Things sure have come a long way since the advent of photography with the rudimentary pinhole camera and the nineteenth-century daguerreotype. The proliferation of technology has made photography more accessible and, today, the digital camera has become an appendage for most city-folk. Haven’t you noticed how a camera pops up at every opportune moment to seal those precious memories?

This month sees ‘Out Of The Box,’ a new photography exhibition at SGFA, The Private Gallery, which takes a cue from the popular phrase and provokes us to view things differently in our image-saturated existence. The exhibition took three months in the making and features work by some of the most prominent photographers working in Malaysia today: Eric Peris, Herman Foo, Ismail Hashim, Nirmala Karuppiah, Alex Moh, SC Shekar, Arthur Teng, Soryaha Ismail Yusuf, and Syed Zainal.

The appointed curator for the exhibition is Eric Peris, one of Southeast Asia’s foremost photographers whose focus is on landscape and still lifes. And, with over fifty years of experience under his belt, there could not be a better candidate to lead this pack of photographers. Here, Peris shares some thoughts on photographing ‘Out Of The Box’ and the general practice
of photography.

How did the exhibition come about?
We are a group of photographers who try out different approaches to further our photography. ‘Out Of The Box’ is one concept that was used to bring out something new. ‘Out Of the Box’ here is not only the usual concept, but it refers to the Kodak Box Camera. This was one of the earliest cameras for the public: a box camera with two lenses — vertical and horizontal. There were limitations. This exhibition is getting out of this direction. We use the camera - digital or analog — to come out with our own ideas, away from what we have been doing.

What was the impetus behind the exhibition’s title?
Gallerist, Shalini Ganendra comments: To operate ‘Out Of The Box’ is a phrase used frequently in our generation. Meaning ‘to be different,’ ‘to add a new twist — with connotations of success,’ and, ‘a promise of good things.’ However, the successful execution of thinking ‘out of the box’ is challenging and differentiates the ordinary from the extraordinary. The concept for this exhibition was getting the photographers to see beyond what they were used to in their own photography.
Why were these photographers selected in particular?
Because of their dedication to the craft, skill, and interest.

How different are their contributions to this exhibition from their regular practices?
That will be clear when one sees the exhibition. All of us are doing something that we have not done before. It is experimental all the way. Some may like the images some may not. We are trying to see how we can use our understanding of photography to create different images from that we are most used to.

They had about two months to go out and look at things in a completely different way. It could be in the house, outside along the roads, rubbish dumps, alleys, etc. It was all up to the individual to look for images as long as it was something that took them away from their norm.

Were there any difficulties in putting the group show together?
There were no challenges. We worked together with our views on how to look at things differently. If there was any challenge, it was how we moved away from what we were most comfortable photographing.

What can we expect to see?
It will be an exhibition of photographic images that perhaps some might have seen in their everyday life but never thought of photographically.

In this exhibition, no photoshop techniques were used. Each photographer has created and captured images the way they saw it and in the way they want to express their creative development. There were no restrictions in subject matter and images are in black-and-white and in colour.

What challenges do photographers face working in Malaysia?
I believe the challenges are the same as those in other countries: looking for a direction and creating new work all the time.

Is photography art? Aren’t more traditional mediums — paintings, for example — more collectible?
For the past few years, photography has made its mark and people are buying. It is still a small crowd compared to paintings. Here, it is the photographer who has to make his or her move. They have to come out with new works, new ideas. Some buyers go for the traditional images like landscapes, fauna and flora, some for abstract studies (colour and black-and-white), and, there are those who go for strong black-and-white photography. It all depends on the buyers or collectors. But, the development of photography is for the photographer to work out new ideas and new concepts.

Did you enjoy the curatorial process?
Yes, very much because the participants understood the concept and engaged with it. The outcome, of course, depended on each individual photographer. In an exhibition, the photographer is the creative source. He or she will do what they individually think. This must not be compromised. When I work on a concept, it is my concept and I work it out my way. I do this, as I want to experiment and bring out something new. If you are not prepared to do this, then, just be happy with your hobby.

Images by Eric Peris