A topsy-turvy world

Picture this- A photograph of a man,dressed in a suit,sitting atop a chimney,which is horizontal,dangling his feet,with the vertical skyline of Hongkong in the background. Twinkling lights of the city at night,majestic high rises and bold sky scrapers mark the vertical skyline. Out of the box is the only way that French Photographer Philippe Ramette thinks when he clicks a photograph. The Upside Down World of Philippe Ramatte ,an exhibition of his work is displayed at The Hyatt Regency,Nagar Road till September 11. Presented by Alliance Française de Pune,in collaboration with Hyatt Regency Pune,the exhibition,is a part of a series of events to promote and spread awareness about the popular,contemporary as well as traditional art forms prevailing in France.

Altogether,36 photographs are being showcased the exhibition. All the frames at the exhibition are thought provoking. One cannot resist the need to tilt their head from side to side and take a more analytical look at the photograph. Vertical skylines and horizons dominate his photographs. A man,suited-up,goes against the laws of gravity to lie horizontally on a tree trunk in one of his photographs,where as,in another picture,a man in a formal suit again,does a hand-stand on a stone well. With the sky below and the meadows above the photographs sometimes even give off an eerie feeling. Interestingly,none of Ramette’s photographs are edited in any way and are masterpieces of brilliant sculptor-work and skillful handling of the camera and lens effects.

Born in Auxeere,France in 1981,Ramette is now settled in Paris. He began his career as a painter and then shifted focus to sculpting. His early works feature sculptures made by him to project irrational ideas in a rational manner. This was followed by another discovery; Ramette realised that he has a passion for photography.

“Philippe Ramette is very popular in France. His works have been displayed in various galleries all across France and have surprised the French public for various years. his popularity was also due to the viral nature of his photos,which started showing up on Facebook and other social networks,” says Luc Didon,director of Alliance Francaise de Pune.

“It is our role,as a cultural institution,to help the artists’ creations to be seen and eventually appreciated by the art enthusiasts. It can also lead to exchanges between artists of different countries and cultures,which is an enrichment to artistic creativity. The Alliance Francaise does for French artists in India like the ICCR does it for Indian artists abroad,” he adds.