IN A FLASH
Aoibhlinn Hester spends some time with photographer Toufic Araman.
An hour in Toufic Aramans company passes in a flash. Conversation swoops through diverse topics, alights on subtle observations on human nature, before coming to rest on our principal subject - his art and its meaning. Witty, intelligent and urbane, Araman could probably have turned his hand as easily to the verbal arts as to the visual. With photography, however, he has found a medium to express his views and insights, while still fulfilling his need to create optical effect.
Born in Cairo, half Lebanese, half Egyptian, Araman spent his childhood flitting between the two countries, before studying Fine Art at the American University in Cairo. Despite his artistic impulses and training, after leaving university he pursued a career as a human resources consultant. Does he regret the time spent in HR? He thinks for a moment. "Well, I didnt hate it," he muses. "It just wasn't me. But having said that I was able to save a lot of money, and with that money I was able to take a year off and study in New York."
Fate came calling four years ago, when he was given a professional camera as a gift. A few months later people were asking to buy prints of his photos. Word spread, and soon he was getting calls to do commercial shoots. Photography has always been his favourite form of artistic expression. "I love the fact that you can translate painting skills in a more modern medium," he says. Despite the fact that his new career calling was going well, Araman felt he needed more training. He signed up for a year at the prestigious International School of Photography in New York.
New York changed him, he says. "You see a lot of trends which influence you there." In addition, his class had 12 different nationalities, and people from diverse backgrounds. "It was so free," he says. "There was no limitation from the artistic perspective." He was influenced by New Yorks diversity, and by its openness. "Your cab driver is Indian, the assistant in the shop is Russian, the guy who sells you shawarma is Egyptian. And they still have the accents from their home countries. Yet theyre all American. After a week you really feel like you belong."
New York was also a challenge. The teachers at the school pushed their students hard. One memorable assignment involved Toufic approaching strangers, to persuade them to let him take photographs of them in their homes. He found his subjects in the subway, and gradually built up trust with them. The exercise was focussed on improving the students relationships with their subjects, as much as their photography. And the students were each others' harshest critics, confesses Araman, who also admits he found criticism difficult to accept. "You learn about taste," he says. "You can be a success in your own country, and then when you move elsewhere you can be a failure. It can be very difficult for photos to cross boundaries."
The city could also be intimidating from a professional perspective. "There are thousands of photographers in New York," says Toufic. "You really have to know what you're doing. The competition is very tough. People will do shoots for magazines for free, just to add to their portfolios." Araman completed his studies then returned to Dubai to establish his own company, aramanstudio. He runs the company with two other photographers, Ian Blakeway and Julie Saad. Commercial work has been building steadily, as their client base continues to grow. Araman believes Dubai is the right place for him at the moment. "I love what I do," he says, "and with the economy booming there's always something happening."
Araman expresses different aspects of himself through the different types of photography. His fashion photos are bold and daring, tricking the eye and making the viewer look twice. His still life portfolio shows attention to detail and perfectionism, while his editorial work manages to convey a sense of fun in every frame.
Though he is successful in the commercial field, it is his conceptual work which gives true insight into his mind and creative talents. "It's my outlet," he says. "It's my way of channelling my frustrations." His style is stimulating, playful, with Last year he had exhibitions of his conceptual work at the Noorderlicht Festival in the Netherlands, and at the Brecht Forum in New York. Light, colour and the elements that make up a photo differ from country to country. Araman is influenced by Russian art photographers, whose work is very "staged", with moody lighting and fixed models.
At the other end of the scale is the movement in New York towards accessible, informal photography. Araman describes a recent show at the Museum of Modern Art of an exhibition where the photographer shot broken displays of Benetton shops with a Kodak disposable camera. "I cant link to that, he sighs. "The trend in the US is for quirky, everyday images. I don't agree with that, and that's why I like Russian photographers. Its not only art, it's effort."
Indeed, Araman's own conceptual work is controlled, with visible effort, and thought in every detail. "I want it to look like it's difficult," he says, pointing to a striking image, shot near Hatta, which uses a slow shutter exposure to play tricks with light. "I like to work on lighting. Lighting is my painting tool, my brush."
A striking collection is his series of art photos on the ghaf trees, the endangered species native to the UAE. In it we see tricks of light: Araman motifs. The trees stand out against skies of deep colour, lit with contrasting colours from different angles. Araman's political photography reveals the ambiguities of the Arab world. His series of composites on modern Egypt, which feature the Pyramids, are a multi-layered critique of that society and its issues. Through arresting images of seated people, he offers his views on politics, progress and conflict.
Other photos can be challenging for the viewer. Araman sometimes uses the same model in different poses, representing different things, in the same picture. In this way he emphasises the universality of the human condition. Toufic Araman looks set to be a major player in the Middle Eastern art scene for many years to come, because of his mission to impart a message. "Art is not there to look pretty or technically challenging," he says. "It has to have a social message. As an artist, I have a responsibility towards my surroundings, and if I don't influence them, I shouldn't be an artist."