Ruskin MFA Application Portfolio
Serajuddin, Country: Pakistan (2021) Archival pigment print |30 x 20 in
I'd like to first share a photo of a collage frame hanging in my parternal grandparents' home. A small slip (center left) dating pre- Bangladesh Liberation in 1971 records my grandfather, Serajuddin Ahmed, as a Pakistani national. The topics of ancestral lineage and history has been a revolving theme in my work, and is a precursor to making the following photos.
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Foreshore, Ascending (2021)
35mm archival silver gelatin fiber prints & archival pigment prints
This sample of photos from the series Foreshore, Ascending were taken in Kuakata, Bangladesh, in December of 2021. Located about 200 miles south of Dhaka, Kuakata is notable for its panoramic beach, where on the same shore one can see the sun both rise and set. The country's second most visited coastal city, Kuakata is mostly sustained by tourism and fisheries, both factors causing disparity ecologically and economically. A transect of a developing country that is suffering from industrialization and capitalistic greed from the first world, I aim to capture the tertiary consequences of the soon-disappearing coast, and the systemic ecological, economic, and social consequences on this smaller area and population.
M.V. Manami
35mm archival silver gelatin fiber print | 14 x 11 in
35mm archival silver gelatin fiber print | 14 x 11 in
The journey by launch to Kuakata from Sadarghat Port in Dhaka begins when the sun disappears from the sky, chugging along the Buriganga and Meghna Rivers with lesser water traffic.
Ascending
35mm archival silver gelatin fiber print | 11 x 14 in
35mm archival silver gelatin fiber print | 11 x 14 in
People begin to gather on the beach in Kuakata prior to sunrise; on the same shore one can see the sun both rise and set while facing the water.
More Fish in the Sea
Archival pigment print | 72 x 48 in
Archival pigment print | 72 x 48 in
Hundreds of thousands of Fish are laid out on acre-long tarps to dry in the sun for days, later to be sold to make into shutki, a common Bengali meal staple.
Loitta
35mm archival silver gelatin fiber print | 14 x 11 in
35mm archival silver gelatin fiber print | 14 x 11 in
Dried loitta fish, or the Bombay duckfish, is a popular species used for shutki. About a quarter mile from the shoreline exist many pungent dried fish farms; Fisherman will bring the day's catch to the small metal huts where thousands of fish are sorted and hung on large bamboo structures to dry in the sun.
CC Blocks
Archival pigment print | 36 x 24 in
Archival pigment print | 36 x 24 in
In Kuakata since 1989, as much as 6 square miles of coastal landwas lost to erosion and rising sea levels (Bushra et. al. 2021). Some of the coastal land facing this issue has been reinforced with concrete blocks, about 3 x 3 x 3 ft each, to recreate the land and prevent total disappearance.
Flood Mirror
35mm archival silver gelatin fiber print | 14 x 11 in
35mm archival silver gelatin fiber print | 14 x 11 in
Nearer to the shore and on lower elevation in Kuakata, properties commonly have a shallow, large hole that acts as a resevoir for drainage lest high tide, cyclones, or monsoon season cause overwhelming flooding.
Paddy Man
Archival pigment print | 30 x 20 in
Archival pigment print | 30 x 20 in
Young fish caught are and brought farther from the coast to smaller subsistence ponds until fully grown, consumed usually only by the family and possibly the surrounding community.
Dirt Road Amble
Archival pigment print | 20 x 30 in
Archival pigment print | 20 x 30 in
Pedestrians and construction trucks creep across an elevated dirtroad parallel to the sea. Developers often will continue work in the evenings and early mornings when the heat of the day is not as strong, as do the people.
Cemetery Seaside
Archival pigment print | 24 x 36 in
Archival pigment print | 24 x 36 in
The shore line has eroded severely on the western part of Kuakata that the trees seem to grow right on the beach.
Pick n Grill
Archival pigment print | 20 x 30 in
Archival pigment print | 20 x 30 in
Along the beach, fishmongers lay out several species of sea creatures for patrons to pick out and have grilled on open fire from dawn till dusk.
Bansuri
35mm archival silver gelatin fiber print | 14 x 11 in
35mm archival silver gelatin fiber print | 14 x 11 in
A man performs the bansuri, a Bengali flute, to beach goers and tourists, hopeful for a few taka.
Coca-Cola Man
Archival pigment print | 36 x 24 in
Archival pigment print | 36 x 24 in
A man sells sodas and snacks to beachgoers at the pick and grill seaside joints.
Whipping Boy
Archival pigment print | 24 x 36 in
Archival pigment print | 24 x 36 in
A boy whips a horse that is drawing a carriage carrying tourists on a short ride along the beach during sunset.
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Currently, I’m interested in the persistence and fabricated quality of memory shown through paper manipulation, mulitmedia removal and addition of my subject, and memory experiments with additional participants. These last two images, Lal Jaan and To See Me Again are the first explorations of a project about censorship, namely the photo manipulation of underrepresented groups- women, children, the oppressed and impoverished, etc. I punched out holes in the photographs and reassembled the grid of circles as a manual distillation of the original photo. I am still contemplating if the final piece will be the whole photo or just the small grid, or both.
Lal Jaan (2022)
Handcut archival pigment print, collage
Handcut archival pigment print, collage
8 x 10 in
To See Me Again (2022)
Handcut archival pigment print, collage
Handcut archival pigment print, collage
8 x 6 in