Long back in college a professor was enraged! He told us, the technology influences and shapes the way we interpret the world.
He also lamented the fact that the world was moving towards the visual culture. He blamed it squarely on movies and TV. Those were the only 2 culprits those days.
As per the erudite professor, the
visual aspects of life were getting more important as these technologies penetrated new areas. He shouted in the class--
" What a pity! People are more concerned about how things look
then what they actually are!"
I thought he was overreacting. Professors are like that only, we chuckled.
But recently when I visited Kala Ghoda Art Festival at Mumbai, the professor's words rang true to me. Almost everyone had a camera. Not just camera phones, many of them had a real professional equipment.
The art festival had some great installations. But people were more interested in clicking the pic then having a close look at the 'Work of Art'.
"Click me with this horse in the background! We will put it on Facebook!"
So many people gathered around to take a selfie with the installations that you just can't admire it in its fullness. You would be obstructed by pose making girls and their boyfriends putting their arms around...installations as well.
Just think about it--Camera is indeed a great thing to capture the visuals, but what about the first excitement that a piece of art creates in you? The questions that could arise when you watch an installation closely. What could be the artist's intention in creating that art? What she wanted to convey? "Was that just a horse? Or there was a deeper meaning to it? What about the craftsmanship?"
She writes in the intro to her art work: It's something to provoke the sensitivities of the
society against the torture on environment. Come again? Who is concerned about your sensitivities poor lady? These Pepsi guzzlers with selfie stick in their hand-- which is
almost in your face are there to make a statement...Look I we were at Kala Ghoda art festival. Here is a proof...the high resolution picture. Now LIKE it!
I imagined my professor standing there with me. Utter disbelief in his eyes as he saw those 'Facebooking' guys. His voice was weakened with old age so he could only whisper,
"My boy! These bloody cameras should be banned, break those if they insist!"
Do you think he is overreacting once again?
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