Home / Arts and Entertainment / Photographer Pioneers Art: Jyoti Bhatt's Darkroom Magic
Photographer Pioneers Art: Jyoti Bhatt's Darkroom Magic
16 Feb
Summary
- Jyoti Bhatt challenged art norms by submitting a photo as a silver gelatin print.
- A new exhibition highlights his experimental photographic dimension.
- His work is housed in major global institutions like MoMA and Smithsonian.
Jyoti Bhatt, a celebrated Indian artist, redefined photography's place in the art world starting in 1971. At a time when photography was not considered a fine art, Bhatt cleverly submitted his work as a 'silver gelatin print' to gain acceptance into exhibitions. This innovative spirit is now being celebrated at Subcontinent Gallery in Mumbai until February 21, 2026, with an exhibition titled 'A Painter with a Camera: Jyoti Bhatt'.
The exhibition features Bhatt's experimental black-and-white silver gelatin prints from the 1960s to the 1980s. These pieces showcase his mastery of darkroom techniques, including over-printing and multiple exposures, often fractured through lenses and mirrors. Bhatt, born in 1934, has a diverse artistic background as a painter, printmaker, and educator, influencing Indian modern art since the 1950s.
His experimental photographic practice, a foundational yet under-exhibited aspect of his career, is now receiving critical attention. Works by Bhatt are held in esteemed public collections such as the Smithsonian Institution and The Museum of Modern Art. Even at 92, Bhatt remains curious, exploring both analogue and digital tools, emphasizing that the urge to explore transcends changing technologies.
