock Holms novels, convinces us about how a thief could be a
great artist who could elevate stealing to the level of Art.
I have always maintained that Design is the Art which is made functional. However, in design more
often than not, the art part remains implicit.
Siddharth who was trained as designer at the D.J. Academy of Design, took the design of a building
and made the art part explicit. He simply reversed the usual notion. This is where his strength lies. He
has the heart of an artist and the mind of a designer. He chose the medium of photography, a tool
accessible to everyone today, to do this ‘reversal’ instead of a paint brush or a pencil.
Photography is so common nowadays that everyone owns a camera and can shoot easily to get a
good quality visual. The only point is that everyone will not see the same reality the same way. It is not
what you see but how you see it which makes the dierence between You and the Other and
between the mundane and the Art.
These photographs show how Siddharth had seen a piece of architecture. I am delighted to notice the
way he elevated the ordinary shadows of the building, the windows and the grills, into a beautiful and
sensitive work of Art. I am proud to say he was our student. This is the poetry of the shadows.
Professor S.Balaram,
Dean, D J Academy of Design, Coimbatore
28.10.2015
Photo: Venkatesh
Photo: John Rowell
Photo: Venkatesh
Photo: Venkatesh
Photo: Venkatesh
Photo: Venkatesh
Photo: John Rowell
Photo: John Rowell
Catalogue Cover - Printed on Natural Evolution 300GSM
Few pages from the catalogue
Few pages from the catalogue
Few pages from the catalogue
Few pages from the catalogue
Shadows Speak
Shadows of colourful objects are the highlights of my subject.
I have been seeing, observing and silently conversing with shadows for a
while now. It is these shadows from my design school, that have intrigued
me with their strange forms, going beyond the identity of the actual
structures. Even at midday, cavernous darkness spreads all over beneath
the roofs edge making entry way, doors, walls, and pillars all but invisible.
I am always in search of forms and shapes. Organic forms have always
fascinated me and are a fundamental part of my compositions. Over a
period of time these shadows have created a new dimension in my ways
of seeing. Here I have made an attempt to discover beauty in shadows,
ultimately to guide shadows towards beauty’s end.
Some of these glorious forms of images that I've been capturing are open
to you now.
- Siddharth Sadashiv
Visual Comunication Designer
+91 9880220672 | sidbhoomi@gmail.com
