Through the lens: Photo exhibit fails to capture Pakistan’s beauty
A student photography exhibition that opened here to high expectations was a let down.
The exhibition features works of two students from National College of Arts in Lahore, Ubaidur Rehman and Naeem Jatoi.
They toured the entire country for four months to capture scenic beauty, national monuments and cultures through the lens of camera.
A number of professional freelance photographers came to see the exhibit at the National Heritage Museum at Garden Avenue in Shakarparian, but went away disappointed.
Firstly, even though the photographs focused on famous landscapes of the country, they lacked a narrative or an overarching theme. Any exhibition be it art or photography requires a theme or storyline that runs through the work.
Secondly the photographs seemed heavily photo-shopped, as colours failed to blend in naturally in the pictures.
If this wasn’t enough, the dull lighting at the venue required many to squint. “I came hoping to see some amazing pictures and works but this is the usual, where there’s more talk and less display.
Why do there have to be speeches at an exhibition?” stated one freelance photographer at the exhibit.
The trip was funded by the Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab (TDCP) and the exhibit was organised by TDCP in collaboration with Lok Virsa and Ministry of National Heritage and Integration.
The exhibition will remain open to public until July 5.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 4th, 2012.
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@"You Said it" As far as beauty is concerned, it is mostly in the eye of the beholder. Even a burning flame, a butterfly's wing, a single rose petal, or for that matter even the details of dragonfly's or common housefly's wing can be extremely beautiful. You don't see beauty with your eye, you see it with your heart. Students must be encouraged but this does not mean that mediocrity should be encouraged. Further, as far as beauty in Pakistan is concerned, I do recall that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle once wrote of NWFP (now KhyerPaktunkhuwa) that it reminded one of Switzerland! Lets not blame Pakistan for lack of beauty if we do not have the vision for it.
Don't rush to judge the students so hastily. Fact is that there isn't much beauty in Pakistan, so its not like the photographers can invent something that just doesn't exist.