Connaught Place (New Delhi): Unfocussed — Fine Art Photographs

Out of focus, artistic photographs of Connaught Place, New Delhi, one of India’s most iconic marketplaces.

Connaught Place, New Delhi, also known as Rajiv Chowk and popularly as CP, is one of the most iconic marketplaces in India. Built in the early 1930s, its sprawling, striking colonial architecture is characterised by white painted pillared corridors and arches, within a larger circular formation. Shops, showrooms, kiosks, eateries and restaurants, along with their signages, window decorations, advertising, and people of course, give a sense of vibrancy, energy and dynamism to this unique location.

Mayank, like many others, has been a CP fan, and a regular visitor. He was keen to capture the essence or spirit of this unique market, including the quintessential experience of strolling through its many corridors and pavements. In 2007, he ‘unfocussed’ his camera on Connaught Place, like he had earlier done for the Pink City of Jaipur. In the intentionally out-of-focus, artistic images, details were obliterated, leaving behind a smooth mix of shapes, forms, colors, light and shade, and a strong sense of atmosphere. Some of the photographs were shot in the evening and at night, when lights and lit up decorations added a festive touch to the compositions.

Stylistically, the images resemble impressionistic or watercolor paintings, and draw upon the late 19th and early 20th century photographic movement pictorialism. They are available as limited edition digital prints on archival quality fine art papers or canvas. Print sizes: 36 x 24 / 30 x 20 / 22 x 16 / 16 x 12 inches (Edition: 15).

Blurred photograph of the exterior of a CP block, revealing pillared corridors, lighting decorations, people and a tree — Connaught Place: Unfocussed 01

People and displayed merchandise in an open corridor, leading to an archway — Connaught Place: Unfocussed 02

Two people in front of an archway in a pillared corridor, with sale banners hanging on one side — Connaught Place: Unfocussed 03

Light bulb decorations over a corridor arch, with people and shops behind — Connaught Place: Unfocussed 04

Tilted night shot of people and lit up signages, outside a long, slightly curved pillared corridor — Connaught Place: Unfocussed 05

Glow signs and decorative lights on semicircular facade of a CP block in the evening, with trees above — Connaught Place: Unfocussed 06

People in an open pillared corridor of Connaught Place, with an archway behind — Connaught Place: Unfocussed 07

Multiple archways visible at a corner of a CP block, with store displays and people walking below them — Connaught Place: Unfocussed 08

A person outside the long, curved pillared exterior of a CP block decorated with lights, and a tree on the other side — Connaught Place: Unfocussed 09

Night shot of lit up decorative bulbs hanging over round pillars, with shop windows behind — Connaught Place: Unfocussed 10

Looking up towards decorative, lit up bulbs hanging over rounded pillars and sale banners — Connaught Place: Unfocussed 11

People walking past lit up, colourful shop windows in a CP corridor — Connaught Place: Unfocussed 12

People waiting in front of a restaurant inside a pillared corridor, with an archway behind — Connaught Place: Unfocussed 13

People inside a CP corridor at night, with lit up shops on one side and rounded pillars on the other — Connaught Place: Unfocussed 14

Blurred / unfocussed photograph of colourful, lit up shop windows below an archway — Connaught Place: Unfocussed 15

People outside a typical CP facade with archways, rounded pillars and hanging sale banners — Connaught Place: Unfocussed 16

Posted in Categories: Fine Art Photography and Urban Photography

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