Passageway through Kabul

Artists

Description

In the hurriedness of city life in Kabul, a woman in a flowing burqa (a traditional long garment for Afghan women in public) and a man head in opposite directions along an unpaved street. Neither stops to look at their surroundings. The stark contrast between this ordinary moment and the painted scenery on the construction fence, however, caught the eye of Manish Swarup, a Delhi-based photographer. The murals may echo the peaks and lakes of Kabul, but the alpine forest and crystal blue water are more associated with the Swiss Alps. This technicolor landscape only draws attention to its alienness against the monochromatic, arid city it was meant to beautify. The street appears far more alive than the unnatural “nature” thrust upon it, and the alpine scenery does little to entice the passersby as they go about their day.

Dimensions

image: 50.8 x 76.2 cm (20 x 30 in.) sheet: 61.6 x 86.4 cm (24 1/4 x 34 in.)

Provenance

Manish Swarup, Delhi, India, sold; to Conley Harris and Howard Truelove (2010-2015), gift; to the Harvard Art Museums, 2015.