Of LATE Bengaluru’s lakes have been in the news for becoming ugly hotspots of disturbed ecosystems. Be it Bellandur Lake or Varthur Lake, the only images that one gets to see in newspapers and online are those of heavily polluted water bodies.
But this weekend, photographer Vivek Mathew is set to change the perception of the city’s lakes with his new show, Fluid Stillness, Life Between Bangalore’s Ripples. Vivek will showcase abstract compositions and angles of the waterbodies in an attempt to present a completely new impression of them. “They are not mere reflections, but fluid images that imitate paintings,” explains Vivek.
The photographer has shot the Bellandur Lake, Sankey Tank, Ulsoor Lake, Lalbagh Lake, Kaikondrahalli Lakes, Jakkur Lake, Cubbon Park Lake and the Hennur Lake Biodiversity Park. The most challenging of all was shooting Bellandur Lake, says Vivek. “This was simply because of the long perimeter of the water body — nearly four to five kilometers,” he explains.
Shot over two years, this entire collection looks like a series of paintings that showcases water ripples. Though Vivek has been shooting them for over a decade now, he says a lot has changed today. “You can’t even recognise the same lake today. But instead of focusing on the pollution, I have captured their beauty,” he signs off.
March 25 to April 2. At Venkatapa Art Gallery, Kasturba Road
ayeshatabassum@newindianexpress.com
@aishatax