STOPPING BY THE WOODS
This on-going body of work is a visual exploration inspired by Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” and the classical Tamil poem “Kuṟiñcippāṭṭu.” Through this series, I seek to create a surreal representation of the landscapes, people, and emotions I encountered during my journeys in the mountain regions of Tamil Nadu, rather than simply documenting them. The project is a fusion of artistic and documentary photography, intended to evoke a sense of peacefulness and tranquillity, echoing the themes that have deeply influenced my practice.
The series is born from a deeply personal need to escape after the opening of the first lockdown. My travels, spanning over 3,300 km through the forests and hills of Tamil Nadu from Chennai, Gingee, and Tiruvannamalai to Ooty, Kodaikanal, and beyond served as a temporary refuge, a space to reconnect with the natural world and discover its mysteries. As I journeyed deep into the woods, I felt vulnerable and exposed, but this discomfort led me to new discoveries and encounters with locals, tribal chieftains, and fellow travellers who shared their stories and rituals. In these moments, I found a profound silence and peace that I sought to capture visually.
Upon my return from the first trip to more deeply interpret my woodland experience, I researched for classical Tamil literature on the mountains of the South Indian region. Here I came across “Kuṟiñcippāṭṭu” a poem is generally dated to the classical period (2nd- to 3rd-century CE), I was inspired by the poem's narrative and its intricate descriptions of the South Indian hills and its flora and fauna. The poem’s exploration of love, longing, and connection resonated with my own experiences in the landscape, guiding me to create not just photographs, but a visual dialogue with nature and the people who inhabit it. This on-going body of work aims to express that conversation, blending elements of mythology, personal memory, and the timeless beauty of the natural world.
The gum-oil printing process, which I’ve used throughout this series, adds depth and texture to the work. This technique combining gum, chromium salts, and oil paints creates deep black-and-white tones, enhancing the emotional quality of the landscapes. It transforms these environments into surreal, almost mystical places, where the shadows, light, and textures blend into a narrative of their own. The prints are not merely depictions of the landscape, but embody an interpretation of my journey and the stories I’ve encountered along the way.
As this series unfolds, I aim to continue creating prints that integrate both fictional and real elements, bringing together the surreal aspects of the forest's darkness that drew me in deep into the woods of the shadowed hillsides and into a world where nature, myth, and memory converge which offers stillness and contemplation, much like the woods in Frost’s poem, where one can stop, breathe, and reflect on the quiet beauty that exists, where miles to go before I sleep….