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Ravana, the Demon King

Photograph
1982 (photographed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Rosalind Fox Solomon (b. 1930) is an American photographer based in New York City. She was born in Highland Park, Illinois and moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee where she began making photographs in the late 1960s. In 1977, she relocated to Washington, D.C. and studied privately with photographer, Lisette Model during frequent visits to New York City.

Solomon has photographed all over the world, documenting human suffering, ritual, survival, and struggle. Her photographs emphasise her ability to interpret and capture the complex social landscapes of the places she visits, as well as the obsessions and anxieties that travel with her.
While she was a fellow at the American Institute of Indian Studies in the 1980s she travelled to Kolkata, India where she photographed the community and its surroundings. With focus on the relationship between physical representations of Hindu deities and Indian people, this body of work is a manifestation of her belief that humans reveal their inner lives and key elements of their culture through their sacred objects.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Ravana, the Demon King (assigned by artist)
  • Ravana, the Ten-Headed Demon King, Festival of Kali (published title)
Materials and techniques
black and white gelatin silver print.
Brief description
Photograph by Rosalind Fox Solomon, 'Ravana, the Demon King', Calcutta [Kolkata], India, 1982, gelatin silver print
Physical description
A photograph of a statue of Ravana the Demon King. It is supported by a stack of wood skids in front of two buildings. The building on the left is white, and the building on the left is cast entirely in shadow.
Dimensions
  • Image width: 39cm
  • Image height: 39cm
  • Sheet width: 40.5cm
  • Sheet height: 50.5cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
Inscribed on verso in pencil: 'Rosalind Solomon, Ravana, the Demon King, Calcutta, 1982'
Places depicted
Summary
Rosalind Fox Solomon (b. 1930) is an American photographer based in New York City. She was born in Highland Park, Illinois and moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee where she began making photographs in the late 1960s. In 1977, she relocated to Washington, D.C. and studied privately with photographer, Lisette Model during frequent visits to New York City.

Solomon has photographed all over the world, documenting human suffering, ritual, survival, and struggle. Her photographs emphasise her ability to interpret and capture the complex social landscapes of the places she visits, as well as the obsessions and anxieties that travel with her.
While she was a fellow at the American Institute of Indian Studies in the 1980s she travelled to Kolkata, India where she photographed the community and its surroundings. With focus on the relationship between physical representations of Hindu deities and Indian people, this body of work is a manifestation of her belief that humans reveal their inner lives and key elements of their culture through their sacred objects.
Bibliographic reference
catalogue 1984 American Center, New Delhi, India, “Rosalind Solomon: India,” catalogue text by Will Stapp Plate 28. Ravana, the Ten-Headed Demon King Festival of Kali, Calcutta, 1982
Collection
Accession number
E.2061-1992

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Record createdMarch 18, 2009
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