The deep purple chiaroscuro of the sunset over the Khandala Mountains. Brown, veined hands, set off by shiny gold braclets, exhanging money in the marketplace. A one-legged beggar with soulful eyes. A woman in a bright red and white sari ladling water. These are just some of the haunting and beautiful images of “Reflections of India,” an exhibit of photographer David Verdini at the Plainsboro Public Library, in the municipal complex at 641 Plainsboro Road, through May 9.
The artist holds an “Art Chat” on Sunday, April 18, at 3 p.m. in the gallery, to discuss his travels through India, as well as to answer questions about digital photography techniques.
The exhibit grew out of a family trip Verdini took to visit his wife’s family in India for two weeks in June, 2003. They spent two days in Bombay, but travelled for the majority of the trip through the rural villages, or hill stations, of Pune and Lonavla.
Verdini, whose grew up in Somerset County and lives in Hamilton Square, says he was struck most by “the contrast between the beauty and the poverty.” And above all, the people. “I tried to capture different expressions, mostly candid. Most photographers who go to India like to capture the architecture. I’m more engaged with the human side of it.”
One of his favorite pictures is named simply “Orphans.” “These poor kids have absolutely nothing but the clothes on their back and no shoes,” says Verdini, “but they all had smiles.” Another image, “Monkeys,” was taken while Verdini was standing in the Shaniwar Wada fort, built in 1736 to protect Pune from invaders. “A group of monkeys came out of nowhere, just landed no more than maybe 10 feet from me. I didn’t pull the camera up to my eye, just to my chest. The monkeys were all looking at me, including the baby, whose head was kind of upside down. I got one shot, and it is really a haunting image. The whole picture lasted three seconds. Then they ran away.”
Verdini, who earned a degree in electronics from the DeVry Institute in 1992 and a degree in network engineering from the Chubb Institute in 1998, was formerly in the IT field for One Pass Networks in Plainsboro — where he met his wife. He caught the shutter “bug” many years ago with a Nikon point-and-shoot camera.
As a photographer, he says the trip to India improved his people skills. “It made me a little bit more more bold to approach people for a shot. I’ve moved past the sensationalism of the Asian environment. Next time I hope to focus my attention particularly on the lighting.”
The images in the exhibit will appear in an upcoming pictorial e-book scheduled for publication in 2005, which will feature slideshows, desktop wallpaper, and interactive content about India. Verdini’s photographs also appear in the forthcoming “Princeton: Pride of the Nation,” a hardcover four-color coffee table book on the Princeton area, published by Indigo Custom Publishing. The “Art Chat” on April 17 will feature Indian appetizers from Flavor of India in Plainsboro Plaza Shopping Center and Indian music. Guests may vote in a “lottery” for their favorite image — and the winner may choose one photo from the exhibit.
“Reflections of India,” photography by David Verdini, the Gallery at Plainsboro Public Library, 641 Plainsboro Road. Art Chat, Sunday, April 18, 3 to 5 p.m. 609-275-2897. For more information on the artist, visit www.verdinistudios.com.
