A difficult time in our lives, a crisis, or a tragedy is cinematically portrayed as something that sends us into tunnel vision where we see nothing else but the problem ahead. The immediacy and the weight of a disaster shrinks us and disconnects us from everything else. But in real life, it's quite the opposite. In the process of registering a tough situation, our mind breaks open; expanding our perception like a powerful stream of water making its way through a valley. In Nitesh Mohanty’s photoseries from 2021, he does the same; capturing a state of mind that is wholesome; one that sees the vastness of life in its comprehension of a challenge.
Nitesh Mohanty’s ‘Untitled Document’ is a reflection of a collective experience during the pandemic. While the world retreated indoors, he turned his lens outward, capturing the stark beauty of a world grappling with an unseen enemy. His high-contrast black and white photographs, stark yet alive, mirror the complexities of the time: a world both bleak and full of unexpected beauty. Through his art, Mohanty offers a visual counterpoint to despair, reminding us that even in the darkest hours, life persists, and hope, like a flicker of light, endures.
The text accompanying the photoseries is a haunting echo of those times. Amidst the noise of the world, he invites us into a quietude of the soul, a place where the weight of existence presses heavily. His words, like a camera lens, focus on the blurred lines between hope and despair, life and loss - something that all of us were going through during the pandemic.
The photoseries is a visual corollary to his poignant introspection: a sombre yet hopeful exploration of the human condition in the face of immense adversity. His reference to the term ‘Brain Fog’ introduced to him by his friend, suggests a series that delves into the psychological and emotional landscapes of individuals navigating through challenging times. His images emanate an almost meditative state brought upon by the confusion, disorientation, and isolation experienced by many.
In the text, he speaks of the power of storytelling and of the human capacity for love and connection even in the face of profound loss. Herein lies the heart of his artistic philosophy: to find beauty and meaning amid chaos. As a visual artist driven by inquiry into art history, storytelling and self-reflection, Nitesh appears to thrive in chaos and has also developed a school of thought rooted in the interconnectedness between art, design, photography, & cinema.
In the context of the photographs, the artist speaks about a comparison to Scheherazade that his friend makes that is particularly telling: “Perhaps Scheherazade did not tell stories to 'defer' death; she told them to affirm the multifariousness of what it means to be alive.”
Just as the storyteller wove tales as a way to live a little more, the artist's photographs will likely be an attempt to immortalize moments and to give tangible form to the ephemeral nature of life. Through his lens, he seeks to affirm the richness and complexity of human experience, even in its darkest hours.
Among the saturation of superficial imagery, Nitesh Mohanty's work promises to be a profound and thought-provoking exploration of the human condition. It is a visual requiem; a melancholic symphony that invites us to contemplate life, loss, and beauty.
Follow Nitesh here.
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