The exhibit of “Modernism on the Ganges: The Photographs of Raghubir Singh” related more to me than any other museum or exhibit this year. This is not only because I was born in India, but more importantly because it captured an aspect of my life I did not have access too. After leaving Kerala, my home state located in the southern part of India, I have only returned twice in the past 15 years to visit my grandparents and cousins. As time goes on, the physical connection I once had with my home land will eventually begin to fade into the depths of my memory. Photography will be the only thing that will help me keep those memories far past the lives of my grandparents and far past any barrier of physical distance.
Portfolio of Kerala as Photographed by Raghubir Singh
Raghubir Singh is able to depict the true impact of photography by “capturing reality” rather than merely interpreting it, as addressed by Susan Sontag. During the 1970s, Raghubir was a trailblazer for color photography and helped to show the world the power of “capturing reality” in photographs. Raghubir Singh focused his colorful work in the many different regions and states in India. From Calcutta, Bombay, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and even my own state of Kerala, Raghubir was able to capture photos of a land often times overlooked by other photographers. Growing up, I would hear my parents and family refer to these neighboring states of Kerala, but was never able to truly visualize it. As Kerala was mainly known as the tropical southern part of India, Bombay (now Mumbai) was located in the northern part of India. Often times seen in the same view of cities such as New York City in America. These vast differences were highlighted through Singh’s photography and truly exposed me to my own country.
“God’s Own Country” – Kerala
Through these photos of India, I was able to visualize the large growth India had gone through over the past 50 years. The development of every region of India is very spectacular, especially in my native state. From villages and dirt roads, Kerala has become one of India’s most successful states, leading the country in education standards, health sectors, literacy, high tourism rates, and of course the best sea-food in the country. The urbanization of states such as Kerala over the past years is something that may not have been captured by Raghubir, but his photos help to capture the great growth of the country, reminding citizens and outsiders alike where the country used to be as far as development was concerned.
Overall, Raghubir Singh’s use of color in his photography brought the rich colors of India to life, and showed viewers the reasons why the British wanted to colonize India in the first place. Rather than interpreting the images, he let the true essence of India capture the attention of viewers so they could see the reality of the country. He was able to “capture the true reality” of post-colonial India in its up and coming stages of development. It’s a shame that he will no longer be able to capture the reality of how far India, as a whole, has come. However, his photos will forever be a reminder for Indian citizens, like myself, where we started and the great development we went through to make India such a leading power country in the World.
– Abishek Johnson (AJ)
Amazing Blog post AJ! Also you were able to find some great photos from outside resources that capture the real beauty of India. I love the personal connection you draw with India and I feel it throughout the whole essay. That sense of your “homeland” is powerful, so it draws me to believe that this exhibit was nothing but a blast to the past. I also love the term “brought the rich colors of India to life.” I couldn’t agree more with that statement, I truly believe that Singh’s photography had an amazing impact of the general overview of India. Great job once again!