CHENNAI: Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a widespread acknowledgement of all the work we get from those in the essential services. While it has been easy to equate essential work with healthcare professionals, the government machinery, sanitary staff, cops and journalists, you don’t remember to include photojournalists in this space — despite them having to repeatedly put themselves in harm’s way to bring you images from around the world. This coronavirus threat, as much as any other war or disaster, has spared little thought for the picture-makers. As art turns luxury in the time of distress, photographers stand to lose as much as their fellow artist brethren. Coming to their rescue is Ekalokam Trust for Photography and its new portal, Jugaad Foto Bazaar.
Even as many NGOs and social organisations have stepped up to gather funds, resources and a means of survival for artists and performers, this handy website is the Trust’s way of supporting photographers and their work. “This was in response to the pandemic that has affected various sectors and also overturned the life of photographers. Within this field, there are different sections — photojournalists, event photographers and studio photographers. Then, there are independent photographers, whose works are not going to sell at this point. That is why we set up this platform. Here, photographers can showcase their work and sell it for a decent price,” explains Tulsi Swarna Lakshmi, managing trustee of Ekalokam. This is the first portal in the country that is exclusively dedicated for the benefit of photographers, she adds.
Curating the clicks
Almost a month since its inception, the portal already features over a hundred photographs of talented artists. While there is no membership or registration involved, everything featured on the website is approved only after meticulous curation, clarifies Tulsi. “We have a certain standard that we maintain. We look at the quality of the work and the history of the photographer — whether they have been actively involved in the medium. A team looks into every single photograph that comes our way and checks for these aspects before uploading it on the site,” she details.
The portal is part of the Trust’s larger initiative — Artists Pledge. Beyond facilitating the sale of work, the portal also encourages photographers to appreciate and honour each other’s work. Those signing up for the project are asked to pay a fixed amount of `5,000. Upon the sale of the fifth photograph of the member, he is allowed to purchase the work of another photographer on the portal. “We have some well-known photographers like Abul Kalam Azad, Dinesh Kanna and Ramu Aravindan also contributing their art and signing up for this despite their work being, usually, much more expensive. Buying each other’s work kind of sets of a chain reaction — a ripple effect — and keeps the project going forward,” she explains.
Aiding artists
On their part, the Trust has no monetary benefit from this project, she says. All the money from the sales will be sent to the photographer. Yet, the Trust has bigger goals. “Usually, even people who enjoy art do not acquire it because it is highly priced, or due to lack of access. Galleries also turn art into products and use it for an elite, secluded audience. These are the things we are trying to navigate around, with this project,” she shares.
While the portal may have been a response to a pandemic, the Trust has plans to build on it and take it further. “Given that this is a one-of-its-kind initiative, we do have plans to expand its scope in the longer run. Everything is going to get completely digital in the coming days; with everyone moving to a different medium, we cannot expect the usual galleries to do all the work. And galleries can get expensive, going so far as to charge a 50-70 per cent of the commission fee. That kind of a capitalist idea cannot be sustained anymore. That way, this project is a liberating and democratising one. If you are a photographer, here is your platform and we will do all we can to promote the work among the audience, companies and cultural centres, and it’s a place where you can sell it too. That’s the idea,” she says.