Pushing pure photography beyond its limitations through photo collage and manipulation to create what the mind sees... Works by visual artist Sanjay Kothari are now available in his GoSee SHOP

In 2009, after a good 15 years of working from his New York studio for international clients such as Samsung, Kohler, Ford, Tourneau, Dell or Gillette, photographer and CG artist Sanja Kothari – born and raised in India – decided to take a radical step. An agent from Bejing recommended he work for new clients in Asia. Sanja Kothari packed his things and moved to the other side of the world. Today, he lives and works in Shanghai – the 'more human' metropolis of China.

His gigantic portfolio comprises fashion campaigns just as much as sports illustrations – in which 3D images meet fine art, and conceptional works meet global advertising campaigns. Sanja Kothari is an illusionist whose world is as much a home for seductive robots as it is for Greek goddesses. We are delighted to present you his works in his GoSee SHOP and asked the photography artist for a little update on his status quo.


What are the differences between working in New York City and Shanghai?
In China, creatives from overseas have a lot of freedom and get great support as long as they work abroad. Once you are local, what you realize is that most of the time, what you are expected to do is to duplicate the reference. In NYC, most of the time, there were no ‘references‘. There was a layout which was meant to be a starting point and not the goal. It was NYC that got the best of me.

So why are you based in Shanghai these days?
The reasons are personal and don’t have anything to do with work and artistic freedom. The art world is different though. Chinese artists have a very high level of skill which isn’t taught anymore in American schools. There is also a consistent belief in beauty as an essential component of art. I have had the good fortune to meet some very prominent Chinese artists and found them very warm and modest unlike the celebrity status that artists have in NYC.

Is this the same for art galleries?
Yes, the galleries too are much more approachable here.

Diffraction series #1 – explain what this is about?
Every physical object has an identity. I have always been interested in subverting the identity of the object so that it can be seen for other attributes it possesses. For example, I want the viewer to see the color green when they see a blade of grass. How can I make the grass lose its identity so that I can see the color or the shape independently of the identity? I have always wanted to create  genuinely abstract images using photography. I used a cheap set of close-up filters and photographed plastic bags very close up with a very very shallow depth of field. I then took them and worked with them in Photoshop. Diffraction happens when light is broken into its components, and you get a rainbow. The cheap lenses I was using were creating this effect that was beautiful and impossible to create any other way. Hence the name Diffraction series. The final results were just out of exploration. I didn’t have an end in mind.

And the Dots series? What is the idea? The process?
Dots = circles, which are a timeless and universal basic form. I was exploring my interest in negative space and color relationships. I was also trying to see how far I could go in making digitally created art have the irregularity of analog processes.

The Apparitions series?
I don’t have a clear final goal in mind when I start. I shot images of the city at night, out of focus, and reworked them to create the series. They all have an unintended dark and slightly ghostly feel. That’s just how they turned out.

Is there any connection between the series?
I think so, but I am not sure. I can’t stick with doing just one thing. Having 4-5 different themes to explore works for me.

The artwork is very abstract – why?
A brush stroke is abstract. A series of strokes (if the artist is skilled) can result in creating an object with an identity. But photography is the opposite. Everything we photograph immediately has an identity. Removing the identity allows me to see the object the way I want it to be seen. Transforming or subverting the identity of objects is one of my core interests.

What paper do you print on?
That varies, but mostly rice paper.

Is the artwork you sell on GoSee signed?
Yes, I am thinking of limiting the editions but haven’t decided yet.

So far, there are 15 images in your GoSee SHOP?
Yes, but I have more on the way. I like to do it step by step. That way, people who are interested in my work can come back from time to time and always find something new in my GoSee SHOP.


About - Sanjay Kothari attended engineering college in India and then started his education in photography at the New England School of Photography and Rutgers University in 1984. He believes that photography has been evolving from its limitations and its relationship to reality, and with Photoshop and 3D, it will have completed its evolution into a full-fledged art form that can rival or influence the other arts equally. He enjoys creating images that tap into photography’s new possibilities. Available for commissions worldwide, you can find some of his commercial artwork here: GoSee.us/cgrefinery and last but not least: GoSee.us/sanjaykothari//shop

ABOUT - GOSEE SHOP now offers you the opportunity to buy and sell works in the GoSee Shops of our members – whether photography, illustrations, art, books, … for editorials, campaigns, your office, your store or at home: GO & BUY the artwork of your dreams either as a digital download, print product or even as a fine art print. With each purchase, you support the selling artist and – who knows – will perhaps start your art collector’s career with a GoSee.shop

Dots #2

 

Dots #2

Dots #1

 

Dots #1

dots #4

 

dots #4

apparition #2

 

apparition #2

Diffraction series #2

 

Diffraction series #2

Diffraction series #1

 

Diffraction series #1

Diffraction series #4

 

Diffraction series #4

Apparition #3

 

Apparition #3

Apparition #4

 

Apparition #4

apparition #1

 

apparition #1

About GOSEE SHOP
GoSee.SHOP supports photographers and similar artists with a platform to present their unique artwork to editors, agencies and photography aficionados for editorials, campaigns and fine art. GoSee.Shop ensures a smooth transaction from the first purchase request to the acceptance of the purchase by the shop owner.

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