ONLY TIME WILL TELL
by Steve BissonTell us about how your initial approach to photography. And how did your research evolve with respect to those early days.
Sarker Protik (S.P.): It started with me buying a phone which had a camera. It was the early days of camera phones and smartphones were still yet to come. With it I started taking photographs, not because I was interested in Photography, or wanted to make nice photographs necessarily. I had no clue about photography back then. And my first photographs were very random but also very personal. They were about my travels, and friends hanging out, mostly.
So due to no prior knowledge of the medium itself, therefore there was no expectiotion of telling a story or to do research for that. When I started learning photography, at the Pathshala Institute in Dhaka, there, during the documentary photography class, personal projects, I was introduced to different methods and approaches in order to tell stories. But even from that point and till present time, my research naturally became more in depth. It’s mainly because also the interest in stories evolved from very personal to a bigger theme which made the aspect of research change from being more intuitive to more in depth, depending on the projects I work on.
About your studies, tell us some memorier...
S.P.: I studied initially in business school. This is more a reason about the culture of education and value in the region I grew up, where families have specific expectations from their children. To study more practical subjects, such as engineering, medical education, law or economics. But when I became fond, only then I decided to go to school and study about it.
The best memory of study during photography, was to get to know about all this different artists and photographers which existed out there, such as William Eggleston, Robert Adams, Naan Goldin, Duane Michals, Sophie Cale. Those discoveries where the best time not just for my studies.
What are the courses which you were passionate about and remained meaningful for you?
S.P.: Documentary photography was the course that made a huge impact in me. It inspired me for my first project, for which I photographed the city in night for 7 months straight. Also, the professional practice course played a key impact. It was in the final year, which was not just about how to be or manage a professional practice, but also on regards to once attitude on ethics and bigger picture of the world we live in, about your role within a society, your ethical standpoint and how you can respond and interpret different things in a social and environmental context using the medium.
Any professor or teacher that has allowed you to better understand your work? And what role do you cover at Pathshala–South Asian Media Institute?
S.P.: Of course. Three teachers, Munem Wasiif, Abir Abdullah and Shahidul Alam. From them I‘ve learned and aspired to become an artist and a human being and also a dreamer. I was so moved by their love and passion towards the medium.
Currently I am teaching ‘Personal Project’ at the final year, where students develop their graduation work. In this course, there are always different approaches which they accumulated and practiced in other years before. I never saw myself as a teacher or an academic. My role is more as a mentor for students, to guide them how to find their own paths. It’s not been long time that I have been in their shoes.
Generally speaking, how do you consider education in times of visual overloads.
S.P.: Well, for sure this is the most challenging time, because of the visual overload and because there are so many images now. And then when you think about the medium, there are also so many photographers. Yet the question that comes to mind is: how many of those images will I remember? Will I always be excited by images such as those of Julia Margaret Cameron, Walker Evans or for Stephen Shores's works from the 60-70s. Sometime I wonder if photographers will be able to create such powerful images, with enough sensibility and depth. How many of these images we produce will be remembered after decades?
Photography or any other visual medium, let it be painting or sculpture, or even learning a musical instrument, is initially all about craftsmanship, you practice and practice, you play and you basically live with the instrument. It becomes part of your daily life, it is like any other craftsmanship. But the role of a visual education shouldn't be just that. Rather how one as an individual, use that craft, to relate himself to a larger social and political landscape, and what story does one decides to tell with that craft, and what impact it can have.
The book, 'Astre Noires', is your debut and outstanding book developed with Katrin Koenning, why did you choose such a dialog and what challenges did you face in the production both of the work and the book?
S.P.: We were working separately, individually, and it was the publisher who noticed that there is this line where our works intersects, so they approached us asking if we would be interested to make a book together. So we thought, why not. This book was also more or less like an experiment, as if almost musicians who would go on a stage and perform and jam together in front of an audience, but they don't necessarily always have a piece prepared in advance, more as improvisation. And in each edition, we have also change it, with newer images etc.
'What Remains' is quite a personal work speaking of familiar and intimate relationships. Silent and suspended as you wrote. What motivated you to such a personal initiative.
S.P.: So many reasons, I cannot even think of where to start from, but I will try to simplify. I think I never thought of or saw myself as a photographer who would travel far away and look for their inspirations. As a person I can only photograph things which I am rather very curious about or I am in love with. From an early childhood, I had a very good relationship and bond with my grandparents. But when I grew up and they got old and weak, that bond was of course still there, but we were never really spending enough time together. So, making photographs of them, allowed me, to be present with them more often. And I realized my presence made them very happy. Seeing them happy, made me feel like I was doing something good. And I myself became very fond of that time.
How difficult it was to find the right distance.
S.P.: As I was working, over the time I realized it was not only about the struggle and vulnerability of old age. It was more about time passing and death. How family and relationships within can dissolve and become distant overtime. I was very clear about on thing - I didn't want to photograph or show any image where any of my grandparents were in moments/situations which I would not want to show myself. This unpleasant phase of old age which you have to go through anyway. I consider this to be applicable for this particular work, but also all my other works. Something other photographers can consider too when working about the other peoples life.
'Exodus'. There are different layers involved here: hystorical, landscape, sociology and more. I like this complexity. On your website the statement well introduce the context beyond the work. Yet, please could you tell us more about the methodology you have pursued within this research and project.
S.P.: 'Exodus' started from a similar inspiration as I did with my other works, ‘What remains’ and ‘Of River and Lost Lands'. All of these works, attends to contemplative exploration of time and how time transforms different foundations of our surrounding such as family, environment etc. The element of loss, decay and fading is also present here. But 'Exodus' also deals with more complex issues of land, partition of a continent (Bengal, India) and colonial history.
Do you have any preferences in terms of cameras and format? We read that long exposures is a critical aspect in your work process. Tell us more...
S.P.: As i said, my earliest days, I was working about midnight in a city, so I was always carrying a tripod with me, always composing and fixing my frames, making this long-exposed photographs. That slowness and preciseness in process, of photographing things, had a huge impact on me, and shaped me as I am as a photographer. At the same time, I started making pictures with phone, which I think is the most intimate and spontaneous tool you can have in this age to photograph your surroundings. Both of this process are very contradictory to each other and I am in love with both of them. And I am always dwelling between them. That is why I like small cameras, mobile phones, and also big cameras. I would like to work also on large format cameras someday. The only reason I have not done it before, is because it’s not available in my country.
Any contemporary artist or photographer that you would like to mention
S.P.: Starting with the region, I think there are many photographers who are doing amazing works. Like for example Samsul Alam Helal, Salma Abedin Prithi, Ronny Sen, Rasel Chowdhury, Arfun Ahemd etc.
Any show that you recently find inspiring?
S.P.: 'Vertigo Sea', a film by British filmmaker John Akomfrah (a 3 channel video installation). And the exhibition “to be all ways to be” by Herman de Vries at Venice biennale. These are the two that came to mind right away. Of course there's more...
Projects that you are working on now and what future plans...
S.P.: Well, I’m still working on 'Exodus', and a new body of work in my country about a historical route from our Liberation war inspired by the poem of Allen Ginsberg and music of Moushumi Bhowmik. And I am hope to study further, probably a masters in the future. Also maybe a break from teaching.
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Only time will tell. In conversation with Steve Bisson