In order to write this blog, I had to refresh my knowledge of India and its fight for independence. Fighting against British colonial rule, the non-violent struggle for independence was led by Mahatma Ghandi and eventually prevailed in 1947. The landscape of a colonial India was a struggle to maintain native identity and cultural preservation. However, with the Western powers that tore its way through India, a breakthrough revolution was the only solution.
Visiting Singh’s gallery at the Met Breur was both parts thrilling and disappointing. Singh’s photographs struck me as vibrant and brilliant, every last one of them- and for this reason, it was disappointing that his works were not allowed to be photographed. I would have liked to take pictures of the ones I loved the best, both to look back on and reflect upon. However, after a walk-through of the gallery, I had compiled a written list of the photographs that struck me the most. My list reads as:
I distinctly remember viewing the photo titled, Godrej Typewriter Factory, Bombay and feeling truly touched by the emotion Singh was able to capture in this setting. It seemed as though every piece of the composition was deliberate; as though every component of the photograph held meaning. I spent five minutes pondering over this photograph, not being able to fully explain what captivated me so fully except for the feeling that there was an entire story, an entirely different world behind this one photograph. From a personal standpoint, I am always in awe of photographers who are unafraid to capture everyday life in a personal way, in a way that almost intrudes in another individual’s world.
What struck me the most about Singh’s photographs was what I interpreted as his intention to depict the truth in each photograph. Singh didn’t just photograph perfect scenes with smiling people and impeccable surroundings. Instead, Singh photographed people depicting all different emotions and flawed landscapes. I think that Singh’s mission was to tell the truth behind post-colonial India: there would never be perfection- in fact, poverty and poor conditions of living would always exist- but there was also a part of independent India that showed a proud, native culture at its finest. Singh’s photographs were almost like a small breath of relief. I think it was brave of Singh to venture into capturing a picture of India that wasn’t perfect- that might always be what people in an outside world wanted to picture when they thought of the newly independent India.
The words that come to mind when I think of Singh’s photographs are “raw, genuine, unbridled and encompassing. Most importantly, I use the word encompassing because I felt that Singh was able to both capture reality as well as interpret it in his works. I think that there were certain moments where Singh was “interpreting reality” by subtlety framing an image in order to convey a message or a certain standpoint, but I also felt as though a majority of his photographs purely captured reality- captured a small standpoint in a moving world. These moments that he captured were, I feel, too alive to truly be “interpreted” in a deliberate way. I think that Singh felt this and he allowed for events to unfold, for the pace of the world he was standing in to flow around him and he simply captured what he could of it.
I agree with you on the idea that Singh photographed the “truth” of India. His photos are very raw in concept and striking if thought is put into analyzing them.