In the heart of the stone

Shrinivas Gadre is a photo artist and a travel enthusiast based in Pune, who was an industrialist in his previous avatar.

Shrinivas Gadre’s debut exhibition 'Infinitesimal to Infinity', curated by Sanjana Shah, was recently held at the Tao Art Gallery in Mumbai. The series of abstract images are a result of microscopic photography of stones, a unique initiative to capture the alluring landscapes lying deep within the layers of stones.

Gadre is a photo artist and a travel enthusiast based in Pune, who was an industrialist in his previous avatar. He, in fact, turned to art after being at the helm of a successful manufacturing business for 30 years. He has been experimenting with microscopic photography of stones for several years now, and this suite of abstract images has emanated from his creative quest. 

I had the opportunity to view some of these stones through the microscope at his studio and was mesmerised by the images that lie hidden beneath the surface, not visible to the naked eye. The colours, patterns and forms that emerged through the lens, were akin to ethereal landscapes, presenting infinite vistas of abstract imagery. It generated in me a greater appreciation of nature, which remains hidden in plain sight, and yet contains so much beauty.

Explaining his love for the medium, Gadre discloses how a few years ago, he chanced upon a book on stone art by Bill Atkinson and was fascinated by the photographs of stunning visuals from within the depths of various stones. This initiated his photographic journey into the realm of rock art, a unique medium, which has largely been unexplored in India. He realised that microphotography of stones and rocks can offer limitless material for evocative images, and are a legitimate form of abstract art.

“Using the microscopic lens as a tool to reveal the intimate landscape buried within the layers of the stone is an exploration into unknown territory, and is one of the most rewarding experiences of my artistic career,” he elaborates. Using his technical knowledge, he designed his tool — a combination of a microscope and a camera. He spent more than half a decade collecting and learning about stones. His creativity expresses itself in composing the frames and the accompanying stories that touch the soul, heart and mind. Each frame offers a unique story, a minimal landscape, the suggestion of a lone figure, a meandering river, the textures and veins on a leaf or flowing lava.

Some of the works that were exhibited as part of his solo show, appear to be photographs of a golden dawn, a burst of fiery embers, faint silhouettes of trees in a forest, a macro view of a flower reminding one of O’Keefe’s floral paintings and a ‘Bindu’ reminiscent of Raza. The suite of photographs offers astonishing insights and details into natural materials and forms, and their surprising allusion to natural landscapes and phenomena is remarkably synchronous.

Gadre has amassed a vast collection of stones over the years, and his photographic subjects specifically include stones like agates from Gujarat and Rajasthan and various cabochons from Namibia and USA.

The process of microphotography of these stones is truly transformative. It gives new life to the stone, alters and challenges the viewer's perspective and simultaneously invokes a sense of mystery, wonder and intrigue. 

The author is a Bengaluru-based art consultant, curator and writer. She blogs at Art Scene India and can be reached on [e-mail]

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