13 March,2014 09:50 AM IST | | Soma Das
India Song is an exhibition of photographs by London-based artist Karen Knorr
What: India Song is an exhibition of photographs by London-based artist Karen Knorr. Knorr says, "My photographs pay homage to the beauty and power of Rajput and Mughal architecture and to hybrid cultures represented in stories, miniature paintings, sculptures, folk and tribal art. India Song is a conceptual reworking of Indian folk stories, like the Panchatantra, with a feminist edge." Knorr travelled to India in 2008 and visited northern India (covering 16 sites in 21 days). She fell in love with the country, and returned to explore it, resulting in this series. The title refers to the oral culture of stories and music.
Bakhti, Path of Sants, Shiva Temple, Hampi
The Witness, Humayun's Tomb, New Delhi
How: Explaining the process, Knorr states that she photographed the interiors and animals separately, as animals can be photographed in a split second while it takes longer to shoot palaces and havelis in a certain light. "Wildlife photography combined with architectural photography produces an uncanny tension disrupting reality, (leading) towards a magical realism favoured by storytellers and folk tales. The work was completed on my computer in London," she states, admitting that it takes a lot of experimentation to get the image of the animal and the backdrop to fit seamlessly. "It can take months to get one image right," she admits.
The Return of the Hunter, Sheesh Mahal, Jaipur City Palace, Jaipur
A Place Like Amravati, Udaipur City Palace (Sarus Crane), Udaipur
Where: India Song is being presented by Vacheron Constantin and Tasveer.
The Sound of Rain, The Cloud Room, Junargarh Fort, Bikaner
