Martyr’Memorial honoring the revolution from 1971 and Bangladesh independence
I REMEMBER:
I was eight years old when my grandmother took me to see “Lawrence of Arabia”.She squeezed my hand as we stood in front of the Hollywood “Pantages Theater”.I was a tall 8 year old, she was a short 60 year old. “Shall we go in?”, she asked.
I was home from the moment “Maurice Jarre’s” arrangement accompanied “Lawrence of Arabia” into the desert.The desert seemed small after awhile. After awhile I imagined the globe. After awhile I realized I was the globe. After awhile I wanted the universe. I was 8.
Arm in arm with some of my childhood cinematic heroes; Lawrence, Spartacus, The Four Horsemen... and more I began my descent into Bangladesh.
As I imagined flying over the Bay of Bengal’s white sand beaches and encountering a Royal Bengal Tiger and exotic Sundarban Mangrove Forest I found myself clinging to my childhood dreams of adventure. This was one, of many dreams that compelled me to become a photographer, a life of dreams.
I arrived in Dhaka at the invitation of the Bengali Institute. I was there to speak about the personality of architecture and it’s designs. I was asked to share how I see architecture, how I photograph architecture. I wanted to speak about my present and past. I wanted the evening to be fun. I wanted the evening to be serious. I wanted the evening to be tinged with a bit of martini humor.
I talked about celebrated architectural personalities like Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, Bjarke Ingles and many more. It was a special moment for me. It has been a privilege to work in that world. It was one of many reasons Dhaka was so special.
Louis Kahn’s National Assembly Building, Bangladesh
As I spoke to my audience, I realized my mind was a bit clouded, overwhelmed by the recent experience of photographing the Bangladesh National Assembly building by the American architect Louis Kahn. I was dazzled by Kahn and all the new and old architecture that dresses Dhaka in the most impressive fashion. This Bengali world was filled with sights and sounds of contemporary and ancient exotic worlds that clearly engulfed and danced with my fantasies.
So there I was talking in the dark with so many curious eyes looking into mine as I spoke about my images. I tried to make sense of the nexus between what is this moment and what is Dhaka.
My subconscious mysteriously reminded me of when I had first heard of Bangladesh in 1972. It was not their revolution (the revolution for independence was won in 1971) that came to mind. But it was the vase of flowers that I was delivering to George Harrison’s (the Beatles) home in Hollywood on Nichols Canyon Rd. Harrison had recently released the concert album in support of Bangladesh The Concert for Bangladesh – George Harrisonwww.georgeharrison.com › albums › the-concert-for-bangladesh.
Here I was knocking on his door with flowers in my arms. The Beatles for Christ’s sake!
George opens the door to greet me...Ha! That is a story for another day.
I continued to address my pictures and answer questions about my experiences. After awhile I paused the pictures. My talk was complete. I realized while speaking about my work, my experiences in Dhaka were creeping into my mindset. What a great dichotomy of life and photography this journey had become.
THE HEART OF A KING:
My experiences in Dhaka reminded me of the tale about touching the heart of a king: When a king of a grand land offers you his heart to touch, it means that you are granted the riches of his realm as if they were your own.
Contemporary Mosque Bangladesh
My hosts graciously drove me through the city, covering seemingly a million square miles. Mosques, memorials and crowded streets have become profound memories. This journey was simply one of my best of times. Dhaka felt like it was mine.
I write about my travels to share my realities and fantasies in my photography. I still frame so much of my life with the eyes of that impressionable
8 year old.
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A day in the life in Dubai to follow
Burj Khalifa Dubal… tallest building in the world