Jain Spirit 2002 10 No 12

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 37

became fascinated by the shapes and shadows on the buildings at different times of the day or the way people dress; in short, she was learning to be a much more acute observer.
Bunshri's formal training was at the St. Alban's School of Art and Design, where she completed a City & Guilds course. Here she was encouraged to study the background of other photographers. She became interested in what inspired them and considered how she would have photographed the same subjects herself. She gained a Licentiateship and went on to the University of Hertfordshire where she received an Associateship of the Royal Photographic Society in recognition of a panel of Indian photographs. Having gained technical proficiency and background knowledge, a photographer, like an artist, needs to develop a style which is distinctly their own.
On entering Bunshri's exhibition I was immediately aware that her viewpoint was deeply feminine. Far from choosing to capture moments of high drama and tension, Bunshri's images are intimate, even domestic. As a woman, it was easy for her to go into compounds in smaller villages in India, because she did not provide a threat. Speaking Hindi was also an advantage, making communication straightforward. As Bunshri's aim was to capture the ordinary moment, her subjects felt very much at ease and simply carried on with their work.
Bunshri has made an art out of the mundane, 'the beauty of the everyday moment' as she describes it. Her work is a testament to Marcel Proust's comment that "the real voyage of discovery does not consist of seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." The photograph Looking Back is a tribute to this idea.
In the foreground a woman is sitting separating corn from chaff, an ancient occupation. She is surrounded only by the tools she needs, a mat, a bowl and the sack in which the corn was carried. She looks back over her shoulder into the compound, where another figure is squatting washing clothes. They appear to be looking at each other. Between them, peeping out of the doorway are more figures and a baby in a simple cradle. The beauty of this picture is that it raises questions. What is the relationship between the woman in the foreground and the people in the house? Why is she looking around?
A good photograph provokes thought; it invites us to look for a story and leaves space for the viewer's imagination. Looking Back gives us some information and provides an atmosphere, but it also invites us to exercise our minds. The colours are evocative; the woman in the foreground wears reds, oranges and yellows, colours of the autumn and harvest. She almost blends in with the colour of the corn and the earth from which it was grown.
The skill in photography is in recognising the moment. Consider Looking Back again. Would it be just as interesting if the central figure was grinning straight at the
From A Feminine Viewpoint
A good photograph provokes thought; it invites us to look for a story and leaves space for the viewer's imagination
camera? Or if the figures in the house were in full view? Bunshri patiently waited for the decisive moment in order to capture the atmosphere of tranquillity. She said, "If you stay there long enough you feel that they do not even notice that you are there. It's a bit like watching the world go by."
It is this meditative quality of Bunshri's work which reflects her cultural roots in Jainism. People tend to live in a rat race, constantly striving to increase their material wealth, if not for themselves then for the next generation. By looking at these images the viewer is encouraged to stop and think. In the West we never seem to have enough hours in the day.
Bunshri feels it is her job as a photographer to inspire people to pause and look deeper. Her work is not only for Jains, but all kinds of people, young and old, rich and poor, people from all walks of life. Or simply for people who are prepared to spend time to look and think a bit. Each individual picture has a strength of its own. The skill of the photographer is to recognise the significant moment and then have the ingenuity to capture it.
On the day I visited the exhibition, Bunshri had just received the news that one of her prints entitled Afternoon Nap had been selected for the 145th Royal Photographic Society International Print Competition. This is wonderful news for such an ambitious photographer. On a more down to earth note, her photographs which capture the beauty of the everyday moment teach us a clear lesson: concentrate on the simplicity of life.
Next time you reach for your camera, think carefully about what you are doing. How could you make your photos more thought provoking?
Bunshri Chandaria can be reached via E-mail on bunshri@unitechouse.com.
Alison Kent is Jain Spirit's photo editor and a freelance writer based in East Anglia
September November 2002 Jain Spirit
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