Mumbai North is a collection black and white - photographs taken 15,000 ft above sea level between December 2014 and November 2015 of Mumbai's suburbs by photographer Robert D Stephens.
After the success of his two previous exhibitions, 'Mumbai Articles' (2014) and 'Madras Transit' (Aug 2015) were, Stephens offers an alternate lens into the urban geography, landscape and sprawl of the city's suburbs with Mumbai North.
One of the unique aspects of this photograph is that it is accompanied by a record of air pollution levels on the corresponding day, as measured by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board as well as extracts from antiquarian books related to Mumbai, dating back to the late 1800s.
Vikhroli Lab
December2014
SO2 - 28 ug / m3
NOx - 180 ug / m3
RSPM ??? 104 ug / m3
"It is during the adolescent stage when one's personality begins to take shape. A person discovers himself, so to say, during his adolescence and this is the time when heneeds every possible opportunity for developing his individual personality and creative abilities. Mere continuation of the formal education does not suffice though without it the future would be bleak for all save a few exceptional ones. Sports clubs, hobby centres, science clubs, arts and crafts centres and other centres for encouraging creative and expressive faculties would be needed. All the more so because it is acknowledged that the function of the urban family in transition is severely restricted in this sphere. The need for varied recreational services is acutely felt in view of the paucity of open areas in the city and the cramped space in which more of the households in Greater Bombay live.
This means that the schools haveto provide a wide range of extra-curricular and co-curricular activities to their students. However, the above-mentioned restricting factors are operative for the schools as well resulting in a shift-system. This in turn means that welfare agencieswill have to first of all assess the actual roles played by the families and the schools before formulating their own programme for recreational services."
A Report on the Situation of Children and Youth in Greater Bombay
Khandekar, Mandakini
Page 91
1970
Robert D. Stephens is a Principal at RMA Architects, Mumbai. His passions include the art of building and constructing beauty through visual, literary, and cinematic imagery. In 2013 he co-produced a feature film with India's first You Tube star, Wilbur Sargunaraj, entitled "Simple Superstar".
About Mumbai North
Aerial Photographs of Mumbai's Suburbs by Robert D. Stephens
Click links below to see his other collections:
Mumbai Articles Madras Transit After the success of Mumbai Articles, Stephen's contemporary black and white, aerial photographs of Mumbai city, photographer Robert D Stephens turns his attentions to the surburbs of Mumbai. This January, he brings us Mumbai North, an urban portrait collection of suburban geography, featuring black and white photographs taken 15,000 ft above sea level between December 2014 and November 2015. Suburbs documented range from Nalasopara to Bhiwandi, Vikhroli to Aarey Colony, Bandra to Kandivali, and more.