India - Hardcover

Jha, Radhika

4.47

17 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0810959496 ISBN 13: 9780810959491

Publisher: "Harry N. Abrams, Inc.", 2005

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The world's most densely populated country, and the tiger's last remaining natural habitat, India is a land of contradictions. In this visually stunning book, photographer Olivier F�llmi captures this land where tradition and modernity coexist-the India of the cell phone and the sacred cow. F�llmi looks beyond the commotion and sensory overload of the Indian street to examine deeper truths about the people and their culture. His photographs convey serenity and stillness, expressing a philosophy and an approach to life radically different from the West's.

This award-winning photographer's work includes portraits of people of all classes-farmers and potters, dancers and musicians, parents and children-and probes as well human interactions with animals including cows, monkeys, and elephants. Never does he portray his subjects as exotic objects; rather, his realistic, moving images pay tribute to his subjects' essential dignity and profound humanity.

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About the Author:

Olivier F�llmi first went to India in the 1970s. Working as a guide, leading tourists on Himalayan treks, and photographing India and its people for more than 25 years, he came to know the country intimately. He and his wife, Danielle F�llmi, a doctor who has established nutrition and health programs in Tibetan schools, have coauthored more than 15 books, including Abrams' Buddhist Himalayas. The F�llmis divide their life between the Alps and the Himalayas while sharing it with four children of Tibetan origin.

From Publishers Weekly:

In her introduction to this exquisite collection of photographs, novelist Jha (Smell) writes, "To be in India is to be assaulted by sensations, smells, colors, emotions, questions; to struggle to find answers; and to face your innermost desires and fears." Photographer F�llmi's beautiful images of India's people deftly convey this headiness while focusing on the micro: a young woman leading her herd of goats down a shady path; four wanderers in Pushkar sitting together on a decrepit wall; a man practicing yoga at dusk; two Brahman pilgrims wading into the waters of the Ganges. F�llmi, who first traveled to India in the 1970s and led tourists on Himalayan treks, submits 200 full-color photographs and illustrations that are overwhelmingly upbeat in their depiction of the vast country's inhabitants. Religion features prominently, as do cultural and social rituals. Captions at the back of the book explain the images, defining words like kalarippayat (a predecessor of all martial arts that also includes healing techniques) and explaining such traditions as facial ornamentation. Even potentially clich�d images—such as that of a man riding an elephant alongside a grouping of palm trees, seen in silhouette—are compelling, thanks to the photographs' brilliant hues and the illuminating accompanying text. (Nov.)
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