Delhi, 2006, in Chandni Chowk Possibly 2006 - 2014

Leo Rubinfien made this gelatin silver print titled "Delhi, 2006, in Chandni Chowk." The image captures a moment of everyday life in a bustling market in Delhi, India, the capital of a country of over a billion people which was undergoing rapid development and technological change in the early 21st century. Rubinfien is an American photographer, and he chooses to shoot in black and white. Consider how the image creates meaning through these visual codes and cultural references. The picture focuses on three men, one of whom is using a mobile phone. This suggests a tension between traditional ways of life and new forms of communication and globalization, and the way that globalized technology has changed social interactions. This idea can be considered in the social and institutional contexts of the time. By researching the artist's other work and the history of globalization in India we can learn more about the social meaning of the image. The meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional context.