Ashok Sinha - Photo Blog

Last Week of “Portraits”

admin — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 03:21:39 +0000

This is the last week to see the “Portraits” Juried group exhibition at the Center for Fine Art Photography in Ft. Collins, Colorado. I was honored to be included in the show by juror Rodney Smith, a master photographer who studied under Walker Evans in 1975 at Yale.

I also had a chance to make it to the artist reception on March 4th and had a great time meeting the folks at the Center.

Oh, and did I mention all the other great works I got to see in person? The online exhibition is no match at all.

Small Business Owners

admin — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 05:57:53 +0000

The goal of this project is do to a series of environmental portraits of small business owners, and in effect, put a human face to the “backbone” of our national economy.

This series has its roots in the project “Revisiting Lower Manhattan” (see earlier post) – a multimedia piece I did for a group entitled “The Work Office” funded by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Ever since, I have been increasingly drawn to this community as photographic subjects and continue my exploration of these individuals who are ubiquitous yet easily overlooked in the complex economy of our times.

Frank Tuminello at Weinstein & Holtzman Hardware at 29 Park Row

Lenny Bowser at V.I.P. Men’s Suits at 181 Broadway # 2

An afternoon in Geoffrey Bawa’s home

admin — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 01:22:11 +0000

Geoffrey Bawa is probably the most celebrated and influential Asian architects of the twentieth century. Sadly, I knew little about his work and his life until I began researching for my recent dispatch to Sri Lanka earlier last month.

Bawa was born to European parents in British Ceylon (the name Sri Lanka was referred to as during the days of the British Empire). Before he became an architect, however, he abandoned a career as a lawyer in London and eventually settled down in Sri Lanka to pursue his dreams.

I felt inspired by his life and especially his unusual start as an architect, so when I got the rare opportunity to visit and photograph”Number 11″ – the last house Bawa lived and worked in before his death in 2003, I jumped on it. Bawa used his home as a canvas for architectural exploration and kept expanding the interior space by joining four neighboring bungalows over a course of several decades. The resultant masterpiece is truly one of a kind that blends Western design elements with traditional Sri Lankan architecture. For more about Geoffrey Bawa, please visit www.geoffreybawa.com

Also, some images from the shoot are below. Enjoy the tour!

Window Installation in Chelsea

admin — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:53:43 +0000

My first solo project in NYC will be a site-specific window installation at the Mixed Greens gallery in New York. I will be using two of the gallery’s exterior windows to remind passersby of the vast horizon beyond New York’s urban landscape.

The installation will be on view from Jan 13 – Mar 19th and the opening reception is scheduled for Thursday, January 13, 6-8pm. Please stop by if you are in town.

The images from the series “Exacting Proportion” (shown below) will feature in this installation.

Art Installations on the Streets of Calcutta (Kolkata)

admin — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:48:05 +0000

Durga Puja (the annual homecoming of the goddess Durga as she visits her parents’ home on earth) is a very special time in the city of Calcutta (now Kolkata). Apart from the usual festivities that are prevalent throughout, it is also a great time to see some amazing art installations in the form of “pandals” (pavilions) created to house the goddess.

According to the local authorities, there are over 3,000 such “pandals” all over the city and while it is physically impossible to see all of them during the course of the five days of the festival, I was fortunate to stumble upon a select few and was awed by the amazing display of art. Artists, architects and lighting designers from all over the country start planning six months ahead of the festival as each neighborhood tries to outdo the other by coming up with unique themes and concepts for the pandals. This year, artist Susanta Pal’s project (first image below) even involved painting a section of the neighborhood to fit the overall vision of the project.

It’s hard to believe that all this work (and resources) go into making the installations that are up for only a few days. Next year’s festivities start on October 2nd until the 6th … if you’re visiting India in 2011, don’t miss out!

Portfolio

admin — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 12:45:33 +0000

October, 2010 - Added a new series “Sustainable Tourism in Sri Lanka” … one of the images from the set below (shot in the ancient city of Sigiriya, a UNESCO World Heritage site).

Click on the image to launch the portfolio site.

Juried Group Show – New Orleans

admin — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 05:19:17 +0000

A few images from the series “Tokyo Nine to Five” is part of the New Orleans Photo Alliance “WoRK” exhibition. The show runs from October 2 through November 21, 2010. Andy Adams of FlakPhoto.com juried the show and selected the twenty-one photographers for the exhibit. If you’re in New Orleans, please stop by and take a look.

See the show online: http://www.neworleansphotoalliance.org/exhibitions.php?exhID=22

Life In An Indian Temple Town

admin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 03:39:01 +0000

In light of my upcoming assignment to India, I thought I’d post this set of images from my last trip there – a selection of images from temple towns in the southern state of Tamil Nadu that sits on the eastern side of the Indian peninsula.

Every time I travel to the south, I feel like a foreigner much to the amusement and surprise of my non-Indian friends in the US (my family is from the northern part of the country). The language is different (India has over 400 languages), food is strictly vegetarian for the most part, and even religious deities have their own southern flavor. Nowhere is this more apparent than the numerous “temple towns” where where the rhythm of life still mimics the time when these towns were first built. The temple still is THE center of life here.

Shiva Temple, Chidambaram

Temple Chariot, Chidambaram

Market inside Meenakshi Temple, Madurai

Young Couple inside Brihadeshwara Temple, Thanjavur

Pilgrims at The Brihadishwara Temple, Thanjavur

Local night market scene, Thanjavur

On the way to attending a festival, Chidambaram

Street Fortuneteller

Meenakshi Temple Pilgrims, Madurai

Canon Expo 2010

admin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 02:47:19 +0000

I was attending this year’s Canon Expo at the Jacobs Javits Center to check out the latest camera gear as well as see some of my images on display there. I got more than what I wished for. Not only did I get to play with almost every lens and camera body I wanted to, I ended up shooting the expo experience as a last-minute assignment. Here are some images.

If I Didn’t Have My Point-And-Shoot # 1

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:33:31 +0000

I just got my first point-and-shoot. I feel liberated. It’s the perfect camera I can slip on my shoulder every time I’m out on the streets of New York. Don’t get me wrong. I still absolutely love my SLR gear … but that’s only for editorial and commercial shoots.

I’m so excited about my new toy that I decided to start this personal project “If I Didn’t Have My Point-And-Shoot” … images I would have missed because normally my SLR would probably be left behind at home. So … without further ado, here’s the first installment.

Last week, during a business meeting at a cafe. I couldn’t help notice the interesting arrangement of condiments.

Near Madison Sq Park … the man walking in front of me was wearing this neat hat perfectly framed by the surrounding buildings.

While waiting for lunch to arrive at the new Zen Palate (18th & Park) … a picture of my niece Khushi (Ritika) and another of the curtains that framed the scene outside.