The British Journal of Photography December 2008

Maria Kaski

In quantum physics the laws of the universe are broken down into their smallest elements. This simplification has allowed us to understand the complexity of the forces affecting our planet, but so far shed little light on metaphysics and the intangible mysteries of religion. Nicola Dove’s new project Observance takes a slightly different approach to the interface between science and religion. She captures people of various faiths at prayer, capturing the ethereal state whose energy fields are considered to generate scientifically measurable results.

Universal truth

Part born from her experience of documenting the cremation of a Tibetan Lama in Nepal in 2004, Observance was also inspired by the study Why God Won’t Go Away, Brain Science and the Biology of Belief by Andrew Newberg, Eugene D’Aguilli and Vince Rause. The study concluded that ‘mystical experience is biologically, observably, and scientifically real’, a finding which mesmerised the New Zealand born photographer. ‘I found it intriguing because it suggested that amongst believers, regardless of the differences amongst religions and cultures, the experience of faith is a universal one, ‘ she says.

She investigated the concept by shooting people from a range of different faiths, including Sikhs, Sufis, Zoroastrians, and Shamans, as well as religious leaders such as Yonah Metzger (Chief Rabbi of Israel) and Ela Ghandi (Ghandi’s granddaughter). Through her portraits she hoped to explore the idea that, despite their different languages and clothes, people share a common humanity.

She photographed each sitter while they were praying, capturing them looking directly into the camera over a 15-second exposure. ‘Long exposures hark back to the beginning of photography, when film was slow and shutter speeds long,’ she says. ‘It was the time of spirit photograph when it was commonly believed that a photograph could capture one’s soul communicate with the dead.’

Dove also explored religious iconography, re-creating some of the common tropes of faith-led art. ‘Figures are depicted as dominant in the frame, bringing them into direct relationship with the viewer,’ she says. ‘This technique is long recognised in the art of icon painting, a practice which follows strict spiritual procedures and visual parameters.’

Multimedia

Observance was exhibited in Dilston Grove, in London, and Galleri Image, in Denmark, this year, and Dove opted to accompany her portraits with audio recordings of people, from a wide spectrum of faiths, at prayer. ‘The soundscapes in the exhibition, which weave together the chants, prayers, songs and whispers of the sitters, are placed intermittently throughout the building’s shell, resounding like echoes held within the fabric of the walls,’ she says.

Emerging at a time when faith is regarded with suspicion and is probing a divisive force, Dove’s study provides a positive spin on religious feeling and attempts to unite the various sects around the world.