A great review of my show, The Disabled, at H gallery in Bangkok Post

Through a Sensitive Lens

Thai photographer Ohm Phanphiroj captures the suffering of the disabled in new exhibition

*Published: 12/11/2009 at 12:00 AM *Newspaper section: Outlookend headergroup

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The paradox of photography is that it can trap far more meaning within its two dimensional limitations than often meets the human eye, at least it can when the camera is in the hands of an attuned talent and the subject is in need of exposure. Thai photographer Ohm Phanphiroj is such a visual virtuoso - and his latest photo exhibition of impaired men is a must see.

Ohm, who has developed a reputation internationally over the last decade as a fashion and gay photographer, has turned his sensitive lens upon the suffering of the most disadvantaged for his latest exhibition, titled "The Disabled" at H Gallery.

This series of untitled images has not been choreographed by the observer or posed by the observed, and with them Ohm has collectively accomplished a major achievement.

By turning his attention to this subject he forces the viewer to confront that which they would rather not, at last having to look directly at those desolate souls who sleep on the street instead of glancing sideways and tossing another coin into an alms bowl, easing the conscious of the giver rather than alleviating any actual suffering.

He treats his subjects respectfully and does not exploit their situation by taking shots that sensationalise their misfortune. Rather, Ohm's mostly black and white images convey a strong sense of plain and simple despair as he documents everyday life at a male rehabilitation centre outside Bangkok.

There is an overwhelming sense of depression the moment one walks into the gallery and, as the viewer moves through the space, the initial feeling of despondency sinks lower into the pit of the stomach as one empathises more and more with the individual in each frame.

Ohm is a remarkably talented portraitist who Barbara Bernstein, a curator at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, called a "first-class photographer" and his work has appeared in a large number of some of the world's most influential publications as well as in a series of gay photo-books, and some of the prints at H Gallery contain artistic qualities congruent with this ability.

While some prints are straight out documentation, other pieces, especially in their composition, manifest more artistic value. Particularly the prints with obscured faces, such as where the subject's face is blocked by a round steel railing (print No. 18) and where the subject's face has been completely lost in shadow (such as print No. 21), are artistically elevated.

These vignettes are more successful because their composition does not rely on reportage of physical existence; rather they rely on interpreting that reality and imbuing it with new meaning. This is especially the case when the entire exhibition is considered together within a single context, as each print reinforces the message of the others.

The fresh interpretation injected by this photographer reveals how these dejected souls are in fact hiding from the rest of Thai society in this vastly underfunded and understaffed institution, a decision Ohm respects by concealing their faces. They are so accustomed to being shunned by the rest of society they now avert their eyes from ours, as other people have always done to them.

By selecting these men as his subject Ohm, who has won a number of prestigious awards including Ernst Hass award, is attempting to increase awareness of the plight of these less fortunate individuals. Whether he is successful or not will depend on the Thai public going to the gallery and then becoming engaged in a debate about how this society will deal with its disabled members, not just leaving them to fend for themselves when they clearly cannot.

As well as Ohm Phanphiroj's "The Disabled", H Gallery has arranged Luke Cassady-Dorion's photo exhibition titled "2922" at Eat Me Restaurant (off Convent Road), which is showing until December 22.

Ohm Phanphiroj's 'The Disabled' is on display until December 2 at H Gallery, 201 Sathon Soi 12, (near BTS Surasak), open from 10am to 6pm (except Tuesdays). Call 08-1310-4428 or visit http://www.hgallerybkk.com.

Relate Search:   Thai photographer Ohm Phanphiroj, The Disabled, H Gallery

here is the link

http://www.bangkokpost.com/entertainment/art/27304/through-a-sensitive-lens