The Click That Speaks

Photographs transport us to moments we have already encountered and even sometimes introduces us to places in our world that many don’t get to witness. People we don’t get to meet, and stories we never hear. It becomes a gateway to discover and explore cultures, people and their stories which possess the power to change our lives. It can immensely broaden our perspective, so the credit can go to every photographer. Those real unsung heroes, hidden behind their recorders, silently doing their bit by capturing precious moments from their lands and sharing them with the rest of the world. It is the power of their lens that enables us to experience a world we have never seen before. Photography, after all, can be the eyes that look where we can’t be. To discover ahead the art of storytelling through photography read more in The Click That Speaks Here.

What we usually see and do around us has an immense impact on our thinking. The constant visuals that we are fed in many ways become a catalyst for how we ponder, imagine or perceive things.

The world for many has been influenced by western culture and philosophy that we may not notice what is beyond. We are often separate from recognising and celebrating people and stories from the unexplored parts of the planet.

This makes it prudent to treasure every photograph from these significantly less discovered lands that truly encapsulate the essence of human life. Every photographer who plays an integral part in capturing the nuances of culture, heritage, geography and experiences that they belong to, opens doors for the rest of us to acquaint ourselves with these yet-to-be-explored lands.

One such artist is Jyoti Bhatt from India. Once a photography student herself, Jyoti truly captured the lives of craftsmen from Gujrat. She beautifully captured the livelihood, craft, simplicity and difficulties of these people from their interior lands which are majestically reflected in her work of art. The folk traditions of these artists are treasured by art lovers through Jyoti’s collection of photographs. Her work will be inaugurated at the MAP Museum in Banglore, India on 11th December 2022. To know more about this first major survey of retrospectives in 1960s India visit MAP.

Credit: Jyoti Bhatt

Another upcoming exhibition is from the Solander Collection: An Alternate History of Photography shall be open to the public from the 7th of this month. As the name suggests, Solander brings you a collection of renowned works and new discoveries by major artists, alongside forgotten greats, regional champions and unknown artists. The exhibition successfully depicts the complex interchange of art, science, tradition and anthropology, in a unique style of storytelling encompassing a vast web of interconnected anecdotes from the far end of East Africa and to the West, from New Zealand to Uzbekistan. To know more visit here The Photographers Gallery.

An Alternative History of Photography: Works from the Solander Collection opens at The Photographers’ Gallery, London from 7th October 2022. An accompanying book, An Alternative History of Photography will also be published by Prestel, available in the UK on September 30 and in the US on November 1.

It is not always necessary that stories of people are found in far-off territories, they can easily be as intriguing as images when far closer to home, but usually, places that are near yet seemingly ignored to a point.

It is because of individuals like Elizabeth Waterman, a celebrated American photographer who is taking every effort to introduce the untold stories of people and their lives filled with happiness and hardships.

She travelled across the US for 5 years spending every Saturday in various strip clubs to photograph the art of pole dancing as well as the backstage chaos. She has bought significantly unknown stories from the strip club world in her specially curated collection called the Money Game. Every portrait is celebrating the commitment to mastering the art in service of larger life goals. To know more about Elizabeth Waterman’s first solo exhibition from 14th October to 20th November visit Boogie-Wall.

Credit: Elizabeth Waterman

Again with no need to fly far away to explore stories of people and their trials and tribulations. Having been rightfully portraying the lives of the people of North England, Chris Killip has played a key role in documenting the lives of those who were affected by the economic shifts and downturns in the economy in the 1970s and 80s.

Killip’s collection of 120 images is exhibited over two floors of the gallery which includes previously unseen ephemera and colour works. The exhibition is all set to be published on 20th October, accompanied by a major monograph co-published with Thames and Hudson. To know more about Chris Killip’s retrospective collection check out Thames and Hudson.

Chris Killip opens at The Photographers’ Gallery, London from 7th October 2022. An accompanying book, Chris Killip 1946-2020 is published by Thames & Hudson

Photographs are indeed a vital form of treasure that silently narrates so many stories and helps us relive moments from history that we can cherish forever or understand people we may never meet and see landscapes we may never travel to. A click of the camera after all tells a thousand stories.

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