Stomping Grounds: Senior Seminar Highlights Show
Lily Sood
My body of work stems from my Undergraduate Summer Research Grant, during which I traveled to India to meet and photograph my extended family and the surrounding environment. Growing up distanced from my Indian heritage, I consumed art and films about India from both the Western and Indian perspectives, such as Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited and Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trilogy. Similarly, I looked at photographs by artists such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Raghubir Singh. Seeing those artists' interpretation of India is one thing, but actually experiencing it for yourself is another. So that is precisely what I did.
While being thrust into the unfamiliar environment of India, I was able to resume my familiar practice of shooting documentary-style street portraits with my digital camera. The four portraits selected are only a sample of around 2500 images shot in Delhi and Bulandshahr, India. They depict women, one family member, and three strangers whom I encountered on my trip. I am particularly interested in people, especially these women, because of the uniqueness of how they each interact within their spaces of existence. I investigate the different aspects of this, from their outfits to facial expressions and poses.
The selected works highlight the brightly patterned warmth of India during the hot summer months and illustrate a conversation between me, my camera, and my heritage.