"free people " enslavement. continued
"From the earliest days of the calotype, the curious tripod with its mysterious chamber and mouth of brass, taught the natives of this country that their conquerors were inventors of other instruments besides the formidable guns of their artillery, which, though as suspicious in appearance, attained their goal with less noise and smoke.
SAMUEL BORNE.
That quote began an essay I wrote in 1997 . "Hidden Histories, the Colonial Encounter" was my "challenging" counterpoint to a British Council Exhibition on Photography in colonial India. The essay looked at some of the ways photography helped to attain colonial goals.
There was another paragraph in it- about how Bourne found it difficult to photograph ordinary Indians.He had to 'contend with the obstinacy of the natives' when he wanted to introduce them into his photographs . "Their idea of giving life to pictures was to stand bolt upright with their arms down, as stiff as pokers, thier chins turned up as if they were standing to have their throats cut", he wrote.
Those long dead Indians may not have had their throats cut but what was slashed and burned was their many cultures. Photography played a big role in that destruction. Something it continues to do even today. The native is still stereotyped in photographs . Even in those shot by Indian photographers. photographers who never learnt to question the stereotyping role of photography and repeat.copy photographs by Western Photographers. Many are the times that have I seen Indian copies of the series below . The poorer natives and the local bazaars continue to be the brown backdrops that foreground the White visions we are so enamored by.
The "Free People" catalog continues to enslave the natives.
So yeah, it's kind of like Darjeeling Limited 2: Electric Booglaloo, if Wes Anderson wanted to do such a thing.
(Candy stripe corset top, $78; racerback layering cami, $38; candy drop necklace, $178)
Hey, is she rocking a leather purse while standing next to a sacred cow?
(We The Free thank you tee, $68; hues of hibiscus skirt, $88; studded leather Caleesta wallet, $58)
Ooh, brown is totes the new black. Brown people, that is.
(We The Free cardigan, $98; jeweled lattice dress, $128; lucky #7 necklace, $88; Magdalene platforms, $228)
Fruit stripes babydoll, $88; tangled chains necklace, $398; candy shop bangle, $48; camels, no price listed. Like I always say, they never have the price of the stuff you really want.
Yulia is 19 and was born in St. Petersberg, Russia. But she lives in London. And looks 15.
(Paisley petals wrap bikini, $188; Elsa's aviators, $38; metallic sail tote, $198)
Drinking tea in a swimsuit seems positively colonial, doesn't it? But her necklace is awesome. Sterling silver boxing gloves! Want.
(Dots and stripes hipster bikini, $128; mirror mirror necklace, $168; boxing gloves lariet [sic], $398)
Confession: I got so worked up over Yulia's friendcessory, I ripped the page. But seriously: Was he paid as a model? Did he sign a release? Is he the Johnny Depp of Jaipur? Puckered stripes bralette, $32; color dip gauze headband, $18; gauze carnival scarf, $48; distressed braid belt, $188; population of people in India living below the government-specified poverty threshold of $0.40 per day: 27%.
http://jezebel.com/356222/free-people-someone-watched-the-darjeeling-limited-before-booking-this-photo-shoot
SAMUEL BORNE.
That quote began an essay I wrote in 1997 . "Hidden Histories, the Colonial Encounter" was my "challenging" counterpoint to a British Council Exhibition on Photography in colonial India. The essay looked at some of the ways photography helped to attain colonial goals.
There was another paragraph in it- about how Bourne found it difficult to photograph ordinary Indians.He had to 'contend with the obstinacy of the natives' when he wanted to introduce them into his photographs . "Their idea of giving life to pictures was to stand bolt upright with their arms down, as stiff as pokers, thier chins turned up as if they were standing to have their throats cut", he wrote.
Those long dead Indians may not have had their throats cut but what was slashed and burned was their many cultures. Photography played a big role in that destruction. Something it continues to do even today. The native is still stereotyped in photographs . Even in those shot by Indian photographers. photographers who never learnt to question the stereotyping role of photography and repeat.copy photographs by Western Photographers. Many are the times that have I seen Indian copies of the series below . The poorer natives and the local bazaars continue to be the brown backdrops that foreground the White visions we are so enamored by.
The "Free People" catalog continues to enslave the natives.
Think the people who put together the Free People catalog did? They chose India — Jaipur, to be exact — as the setting for their new photo shoot. And chose a sunny blonde (à la Owen Wilson?) to star. Sixty-eight dollar T-shirts, four hundred dollar necklaces and brown people as accessories, after the jump.
So yeah, it's kind of like Darjeeling Limited 2: Electric Booglaloo, if Wes Anderson wanted to do such a thing.(Candy stripe corset top, $78; racerback layering cami, $38; candy drop necklace, $178)
Hey, is she rocking a leather purse while standing next to a sacred cow?(We The Free thank you tee, $68; hues of hibiscus skirt, $88; studded leather Caleesta wallet, $58)
Ooh, brown is totes the new black. Brown people, that is.(We The Free cardigan, $98; jeweled lattice dress, $128; lucky #7 necklace, $88; Magdalene platforms, $228)
Fruit stripes babydoll, $88; tangled chains necklace, $398; candy shop bangle, $48; camels, no price listed. Like I always say, they never have the price of the stuff you really want.Yulia is 19 and was born in St. Petersberg, Russia. But she lives in London. And looks 15.(Paisley petals wrap bikini, $188; Elsa's aviators, $38; metallic sail tote, $198)
Drinking tea in a swimsuit seems positively colonial, doesn't it? But her necklace is awesome. Sterling silver boxing gloves! Want.(Dots and stripes hipster bikini, $128; mirror mirror necklace, $168; boxing gloves lariet [sic], $398)
Confession: I got so worked up over Yulia's friendcessory, I ripped the page. But seriously: Was he paid as a model? Did he sign a release? Is he the Johnny Depp of Jaipur? Puckered stripes bralette, $32; color dip gauze headband, $18; gauze carnival scarf, $48; distressed braid belt, $188; population of people in India living below the government-specified poverty threshold of $0.40 per day: 27%.http://jezebel.com/356222/free-people-someone-watched-the-darjeeling-limited-before-booking-this-photo-shoot
posted by Satish Sharma at
10:58
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