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Your Contribution: Imaging the Underdog

By Gautam Narang

May 1, 2005

In India, I saw uncensored reality, real poverty, real madness, not the sanitized cleaned up, behind closed doors society of Britain. But why are these themes so interesting to me? Because they are more real, everyone identifies with the underdog, not many can identify with the entrenched falsity of the ruling classes.” (Gautam Narang)

Gautam Narang is a British up-and-coming photographer with Indian roots. Only 21 years old, he has already won three prestigious awards: He gained the 1st place in the Canon Top Shots competition, two of his pictures were picked out of 25,000 entries and he gained two merits in the Fujifilm Merit Awards, and he was also short-listed to the top 5 in the MTV Photo Essay Awards.

Gautam is known for his outstanding use of color and original take on a range of subject matters. His work has been exhibited in London, in New York (collaborative work shown at Field of New York) and in an exhibition held by the St. Petersburg’s Modern Art Gallery for this work on the theme of contrast.

In this feature Gautam shares some of his favorite photos he made in India and tells us what they mean to him:

1) This photograph was taken in New Delhi. Tea is one of Asia’ greatest inventions. I love tea, and the old style and way of having a cup of tea is timeless.

2) While I was walking around I heard these voices. They drew me closer; I had never heard such beautiful voices. I came closer and discovered this group of folk singers. It was like walking into history: Their faces are timeless.

 

3) We live in a complex world where Eastern traditions combine with Western materialism; these two signs represent that duality.

 

4) I was driving by and saw this couple of kids playing cricket. There was something special about the place so I walked on the cricket field which was next to a mosque. I asked the kids if I could take their picture. When they agreed I asked this kid to hold the bat. The next day I gave them a print.

 

5) This picture is of a girl I came across in an Indian village. At first she tried to take away her sari, but I thought it looked cool as it was.

 

6) This is my dad, a great man. I call this picture “Think About It.”

 

7) I came across this school by coincidence. It was the first time I walked into a mosque and I was drawn by the beautiful voices. When I took this picture I knew it would be good. That doesn’t happen often; it’s one of my favorites.

 

8) This picture was taken in a mosque, hence the background. I asked some kids to pose in front of a wall. They were all excited and gathered around each other. In this village, Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs were all living side by side in peace; this is the way it should be.

 

9) The way I take my pictures is by just walking around and discovering. This is how I came across this girl. I asked if I could take her photo, she nodded her head and I took two frames. Not thinking much of the photographs, she didn’t say a word. She belonged to a group of people who dress up in religious Hindu clothing and ask for donations.

 

10) To be different isn’t a bad thing.

 

You can e-mail Gautam Narang at gnarang@flipeye.com.


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