HYDERABAD: The inventors of photography may never have realised what this medium could do to the 21st-century humanity: waking up with a selfie to sharing pictures on social media just before hitting the bed. Now, what happens in between is best left to our imagination. But, what we certainly know is that the world of photos has set in behavioral changes that only psychoanalysts can delve deep into.
Although the world has gone haywire with camera phones, photography in itself has a distinguished presence not just in its invention but also how the same has been applied to certain purposes – be it art or documentation. The ongoing exhibition Out of Frame – A Story of Paris and Photography which opened at the Telangana State Fine Art recently, is brought to the city audience by the Alliance Francaise de Hyderabad along with its cultural partners.
This exhibition is not just a tribute to the quaint France but brings to the fore the cultural, architectural and environmental aspects that open up a window to a progressive nation. In fact, this exhibition projects the seriousness of a people who have dedicated a museum to preserve the impressions of a civilisation which is transient and transforming. In fact, the Nicéphore Niépce Museum in Chalon-sur-Saône, France, preserves, since its establishment in 1972, photographic collections from any age and any source. From the first tries in 1815 by Niépce, French inventor of photography, to the last finds of digital, the museum presents a complete look at the history of photography.
Although photography challenged the artists, this medium was certainly not recognised for its aesthetics; it is known better for its invention. In fact, photography will be a part of classical arts only during the 1859’s Paris Universal Exhibition. Also, the marketing of the first Kodak camera in 1888 will also contribute to making the photo accessible to the middle class. And, in 1903, Auguste and Louis Lumiere, also inventors of cinema, devised the colour photo process. Therefore, in the 20th century, photography has reached a certain peak.
This exhibition retraces the history of photography and regresses back in time to discover Paris between 1900 and 1960: when the city was altered and given its modern aspect under the Second Empire and Baron Haussmann. During 1850 and 1870, several districts were demolished to accommodate the modern. Therefore in 1898 photographers like Atget started documenting the streets of Paris to immortalise what escaped the destruction. He records meticulously facades, shops, window dressings, interiors, habits and small trades.The exhibition is on till February 26