Saraswati in the making
Cypress trees at Point Lobos, 2005
Bashful girl 1980s
Father and daughter on the beach selling palm juice
Sadhu, late 1970s
Lady pilgrims late 70s
Pilgrims by the roadside 1978
Auroville - Koot Road Shrine - 1997
John Mandeen (1943-2024) was a Classicist in every way. His work was dominated by superb lighting, fidelity, exposure and great compositions. His work was punctuated with stories and harmonious, sometimes intriguing moments. Like the great classical photographers, John did his own processing and printing. His pictures communicate and hold our attention – either in its story or emotion. The moments recorded are rich in fabric and aesthetic. He worked only with Natural Light.
Born in Minnesota, John grew up on the beautiful California coast in Pacific Grove near Monterey. Surrounded by all that raw and gorgeous beauty most definitely influenced his artistic leanings.
On September 19, 1968 at age 24, he came to India with a one-way ticket from Los Angeles to Kolkata and within a month through a series of almost “orchestrated” events, ended up in Pondicherry at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, which became his home.
John had been running the silk-screen print studio for the Ashram Press since 1969, where he designed and printed book covers, greeting cards, letterheads, visiting cards and posters. He had no formal training in art but enjoyed making intricate and complex line drawings with ink. He also worked with Prisma for several timeless books and photos on Auroville. He admired the works of Paul Strand, Walker Evans, Garry Winograd, Eugene Atget, Ansel Adams and Henri Cartier Bresson as evident from his large collection of books. He leaves behind his beloved wife Sunaina, who did not waste a moment in putting his life and work together.
Copyright © 2024 JOHN MANDEEN - All Rights Reserved.
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