a photogenetic line · a tall man, khan abdul gaffar khan aka frontier gandhi stands at lahore...
TRANSCRIPT
A ta
ll m
an, K
han
Abd
ul G
affa
r Kha
n ak
a Fr
onti
er G
andh
i st
ands
at L
ahor
e st
atio
n in
193
7w
ith
the
Kar
achi
-bas
ed G
andh
ian
Cho
ithr
am G
idw
ani
and
behi
nd th
eman
unk
now
n po
rter
at t
he tr
ain
door
.
Thre
e ye
ars
late
r, K
han
is in
side
the
trai
n su
rrou
nded
by
peop
le a
mon
g th
em a
you
ng fu
ll-tu
rban
ed S
ikh
and
som
eone
at t
he e
dge
of th
e fr
ame
hold
ing
a ha
t who
se in
side
say
s, "G
ood
Luck
".
At a
n un
know
n Fr
onti
er lo
cati
on, K
han
is s
urro
unde
d by
mem
bers
of t
he N
on-v
iole
nt A
rmy
he m
obili
sed
know
n as
the
Khu
dai K
hidm
atga
rs
or R
ed S
hirt
s w
hich
they
dye
d a
bric
k re
d.
In 1
969
an o
lder
Kha
n is
see
n in
a p
aint
ed p
hoto
grap
h br
eaki
ng a
fast
nex
t to
Jayp
raka
sh N
aray
an, o
r JP
who
wou
ld s
oon
be a
key
ant
i-C
ongr
ess
figu
re.
16 y
ears
late
r, hi
s kn
ees
are
up a
s he
sit
s in
the
Con
gres
s C
ente
nary
cel
ebra
tion
s in
Del
hi.
A d
ay e
arlie
r he
was
in a
whe
elch
air b
eing
rece
ived
by
a d
eleg
atio
n at
Pal
am A
irpo
rtin
clud
ing
a da
rk-s
uite
d m
an n
amed
Raj
iv G
andh
i.
In O
ctob
er 1
992,
a c
utou
t of R
ajiv
Gan
dhi i
n m
ore
trad
itio
nal c
loth
es fe
ll in
Ban
galo
re
seri
ousl
y in
juri
ng o
ne p
erso
n.
We
real
ise
this
is a
fter
Raj
iv's
deat
hw
hich
took
pla
ce in
May
199
1.
A d
ay a
fter
his
dea
th h
ere
is th
e fo
rens
ic s
cien
tist
C
hand
ra S
hekh
aran
sho
win
g ho
w R
ajiv
’s b
ody
lay
afte
r the
bom
b ex
plod
ed.
One
mon
th a
fter
that
Cha
ndra
is s
een
test
ing
a lie
det
ecto
r on
a co
lleag
ue.
Twel
ve y
ears
late
r, he
is fi
nally
read
y to
pub
lish
his
inve
stig
atio
n on
the
Raj
iv G
andh
i Ass
asin
atio
n ca
seas
see
n by
the
pow
erpo
int o
n hi
s de
skto
p.
Mea
nwhi
le d
aily
life
app
ears
at t
he g
ate
of th
e Fo
rens
ic S
cien
ce L
abs
in M
adur
ai.
Whi
le c
ompu
ters
app
ear i
n m
ore
and
mor
e pl
aces
--
As
an o
bjec
t of i
nter
est t
o fo
rens
ic in
vest
igat
ors
wit
ha
light
bul
b.
As
a gi
ft g
iven
by
the
Dal
it P
anth
ers
of In
dia.
As
a ne
w w
ay to
gen
erat
e yo
ur k
unda
li, o
r ast
rolo
gica
l fut
ure.
In th
e ba
ckgr
ound
, the
ligh
t bul
b ap
pear
s as
par
t of a
pr
ehis
tory
of t
he c
ompu
ter a
gew
here
tele
phon
e nu
mbe
rs h
ad to
be
foun
d m
anua
lly in
lin
edex
es, b
y m
ostl
y w
omen
ope
rato
rs.
By n
ow c
ompu
ters
can
be
used
for r
escu
ing
yout
h fr
om
mili
tanc
y an
d m
akin
g th
em c
olle
ct F
reed
om C
Ds
inst
ead.
Her
e is
Meh
boob
a M
ufti
inau
gura
ting
a c
ompu
ter l
ab
in A
nant
nag
in S
outh
Kas
hmir
si
ttin
g on
a p
last
icke
d ch
air.
That
cha
ir in
the
back
is b
eing
repa
ired
wit
h pl
asti
c w
ire.
Thos
e fi
ve b
elow
are
bei
ng c
arri
ed b
y a
BSF
jaw
an.
Whi
le th
ose
four
are
flyi
ng in
the
air
on a
Sri
naga
r str
eet
whi
ch a
lso
cont
ains
a s
mal
l clo
ud o
f tea
rgas
th
at g
row
s bi
gger
whe
n th
e bo
dy o
f a N
isar
Ahm
ed is
bei
ng
carr
ied
in a
pho
to ta
ken
by th
e ph
otoj
ourn
alis
t Nis
ar A
hmed
.
The
fara
way
gat
e be
hind
the
chai
rs-c
arry
ing
jaw
an b
ecom
es
Am
an S
etu
a br
idge
bet
wee
n ne
ighb
ours
in a
pho
to ta
ken
by th
e jo
urna
list S
huja
at B
hukh
ari
who
was
sho
t dea
d in
Sri
naga
r in
2018
.
A te
arga
s ex
plos
ion
occu
rs o
n a
law
n in
Hyd
erab
ad's
Osm
ania
Uni
vers
ity
next
to m
en ly
ing
spre
adea
gled
on
anot
her l
awn
in H
yder
abad
and
wom
en in
Che
nnai
's Po
lice
Com
mis
sion
er's
offi
ce la
wns
.
A m
eado
w g
row
s w
here
a v
illag
e on
ce s
tood
, in
Jam
ni.
Als
o in
Jam
ni, a
n ol
d Ba
nyan
tree
is o
n fi
re fo
r unc
lear
re
ason
s
the
sam
e re
ason
s w
hy a
sha
dy tr
ee is
cut
on
a S
atur
day
in A
pril
in C
henn
ai.
Subr
aman
ya B
hara
ti's
cart
oon
of fl
ight
less
bir
ds c
ower
ing
in th
e im
poss
ible
inte
rior
of t
rees
is
from
the
vast
col
lect
ion
of T
amil
docu
men
ts
at th
e R
oja
Mut
haia
h Li
brar
y.
Who
se fo
unde
r die
d of
poi
soni
ng fr
om th
e ch
emic
als
he u
sed
to p
rese
rve
them
.
Unl
ike
Swam
inat
ha A
iyar
, Mut
haia
h do
esn'
t hav
ehi
s ow
n cu
tout
lo
okin
g ov
er th
e lib
rary
pat
rons
.
The
Jaff
na li
brar
y ho
sted
abo
ut 9
7,00
0 pi
eces
of T
amil
liter
ary
hist
ory
whe
n it
was
bur
ned
to a
she
ll in
198
1 on
e of
the
spar
ks ig
niti
ng c
ivil
war
in S
ri L
anka
.
Cla
ims
on T
amil
as a
lang
uage
go
far b
ack
into
shap
es o
n ro
cks.
How
far b
ack
can
this
go?
Dan
cers
pai
nted
on
rock
san
d on
e co
vere
d in
pla
stic
, at F
TII.
Whe
n pe
ople
gat
her i
n Tr
ivan
drum
at a
kis
s ag
ains
t fas
cism
pro
test
as
aud
ienc
e or
as
kiss
ers.
Nea
rby
ther
e ar
e pr
ofes
sion
al c
amer
asca
mer
as s
old
as c
omm
odit
ies
and
amat
eur r
ings
ide
cam
eras
.
A PHOTOGENETIC LINE
A 100-foot long branching sequence of cutouts, drawing from the photo archives of The Hindu, a 140 year old newspaper based out of Chennai.
Cutouts are a way of reframing existing photographs as new organisms; not to remove their background environments, nor to frame heroic figures, but to create a new boundary or border for the image. A border, interior or exterior, that leads us to the next image.
The sequence evolves by following one or more of these basic rules:
a. People in the images grow older, or younger.b. Things in the background come into the foreground, or vice versa.c. Two photo captions refer to each other.
The line thus created traverses a series of perceptual (shape), historical (time) and geographic (political) boundaries. Here, like in cinema, the cut is not a brick wall but an invitation: for increased traffic at any border.
This work was first shown at the Chennai Photo Biennale 2019, supported by The Hindu.
https://studio.camp
An
amat
eur c
amer
aman
and
two
kids
laze
on
a sl
ow R
anji
day
Whe
n in
193
8, P
aynt
er o
f Eng
land
pla
ys a
n od
d sh
ot
The
seco
nd d
ay's
play
bet
wee
n In
dia
and
Wes
t Ind
ies
at
Eden
Gar
dens
in 1
967
is d
isru
pted
by
a cr
owd
burn
ing
chai
rs.
A c
row
d of
farm
ers
gath
ers
on A
nna
Sala
i in
Che
nnai
su
rrou
ndin
g a
seat
ed P
eriy
ar.
Who
we
see
bein
g pa
inte
d bl
ack
by a
Dra
vida
r Kaz
haga
m
mem
ber i
n 20
18.
The
new
spap
er c
apti
on d
epic
ts P
eriy
ar a
s an
"obs
truc
tion
to tr
affi
c"Bu
t it w
as a
lso
a de
liber
ate
cast
e-po
litic
s m
ove,
to in
stal
l him
in
fron
t of T
he H
indu
's of
fice
.
Insi
de a
n au
to, a
wou
ld-b
e br
ide
laug
hs a
fter
a
polic
e co
mpl
aint
by
the
groo
m.
A tr
ee p
lant
ed 2
0 ye
ars
ago
by a
n au
to-d
rive
r loo
ms
tall.
Whi
le n
earb
y an
othe
r tre
e fa
lls o
nto
a th
ree-
whe
eler
duri
ng c
yclo
ne V
arda
h.
In N
orth
Arc
ot in
197
9, th
e st
ruct
ure
of a
bus
is s
een
only
aft
er it
s co
llisi
on w
ith
a tr
ee.
A fi
re d
estr
oys
an R
TI o
ffic
e in
augu
rate
d by
"T
en D
amse
ls fr
om T
en D
istr
icts
"in
Guw
ahat
i.
A c
rane
mak
es h
oles
in w
alls
aft
er a
fire
leav
ing
the
stru
ctur
e in
tact
.
And
ano
ther
old
man
col
lect
s fl
agst
icks
fr
om a
n IN
TUC
pro
test
as
fire
woo
d.
The
arti
st g
roup
Sah
mat
pro
test
s in
favo
ur o
f the
film
Fir
ein
Del
hi.
The
Hin
du o
ffic
e in
Che
nnai
cat
ches
fire
in 2
013.
Its
inte
rior
s ar
e bl
acke
ned
and
com
pute
rs w
et.
"Far
mvi
lle is
a g
ame
all a
bout
plo
ughi
ng,
sow
ing
and
harv
esti
ng a
goo
d cr
op o
nlin
e"
Its
pink
hou
ses
have
som
e re
sem
blan
ce to
thos
e bu
ilt
for i
nter
nally
-dis
plac
ed M
uslim
s in
Man
nar,
Sri L
anka
.
The
roof
s of
fire
-hit
hut
s ar
e m
issi
ng,
in fr
ont o
f Che
tput
sta
tion
in M
adra
s.
Fore
nsic
s an
d po
lice
inve
stig
ate
a ho
le
cut i
n th
e ro
of o
f the
Egm
ore
Expr
ess
thro
ugh
whi
ch 5
.38
cror
es o
f goo
ds w
ere
stol
en.
A p
olic
eman
in s
hort
s w
atch
es a
s gr
adua
tion
day
un
fold
s in
the
Sena
te H
ouse
at M
adra
s U
nive
rsit
yw
here
this
wor
k w
as fi
rst s
how
n in
Mar
ch 2
019.
Thre
e po
licem
en g
uard
a H
indu
tem
ple
in K
arac
hi
afte
r the
sto
rmin
g of
the
Babr
i Mas
jid.
The
Sena
te H
ouse
was
bui
lt in
a In
do-I
slam
ic s
tyle
by
a B
riti
sh a
rchi
tect
in 1
879.
In 1
980
the
road
in fr
ont s
eem
s im
poss
ibly
em
pty.
A 1
966
scoo
ter a
ccid
ent n
earb
y up
ends
uni
dent
ifie
d bo
ttle
s on
the
road
.
A 2
014
prot
est b
y re
lati
ves
of a
wom
anse
t on
fire
by
her h
usba
nd b
lock
s it
.
It tu
rns
out t
hat t
his
smili
ng tr
affi
c po
licem
an
in B
anga
lore
has
no
shoe
s, o
r fee
t.
Shaj
i Joh
n th
e da
ncer
doe
s.
His
pos
e ha
s so
met
hing
to d
o w
ith
that
of K
amal
a D
evi's
hi
dden
beh
ind
the
tabl
eas
she
line
s up
her
sho
t in
1955
.
And
in c
lose
up,
40
year
s la
ter i
n 19
95.
Fina
lly, M
r. D
uke
of K
ashm
ir s
how
s th
at w
e ca
n al
so p
lay
blin
dfol
ded
and
prep
ares
to
sen
d us
bac
k do
wn
the
line.
A s
truc
ture
that
will
hol
d a
cuto
ut is
put
up
befo
re a
ssem
bly
elec
tion
s in
199
1.
In 1
985
a gi
ant c
utou
t of M
GR
is s
een
next
to
a po
ster
dep
icti
ng fa
min
e in
Ray
alse
ema.
Jaya
lalit
ha's
cuto
ut b
low
s in
the
win
d
whi
le P
anal
isw
ami s
till
nam
aska
rs
f
rom
one
that
was
take
n do
wn
by c
ourt
ord
er.
A
woo
den
hi-r
ise
scaf
fold
ing
is u
sed
to p
ract
ice
f
or fu
ture
fire
s, in
195
2.
An
old
man
in D
elhi
's w
inte
r bur
ns w
ood
wit
h a
w
arm
ing
flam
e
whi
le a
mak
eshi
ft h
i-ri
se re
scue
is n
eede
d fr
omfi
re a
t Ans
al T
ower
s in
Del
hi.
A fi
re b
urns
a s
ight
scre
en
reve
alin
g it
s st
ruct
ure.
CAMPA PHOTOGENETIC LINE
EXPERIMENTER- Hindustan Road April 13, 2019 - July 15, 2019