Friday 13 September 2013

Imperilled Indian street trades


















Saw this fascinating series on my twitter feed courtesy of @T1MC0LE who saw it on PetaPixel.  I have a total weakness for the subject matter, street portraits or shots of street traders, so had to feature it here. Inspired by the likes of Eugene Atget and Irving Penn, Supranav Dash (a New York-based photographer who originally hails from Kolkata) wanted to pay homage to these rapidly disappearing trades.  He explains on his site that it has always been traditional in India for certain occupations to be hereditary which is mainly dictated by caste. This is changing as younger generations challenge the status quo by seeking more lucrative work but it's also due to the inevitable advances in technology. Supranav is keen to continue the project and is seeking funding to do so. He recently showed some of the series at The New York Photo Festival "My Story" show and it's currently being exhibited at The School of Visual Arts in New York.  I love the timelessness of these shots and how Supranav has captured his subjects with such dignity and sensitivity.  Supranav Dash

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