The Sannyasin portrait project

This project has its roots in the early days of my photography. While teaching at Ko Hsuan School in 1992, I began taking a City and Guilds Diploma in Photography. This was a modular course and I chose the art of the Portrait as one of the modules. At Ko Hsuan it was great as I was surrounded by very alive beings willing to be my subjects. I took many candid shots for publicity and also to keep a record of school events during the years I was there. For my module I chose a more classic style, studied and methodical with a still sitter and chosen background. Over the years, I moved away from portraiture in my photography, mostly exploring details and abstraction in landscapes.

Amrapali, Bodhiprem, Nirvan, Premgit, Surahbhi, Vachana, Yatro – photography by Surendra – reproduced by permission – copyright © Surendra R A Jones – click on pictures to see bigger version

Although I love working in the darkroom and creating pictures, my link with the outside world and people through photography started to feel tenuous. For many years, I had wondered about photographing lovers of Osho. We are a collection of unique indidviduals with vivid faces and I often thought of trying to convey something of our aliveness and uniqueness. My friend, the photographer Premgit, recently showed me the impressive portfolio of portraits that he had been building of the traders at Tavisock Market. This beautiful work, though a bit different in style from mine, was a prompt for me to launch this Sannyasin Portrait Project. One condition I gave myself was to ensure that none of the subjects objected to the image that I selected. At some stage I would like to organise an exhibition.

Text by Surendra - July 2010

 

Portraits of Sannyasins

I am planning a project to create a portfolio of portraits of sannyasins. The plan is to make these close up shots in black and white or sepia with a lot of facial detail and very little or no background – no makeovers or glamour, just faces as they are. I am offering to provide one print and a fairly low resolution digital file of the image for each participant at no cost. The project will initially involve sannyasins in, or near, the Devon area – either living or visiting. Appointments for sessions will need to be planned in advance, at least 10 days beforehand. I will then be able to visit people at their place or arrange, sometimes, for someone to come to me in Okehampton. At the moment I am not be planning to visit other places – later. If you are interested please contact me at surendraphoto@btinternet.com surendraphoto@btinternet.com

Text by Surendra - Spring 2010

 

New Photographs

A year ago I and Amrapali moved from Exeter to Okehampton as it is just a walk away from Dartmoor. The wilderness and open space is such a delight and it is tempting to walk every day. The winter is more appealing as the weather, light and colours can be more dramatic and the sense of adventure can feel more profound. Last year I walked into heavy snow with rapidly shortening visibility of about 10 feet – there was a silence of the world disappearing and me along with it!

In contrast, I spend a lot of time in the darkroom following the love, agony and celebration of my photography. Life feels rich and challenging: one day I am wondering about my list of things to do before I die, another open to the joys of the moment.

For some time I have been building series of pictures around themes. Increasingly, my images shift away from the reported world towards abstaction, towards the simplicity of pattern and texture. Here are a few images from three of these series which I hope you will enjoy.

Love, Surendra

Lotus pond in winter No. 2, from the series of ‘Organic Forms’, lith prints; Go hakyu rakan No. 5, from the series ‘500 Buddhas’, lith prints – photography by Surendra – reproduced by permission – copyright © Surendra R A Jones – click on pictures to see bigger version

Text by Surendra - January 2010

 

Photographs by Surendra

Surendra got into photography when he was teaching at Ko Hsuan in the early nineties. He completed a City and Guilds Certificate in Photography at night school and went on to become an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society by submitting a portfolio in 1994. He has had exhibitions in various countries but it was at his first main exhibition in Tokyo in 2001 that, relaxing after the stress of hanging the photos and meeting the deadline, that he realised, gratefully, that none of this would have happened without Osho.

Dartmoor – Storm Clouds – Eroded Rocks – Bark Exloration No. 7 and No. 3 – photography by Surendra – reproduced by permission – copyright © Surendra R A Jones – click on pictures to see bigger version

Text by Veena - December 2006