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TATA TAXI Photographs by Ian Atkinson
TATA TAXI ian isaphoto co uk www isaphoto co uk tel 447971821107 Photographs by Ian Atkinson
Ambassador Taxi The work looks at the life of Indian taxi drivers focussing particularly on the iconic Ambassador taxi Through the series of images we see the way the lives of the drivers are intertwined with work family and national identity as well as their diverse religious beliefs For many of the drivers this iconic vehicle is not only a method of transportation but a shrine to their God a place of worship home with none of its comforts and place to display proud family photos and emblems of national identity These vehicles are portraits of the very people they represent displayed for all to see and are in depth studies of human life in all of its intricacies The images show a carefully selected view of the complex identity of the owner driver highlighting the cultural identities of the subjects present or not giving the viewer the opportunity to understand and revel in the communication between photographer and subject They tell the story of a nation of many different cultures and religions Hindus Muslims Christians Sikhs Buddhists and Jains all represented within one single profession Each driver and indeed Taxi have a story to tell some tell of westerners purchasing an Ambassador and hiring a driver after completion of their journey they hand over the keys as a way of a thank you and the prospect of a better life for its new owner some tell of working away from families for months at a time the Ambassador becoming their home and probably re enforcing this idea that the taxi becomes a shrine to family and religious beliefs a home from home The work was shot over two visits to India in September 2009 and March 2010 the rst work was made in the south of the country and the subsequent visit in the north principally Jaipur and Delhi The taxis were very different in the northern part of India and were in fact very dif cult to nd Over the last few years there has been a huge shift in transport in India and with the continuing booming economy and Tata releasing and developing the worlds most affordable car more and more Indians nd themselves proud car owners This has not only had a massive effect on local transport in particular the demise of the taxi but has also increased the number of vehicles on the road Soaring fuel prices have also seen many of the taxis converted to LPG but even this has not stemmed the tide in the import and production of locally produced cheaper and more fuel economic cars Much like their western counterparts there are massive environmental and social implications to this shift It was once common to see 30 year old Ambassadors trawling the length and breadth of the country sadly this iconic emblem of Indian culture and heritage may soon be a thing of the past 5
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Tata Trucks Much like the Ambassador the Tata Truck has become synonymous with Indian roads not only from a historic and somewhat western romanticised perspective but also from a political and often deeply controversial one The drivers are often blamed not without some evidence for many of the accidents caused on Indian roads their interiors are often lled with lucky charms and in one image in particular a Hindi script exclaims Still Alive Plate 89 The drivers are also often attributed to the widespread of HIV and AIDS through one of the largest road networks in the world many of the drivers spend long periods away from their families and engage with sex workers spreading the virus from urban to rural areas The truck stop can be a fairly lively and sometimes dangerous place to be many of the drivers spend long periods of time awaiting repairs or phone calls determining their next destination for pick up or delivery I found the truckers to be warm welcoming and incredibly generous they would await my every return asking to see photographs from the previous day s shooting and laughing at their friends posing for the camera Much like the Ambassador these trucks are lled and emblazoned with personal and religious icons they become a home from home resplendent in colour and decoration relieving the boredom of countless hours on the road and time away from family and loved ones 39
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