The Dialogue of Two Cities

Published in Weekend, The New Indian Express,
Coimbatore Edition, Page 4 Blitz, on December 16, 2006


By Francis P Barclay

Benares, an otherworldly town with the tranquil Ganges, steep shrines and palmers, has a lot to contribute to the creative consummation of artists and thinkers. But what George K's lens has found there interesting is something
at odds - the modesty and senses of habitual life. In high contrast, he reveals the danger and destruction behind the still edifices of Srinagar in shots with touches of paint.
A self-taught artist and photographer, Chennai-based George presents contrasting moods complimenting each other at the `A tale of two cities - Benares and Srinagar,' a five-day exhibition of photographs organised by Vibe, a lifestyle store in Coimbatore, and the HSBC which ended on December 13.
The photographs of Srinagar radiate a wave of silence behind the touches of silver or ash, fiery red, gold, ivory white, yellow and blue. The structures are worn-out. A spray of paint like barb wire on the photographs give a
sense of danger behind it. The photographs, mostly of low contrast and with the touches of dull colours, aren't refreshing to eyes. Yet, they demand a second look. It is for their contradictory foreground and background, which give the art pieces a new meaning.
And for the elements of composition. The ravaged walls, made of mud coloured bricks, are artistic in appearance with their irregular dark crevices. Colours are played well in the pictures. The monochromatic colouring with touches of red reflects the looming sadness of the region. Srinagar is deserted and lifeless.
Whereas Benares is bright with red, orange and chrome yellow. The theme seems to be simple - portrayal of routine life. But it instills a billow of mysticism. His scenes hover on the banks, capturing interesting moments,
like a dog yawning under a huge umbrella and the windless expression of a man when the shaving blade is drifting along his throat.
According to the 57-year-old artiste, photography is a visual inspiration portraying reality. The pilgrimage city has a medley of populace and also contributes a comely background that is different from a cramped city. Another reason for him choosing the city is the high vibrancy of life there. People come there in search of peace and salvation, washing their sins in the sacred river. Some find it in death, yet they receive it joyfully and without fuss. In the photograph `Dare to dream', a middle-aged man is seen slanted on a pillar in an unruffled state. ``He has come there to die and is awaiting his death. He eats what is given to him and doesn't ask why if not given,'' he says.
These scenes, though ordinary, are with the astounding meaning of life, he adds.
Like the German artist Gerhard Richter, he combines two different modes of representation, the abstract and the realistic to create a visually stimulating effect.
Although a sense of death and stillness reverberates in the photographs of both the cities, the portrayal and perspectives vary. The dialogue between the two cities is explicit.