Painting With Photographs, Part 2

Presenting the second half of James' "Painting With Photographs" series.

That's it for posts on the Kumbh Mela, we hope you've enjoyed the ride!

Painting With Photographs, Part 1

In addition to the Formal Portrait series James produced at the Kumbh Mela, he also put together another set of photographs on a theme, albeit a bit more open to interpretation. The photographs are not of particular subject, just pictures taken at the Kumbh Mela. It's more about structural continuity, a feel, a painterly approach. Judge for yourself.

Part one of the "Painting With Photographs" series.

Night Falls On Kumbh Mela

When the sun goes down, the Kumbh does not go down with it. The many ashrams compete for customers by blasting their music and sermons as loud as possible and enticing visitors with gaudy gates and million bulb displays. The senses overwhelm.

The dusty, honky-tonk feel of the place once night falls.

A typical front of an ashram and then the Wizard of Oz no-presence back of another ashram. Just get them through the door and let the swami keep them in.

Sometimes you hear the sounds, walk in and find nothing in particular is happening.

Vendors are busy selling snacks.

Later on, as things wind down, time to head out, pack the truck and hit the road.

Streets eventually become a film noir set.

More Faces At The Kumbh Mela

Another blog post, another round of great portraits from the Kumbh Mela.

Airing Your Clean Laundry At Kumbh Mela

You travel to the Kumbh Mela, you bathe, you hang out for weeks, you've got to do laundry. Clean body and mind, clean clothes. The bright colors and beautiful patterns of traditional Indian dress make a utilitarian activity like clothes drying look like a celebration.

A typical scene outside a tent, laundry hanging. Can you spot the woman doing the hanging?

A couple more shots of hanging laundry to dry, seeking any suitable support, from a fence to a car.

Saris laid out after bathing. Once you see the simple strips of fabric stretched out in the sun, you then understand how this basic form of dress dates back centuries.

If you want to keep your sari off the ground, you tie an end to something and then act like your own clothes line pole.

More sari drying, in disciplined formation.

Lining Up At The Kumbh

India is crowded enough as it is, but ask 100 million people to show up in one place? Get in line.

At the Kumbh Mela, lines are a daily reality. All that grooming, eating, shopping, ashram-attending, you're not alone. Not even close. Time to queue up.

Here's a typical scene: a line snaking around a truck early in the morning; people waiting for supplies.

It's getting mighty crowded, no matter where you're queuing.

Lines to the right.....

...and lines to the left.

There are all sorts of reasons to wait. These guys are lining up to see the mobile optometrist.