Parthiv Shah /India
Artist's Statement
My photographic exploration of Ahmedabad's textile mills began in 1982, as a student at the National Institute of Design. Growing up in the city, I was deeply aware of the mills' significance to Ahmedabad's identity. However, it was the potential for compelling visual storytelling that truly drew me to this subject. I envisioned these photographs as powerful tools for social commentary, capable of transcending the boundaries of a classroom exercise.
The Photographic Process Returning to the same sites in 2001, I revisited the people I had met decades earlier. My familiarity with Ahmedabad and its mill workers granted me a unique perspective, allowing me to capture the industry's transformation over time. This photographic journey was not merely a documentation of a fading industry but a personal exploration of my roots. Each image became a historical marker, freezing moments of a city's changing landscape. I employed a documentary approach, aiming to capture the authenticity of the mill workers' lives and experiences. I focused on their daily routines, their working conditions, and their interactions with one another. By using natural light and candid compositions, I sought to create a sense of intimacy and immediacy.
Themes and Interpretations My photographs explore a variety of themes, including labour, industrialization, and urban decay. The mills, once symbols of progress and prosperity, now stand as relics of a bygone era. The images depict the human cost of industrialization, highlighting the hardships faced by mill workers. They also offer a glimpse into the changing nature of work and the challenges of economic transition. Beyond their documentary value, my photographs also serve as a form of personal reflection. By revisiting the mills, I was able to reconnect with my past and explore my own relationship to the city. The images became a means of processing my experiences and understanding the broader historical and cultural context of Ahmedabad.
Conclusion My photographic exploration of Ahmedabad's textile mills is a testament to the power of visual storytelling. Through my images, I aim to raise awareness of the industry's rich history and the challenges faced by its workers. By capturing the human element of industrialization, I hope to inspire viewers to consider the complex relationship between progress and human cost.
Curator’s Statement
Ahmedabad is a city in the western state of Gujarat in India, which once had flourishing textile mills that date back to the British Raj era in the 19th century. The sector was referred to as the Manchester of India, as it resembled the textile sector in Manchester. A significant number of individuals were employed by this industry during it’s peak. Due to labor strikes demanding higher salaries, a recession, intense competition, and production relocating offshore in the 1980s, these mills experienced a crisis that ultimately resulted in the collapse of these sectors. Having grown up and educated in Ahmedabad, Parthiv started investigating and recording the industrial movement against closures in the 1980s. He also looked at the lives and struggles of the workers, the decomposing & functional factories, and the shifting economic landscapes of the city. He quite strongly transports us all to a bygone age that has been overlooked through visual storytelling. Parthiv uses his hard hitting classical style of documentary photography, which gives the viewer a profound insight into the time and character with help of the black and white imagery.
©Sandeep Biswas
Parthiv Shah
Is a photographer, film maker and a graphic designer. He has made several documentary films, curated exhibitions and has several photo-books to his credit. An alumnus of the National Institute of Design, India, he was invited as visiting scholar at the SOAS, London University and at the University of California, Davis. Growing up in a family of artists and through his own professional training, he brings an interesting intersection of art, photography and design to his work. He has been awarded a senior fellowship in Photography by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, Charles Wallace Fellowship, UK and Fulbright Lectureship award to teach photography at the UCLA, USA. Parthiv Shah is renowned for his compelling approach to photography, where he captures people within their natural environments, creating intimate and insightful portraits that reveal the essence of their daily lives and surroundings. His work goes beyond mere visual documentation; it intertwines personal stories with broader cultural narratives, offering a profound exploration of human connection to place. Among his notable projects, Shah has delved into the lives of tribal and folk communities, focusing on their traditional knowledge of indigenous herbs found in the jungle. These herbs, meticulously gathered and used, play a crucial role in the communities' medicinal practices, offering natural remedies to cure various ailments. Through his lens, Shah highlights not only the intricate relationship these communities maintain with nature but also their deep understanding of medicinal plants and the sustainable practices they employ. His photography serves as a visual testament to the rich cultural heritage and environmental wisdom embedded in these communities' way of life.
He is the Founder-Director of Centre for Media and Alternative Communication (CMAC). He has been teaching photography and film as a visiting faculty at the National Institute of Design, Ambedkar University and Jamia Milia Islmia University in India. Lately Parthiv has been particularly interested and engaged in working on the issue of image perception and representation. His visual journeys have led him into working with communities which are finding a mainstream voice. Photographs exhibited at India, Australia, Bangladesh, Germany, Nepal, South Africa, Thailand, Netherlands, Japan, Spain, Russia, U.K. and U.S.A Photographs in the collection of National Gallery of Modern Art, India, Lalit Kala Akademi, India, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, University of California, Davis, USA, Minge Kan, Tokyo, Japan, Australian Arts Council, Sydney, Australia, Smithsonian Institute, Washington. DC. USA, including some privet collection such as Christo, USA, Eames Design Office, USA, Philip and Phyllis Morrison, USA, Issye Miyake, Japan.
He is the Founder-Director of Centre for Media and Alternative Communication (CMAC). He has been teaching photography and film as a visiting faculty at the National Institute of Design, Ambedkar University and Jamia Milia Islmia University in India. Lately Parthiv has been particularly interested and engaged in working on the issue of image perception and representation. His visual journeys have led him into working with communities which are finding a mainstream voice. Photographs exhibited at India, Australia, Bangladesh, Germany, Nepal, South Africa, Thailand, Netherlands, Japan, Spain, Russia, U.K. and U.S.A Photographs in the collection of National Gallery of Modern Art, India, Lalit Kala Akademi, India, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, University of California, Davis, USA, Minge Kan, Tokyo, Japan, Australian Arts Council, Sydney, Australia, Smithsonian Institute, Washington. DC. USA, including some privet collection such as Christo, USA, Eames Design Office, USA, Philip and Phyllis Morrison, USA, Issye Miyake, Japan.