Gitanjali

"I came across Eric in 1986, when I was relatively new to photography. I’d read many books about photography, though almost all of them were based on Western practices – it seemed nothing else existed. Then I met Eric, a Malaysian who was influenced by Bengali literature to the extent that he produced this very lyrical volume. It’s not a literal rendering of any sort, more the depiction of a mood. He photographed water and nature in a very gentle, delicate way. It’s a very tender, touching piece of work – in many ways reflecting the nuances Tagore brought to his literature. Both artists capture the same emotions, one through words and the other with images. Both Gitanjalis could be read side-by-side, with Tagore’s lyrics accompanying Eric’s photography. I also found it interesting that although Eric doesn’t speak Bangla, he was able to absorb enough from the translations to create a poetic rendering of a literary work from a culture he didn’t know. It made me think about how diverse the practice of photography can be."