I really never knew much about post-colonial India. Colonialism is something that seems to have happened hundreds of years ago. The fact that India was colonized until as recently as 1947 seems surreal. The post-colonial world leaves its’ inhabitants in an in-between place, struggling to validate their own culture and identity while finding ways to integrate the positive aspects that are left behind from their former rulers. That is assuming there are any positive aspects. I imagine that there must be a lot of psychic conflict for the people of a land who have gained independence. It is impossible to develop and mature under a sovereign’s rule and not integrate some of their emotional lives into our own. However, knowing that independence is something being withheld and our own ethnic identities at stake means that integration of the sovereign’s identity is not something we willing undertake. Raghubir Singh photographed post-colonial India in what I imagine was partially an attempt to capture this conflict. His photographs range from busy street scenes to wild countryside’s. Some of his photographs that particularly stand out in my mind are Kite Flying Festival, Ahmedabad, Gujarat; Below the Howrah Bride and Groom After Rites by the Ganges, Calcutta; Housewife, Jaipur, Rajasthan and Dhabawallah or Professional Lunch Distributor. In the Kite Flying Festival we are treated to a view of some people standing on a rooftop and flying kites. I feel that this is more of a realistic vs artistic view of life in post-colonial India but it does capture a spirit and independence of the people flying kites. Below the Howrah depicts a bride and groom in traditional dress under a modern bridge. This picture can be taken in both a realistic and interpretive sense. It can be seen as a simple portrayal of a wedding party but it can also be seen as the juxtaposition between tradition and modernity and what it means to retain our traditional values in a world that keeps changing. Housewife is certainly a photograph that begs to be taken at face value: a woman hanging laundry outside her house. But I see a beauty in this piece: an independence in the woman, a sense of timelessness in her activities and a sense of purpose to her actions. My favorite picture is Dhabewallah or Professional Lunch Distributor. This depicts a man, staring boldly at the camera, holding multiple lunches in one hand and standing on a busy street. It’s difficult to say what exactly captivates me about this picture- the burning intensity in the man’s expression, the fact that a job exists as professional lunch distributor, the wonder of getting a lunch delivered while living in a busy city. I think this picture sums up what the artist was aiming at, giving us a glimpse into post-colonial life while also still making the point that the people of India have retained their traditions and spirit.
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.