Mad Paule’ and Photography Today

Mad Paule’ and Photography Today

The question whether photography is art has oft been heavily debated and for a good one hundred and eighty two years now. John Berger(1972), an art critic and artist, pointed out that “by their nature, photographs have little or no property value because they have no rarity value. The very principle of photography is that the resulting image is not unique, but on the contrary infinitely reproducible.” Yet why has the photograph persisted and continued into the 21^st century? What makes it special and most enduring of all mediums? Importantly, can it considered to be an art form? 

        Today, with the digital innovations, anyone can take a photo with their smartphone or Iphone and become an “artist”. New software programs like Photoshop CS (2003) have transformed the way we look at photographs. Artists like Jeff Wall, Mathew Brandt have given photography a new name and edge. As Patrick Coyne, editor, cautions, “it's about the master using the tools, not just the tools available.”

            Keeping these observations and pointers in mind, coming across a young rising and talented photographer, Mad Paule’ and his beautiful photographs is truly a delight. He makes no compromises in his work and focuses on the spontaneity of the moment. Inspired by the Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi or “things rotting away gracefully with time”, he believes in keeping the subject spontaneous and fresh. He evades clichés in his work “especially when I am documenting something, I absolutely detest the blank “made up” expression” and “ like my pictures to be as close to the character.”

            Black and white is his forte. He works in colour too but feels that they are trickier to manipulate. Depending on the theme, he decides his colour choices in advance, as “thanks to the RAW format, I can bring back the colors into my photographs even if I click them in black and white.”

            Mad Paule’ enjoys manipulating his images and superimposing two different pictures in the same frame. They evoke various emotions such as nostalgia, sadness, mystery or deep turbulences that are like ripples across still waters. As the artist explains, he draws from his personal experiences and the world around him. He is troubled by the indifference and callousness he encounters in the surroundings. In his earlier years, he was deeply influenced by novelist Charles Dickens and especially identifies with his book, “Hard Times”. He also follows the works of photographers Gottfried Helnwein and Nobuyoshi Araki closely.

 Paule’’s interests lie in the human figure and its intricacies. He is presently working on the figure as an abstraction. Street photography engages him equally for it is “challenging, time consuming and tests your patience and you may come back frustrated after a full day walk or sometimes even after a month.” His photo blog is full of nature, moments and people who are important to him. He treats it like a sketchbook from where he can draw his sources for a new shoot or idea.

            Yet Mad Paule’, as he likes to be known by, is in a tearing hurry. He wants to experiment in various media (illustration, installations) and get people to “wear” his art. He signs off by cautioning that photographing in public places can be difficult and offers gems of advice- “Nobody can predict anything….. The key is to give it some time and wait the way you wait for a crocodile to hunt. Go out a lot, talk to more and more people, have an approachable attitude, learn to take NO politely. If you act suspicious and self-conscious, it will not only show in the picture but also in the attitude of people toward you.”

          At present, Paule’ plans to do a photo exhibition tentatively titled Mad Paule’ .It will be largely a series of collaborations between him and his circle of artist friends. Till then, if you want to see more of his work, especially his ongoing series, visit his website www.madpaule.co

References and quotes

1)    http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/oct/19/photography-is-it-art- Photography: is it art?- Art and Design

2)    http://www.macobo.com/essays/epdf/berger_understanding_a_photograph.pdf- Understanding a photograph essay by John Berger

3)    John Berger/Ways of Seeing, Episode 1(1972) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pDE4VX_9Kk-

4)    http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/new-jersey/63336-ilene-dube- When is photography art?

5)    http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/10/living/fine-art-photography-manipulation/- Art photography: When 'reality isn't good enough'