Hollow Times

New frontiers in photography

An avant garde artist has found a novel way to document life’s journey. He has taken more than 5,000 digital images of his own legs and feet, both shod and unshod in what seems to be different locations.

The thought behind his work, the artist explains, is that he was ashamed by the series of photography exhibitions that were making headlines lately. The utter nonchalance of the practitioners towards the medium in terms of technical efficiency has been most disturbing. Quality, he feels, has become secondary to fashionable and trendy justifications.

A poet and an artist participating in the debate
 “The argumentative Bengali is a dead species - period!”

What started off as a reaction to these trends became a full time obsession with him. Consequently, he walked about with bowed head and in spite of the discomfort (that gave him a permanent crick in the neck) he kept on taking pictures. This resulted in the stupendous series titled “Where am I going?” These works attempt to trace the artist’s journey through life in a very personal way and raise questions that relate to directions, both temporal and philosophical.

“raising questions relating to directions,

both temporal and philosophical”

Asked about his future plans, the artist explained that at the moment he was very busy mounting his solo show at a premier gallery in Kolkata. On the issue of whether or not these works would find buyers, the artist smiled and said, “I do not chase money, money chases me,” spreading his hands, alluding to the bevy of beautiful buyers hovering around.

What next? The artist said that he was constructing a transparent device that would be strapped to his waist and would carry a camera at the far end. This would be useful to document more of his journey, albeit from another perspective and would depict him walking about with bowed head. He plans to title this future series “A crick in the neck.”

   Capitalist conspiracy

A well-endowed starlet has been making waves lately. She has been in the news more often for her off-screen antics rather than her on-screen libidinousness, which she claims is put on entirely for the camera, rubbishing rumours of her amorous escapades with her co-actors. She is almost always scantily dressed, which her economist parents reportedly do not mind. However, this nubile lass is not at pains to explain why she wears those threadbare outfits everywhere. Her usual attire is so skimpy that it can be described as two simple handkerchiefs actually. She explains that her professional commitments require her to inhabit various casting couches in quick succession and “it’s a drag to choose a more elaborate wardrobe. What’s more, I do not have to worry about wardrobe malfunctions either! Clothing is a capitalist conspiracy!” she signs off.

News in brief

The All Bengal Writers’ Guild submitted a memorandum to the state government demanding reservations in publishing, as well as promulgating a buyer policy guideline that would ensure sale of Bengali books. A spokesperson for the Guild said that the organisation was planning to launch a mass movement if their demands were not  met.

Page 3 Celebrities Inc. has threatened to call a statewide bandh to protest alleged anomalies in the current rating system and picket publications to demand more dedicated pages. A spokesperson for a particular news group hoped that they would be spared the indignities, as they publish Page 3  material only.