One of the most captivating photograph for me in the Howard Greenberg Gallery was Yahna Ganga, taken by Craig Tuffin in 2014. This photograph caught my attention because it was so different than most of the photographs on display. Most of the photographs had a theme or some form of context that is identifiable. In this image, the only object that we see is a hand, presumably outstretched. But, this hand could represent anything because it has no context around it. The lighting also plays a significant role. The black background brings the viewer’s attention directly to the hand. Even the hand is partially shrouded in darkness and loses focus as it gets farther away.
All these elements made me wonder whose hand this was and why it was so important. The hand pleads with the viewer to come to the owner of that hand. This ties in with the title of the photograph “Yahna” means to sit down and “Ganga” means to understand, as provided by the photographer. The title of the photograph essentially means to sit down and understand. The photographer is trying to convey the message that the viewer should not focus on the outside elements of a situation, but rather that an outstretched hand is a plea to stop and hear and understand. That is why the context of the hand is covered in darkness, it draws the viewer’s attention to the hidden owner of that hand and wants the viewer to have a desire to learn more about the person.
Mariam S (critic):
I too found this image captivating during the visit, but I never actually tried to look up the meaning of the title. Knowing, as you do, the translation of the title truly does add a whole new depth and meaning to the photo. Prior to knowing that, I found the photo to have almost purely ominous implications, a hand reaching out to grab or pull. It might not even occur to some that it was meant to be an entreaty. Really, this photograph shows how even the smallest amount of context can make a monumental difference in the interpretation of an image.