From previous
projects I learned to
combine my knowledge
of different processes
with the native visual
technology of the place
I wished to document.
I was eager to use these
learnings in this project.
Fabien Charuau creates a long map of the road he travelled on in rural
Rajasthan, using only locally available equipment and technology.D
uring a three-week artist
residency in the village of
Partapur, Rajasthan, I was asked
to build my project on the bus
that runs through the village and
the route it follows. While the bus itself
did not interest me much, I found myself
drawn to the road that the bus travels on.My Perspective
If you look at photography over the ages, it
has a long history of interactions with the
road. My challenge was to make my project
different. After some thought, I decided
that I would follow the 36km long road
and stop at every one kilometer mark to
document what I saw.Description
I wanted to explore the only route running through
a tiny village in a unique way. My aim was to gather
as much information from there as possible.Duration
Three weeks
Notes
Even though I had to compromise on the
technology, it led me to a completely new way of
exploring my photography.My Assignment
The Way of the RoadThe Way of the RoadThe Way of the Road
The Process
Using three fi lm cameras, I would make
three images–one of the road itself,
stretching out ahead of me, the second
of a person I met there and the third of
something from the surroundings.You can derive
immense information
from an image based
on where it was shot,
the method used
to shoot it, how it
is being stored and
so on.84
ON ASSIGNMENTBETTER PHOTOGRAPHY MARCH 2015