Dialogue with photograph

A conversation with one’s own work, an art preview with an hour-long presentation and discussions over wine and cocktails. Yes, the cocktail evening hosted by Art Mantram and Swasti Contemporary Gallery at a city hotel was not one of your regular art preview night. It not only managed to surprise many P3Ps in the City but also captured the interest of many.

The artist in the spotlight, David Davidson, displayed 20 of his photographs which were taken by him during his travel expeditions to Spain, Italy and India. The images, he says, are autobiographical and also says a lot on where he has been and the people he has met during his many visits. “I believe the photos are both emotional and universal,” said the artist.

Dedicating the evening to the girl child, he said that as part of the evening’s programme he would be having a conversation with one of his photographs. No one thought he was serious but there he was standing in front of one of his pieces and talking to it. “It takes a lot of courage to attempt something like this,” whispered a few who were listening. “It is a personal dialogue where I attempt to answer the questions the photograph demands of me and the viewer. What does the image want? What does it want from me? Not just what I want or what I see.” This was then followed by a serious discussion between him and Poily Sengupta, a theatre artiste.

While the discussions continued, the party never stopped. The style quotient of the evening was mainly traditional with the best of kurtas, anarkalis and sarees being worn by most of the invitees.

All the ‘shush’ from those, who were seated in front, did keep the ones partying at the back, a tad bit quiet. While many guests made their way out into the corridor to grab a bite and a drink, there were others who simply lingered at the back of the hall and around the shutterbugs to pose.