05 September 2010

Block printer, Gujarat


Near Bhuj, we visited Khatri Musa's dyeing and block printing business. Everything seemed to be done with the exceptional skill that comes from a lifetime of practice and leaves the workers with time to smile at the strangers, even as their hands carry on with the work.

[8 February 2007; Canon 20D, 24–105 mm f4 L at 40 mm, ISO 800, 1/100 at f4]


All content © 2010 Pete McGregor

4 comments:

Paterika Hengreaves said...

I was taught potato stencilling in my elementary art classes. In my neck of the woods tie dyeing and batik made garments are expensive but the turnover on the shelves of stores keeps both buyers and sellers happy. Green cottage industries that depend on "elbow grease" are not very common in oil dependency manufacturing environments...sadly. Who says jobs cannot be found in our sluggish economy, I'm smiling.

Happy to know that you and your family in ChristChurch are safe from the miracle received.

Zhoen said...

What an open, genuine smile he has.

leonie said...

What a wonderful smile he has. It goes all the way up to his eyes

:)

pohanginapete said...

Paterika, I remember potato printing from primary school :^) Lino cuts, too. I was hopeless, but some of the other pupils managed some impressive work.

Zhoen, I felt so welcome there — in fact, I felt like that pretty much everywhere in Gujarat. I'll be back there one day.

Leonie — exactly. Nothing forced about that smile.