24 February,2009 07:25 AM IST | | Swati Kumari
How is it that tasteful nude art always manages to kill the vulgarity of its lesser cousin, street pornography? Photo-artists Saadiya Kochar, Ajay Rajgarhia and Vikas Malhotra have been waiting to answer this question through their exhibition of nudes. Male, female and androgynous forms lie bare for you to scrutinise as they mesmerise, while the deeper essence descends subtly. "There's nothing obscene about it," assures Ajay. We give you a glimpse of the buff stuff in store.
Forms and Stereotypes by Saadiya Kochar portray the general stereotypes related to various shades of a woman the virgin, the child, the lover, the goddess and the whore. The lens-lover's works are deep-rooted in emotions and spirituality. "I have roped in models and dancers from abroad for my presentations, which makes it creatively unique," she smiles. There's no escape to the fine feminine energy the numbers are bound to fill you with.
Pangs of Yang
Form.ulations (sic) by Vikas takes a different shot at the quest to survive. Inner conflicts, personal misconceptions and shut-door thinking of the urban man are the main subjects explored. "I have juxtaposed social and personal issues on the male body. These images are meant to be interpreted individually, from a personal point of view," he emphasises.
Naked Nature
Nudity isn't the absence of clothes, but the presence of sensuality in a powerful form, even if it is sexless. In Comfortable In My Skin by Ajay Rajgarhia, the raw appeal of rough tree trunks, soft mounds of barks and the revealing space between branches mould into objects of erotica. "Nudity in nature hasn't ever been displayed this way. The idea struck me when I was in Pondicherry last year, andu00a0 shot a tree in a way that it looked like an unrobed woman. That was the beginning. The trick just lies in playing around with angles and lighting," enlightens the creator.
