Eiffel Tower and the world around it. That summarises the ongoing photography exhibition, Under Eiffel’s Watch – A Parisian Canvas, by Srinath GM, at Alliance Francaise de Trivandrum, in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Bengaluru-based visual artist, photographer and documentary filmmaker has brought out the historical and visual significance of the celebrated monument, which is integral to the Parisian landscape, as his monochrome frames freeze what is happening around it.
In his note about the exhibition, Srinath points out that he has presented the Eiffel Tower “not as a static icon but as a living, breathing participant in the story of Paris… This curated series offers a reimagined perspective of the Eiffel Tower—not just as an architectural icon but as a dynamic cultural symbol.”
Srinath GM
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
While studying at Arts University, Bournemouth, UK, he had travelled to Paris as part of a research project and that was when the idea dawned upon him. “After that I might have travelled to Paris three or four times during 2019-20. These are the pictures shortlisted from the hundreds I had clicked,” he says. This is his first exhibition in India, having done one in the UK.
An engineer by profession, he left behind that career to become a photographer. He worked in the UK for two years and is currently working as assistant professor at School of Design and Innovation, RV University, Bengaluru.
A juggler in action as people look on. Eiffel Tower is seen in the background.
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Srinath GM
Srinath says one reason he chose to focus on the Tower was that it is the most pocketable monument. “Whoever comes to Paris carry back miniatures of the Eiffel Tower. Apart from that I have been following the works of renowned photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, who has documented how lives revolve around the structure. I took inspiration from that concept and went around the place like he travelled. Then I applied my vision to it. Each trip has been a learning experience. If the first one was to know everything about Parisian culture, subsequent ones were to understand and develop my vision about the city.”
The 330 metre-structure, built between 1887 and 1889, has been captured from different angles by Srinath. The 30 photographs on display fall into two “complementary” sections – those with Eiffel Tower and those without it.
In the first section, the camera zooms in on the happenings around the Tower — cyclists passing by, a professional juggler in action, boats on the iconic River Seine, a park in the neighbourhood, a view of ancient and modern dwellings and so on.
He adds some of the photographs happened spontaneously. “A lot of street performances happen around the Tower. In the juggler’s case, the crowd was busy taking his pictures from behind him and so the Tower was in their background. I was surprised that none of them thought of standing on my side and click him with the Tower in his background,” he says. A stand-out photograph is the reflection of the Tower on the River Seine. “That was taken after the rains and I had to wait for sometime to capture that stillness.”
Photographs by Srinath GM on display at the exhibition Under Eiffel’s Watch – A Parisian Canvas at Alliance Francaise de Trivandrum
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Srinath GM
The snaps taken from the boats reflect the Parisian lifestyle. “Some of these boats are meant for recreation — they provide a fine-dining experience. At the same time there are boats in which people live.”
He has also given a glimpse of how the Eiffel Tower “has fired the imagination” of painters, graphic designers, and illustrators, through a compilation of street paintings kept for sale near the Tower. He addresses the commercialisation of the Tower through the marketing of replicas and souvenirs.
Has he ever climbed up the Tower? “Once. But I was more interested in what is going around it. And none of the photographs I took fit the theme of this exhibition.”
There are some shots taken from Notre-Dame Cathedral as well. The composition of one of the shots that show community dwellings with traditional, post-modern, and modern buildings is a treat. Some of these pictures from the Cathedral were taken just before the fire of April 15, 2019.
Personal touch
In the second section, the focus is on streets of Paris, a city built in circles, with some intimate and personal frames thrown in – like the pre-wedding shoot of a Chinese couple and a pair of lovers on the Pont des Arts or the Love Lock Bridge, on River Seine. Touristy spots such as Louvre Museum, Moulin Rouge, electric tricycles to take the tourists around etc have also been featured.
A view of Paris in a photograph by Srinath GM
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Srinath GM
Srinath’s favourite is a shot from Notre-Dame that celebrates the architectural composition of the city — a hexagon in the centre, with pathways leading from it and buildings with peculiarly shaped roofs, which he considers, “complete and incomplete at the same time.” An expansive view of the city encompassing Notre-Dame and other structures set against the skyline is another example of the fine balance of light, shadows and structures.
Srinath mentions that it was an artistic choice to go with monochrome photographs. “They were shot originally in black and white. I have depicted people in most of the pictures, especially their lives in relation to the Eiffel Tower. Although I am not focussing on them, the focus is on them, not individually but as a collective with the backdrop of Eiffel Tower. I felt that black-and-white brought in more character to that. “
Srinath has kept limited-edition postcards with the photographs at the venue. “We designed it and they are inspired by the cards I saw in Paris.”
The exhibition is being held in connection with the 45th anniversary of AFT on its premises at Forest Office Lane, Vazhuthacaud. It is on till February 28 from 10am to 6pm.
Published – January 23, 2025 03:07 pm IST
