Madras week 2009 was celebrated with great fanfare in the city with public and private events across the length and breadth of the city. The week was marked by book launches, exhibitions, walks and talks.
Talking of Chennai, P James the magic man and Chennai city seem to be synonymous. There isn’t a nook in Chennai that doesn’t bear the inimitable stamp of his graffiti. In the Matrix issue July 2008, our cover story titled ‘Guerilla Marketing’ featured the omnipresent magician, P James and his graffiti messages. Every visitor to Chennai had one question to ask – “Who is P James?”
This year, the book launch that made waves during the Madras Day celebrations was “Looking for P James” – a photo story of Chennai by Darren Burnham, published by Global Adjustments. Darren Burnham’s photo essay of Chennai captures the essence of what he made of Chennai through his lens. Matrix brings to you some pictures from the book.
Frothy filter coffee served in a ‘davara’ can take on a Starbucks’ latte any day!
The Brahmin footprints in Triplicane and Mylapore.
Women Power – Chennai women are a fiery lot. Kannagi is an icon of Chennai, who demanded justice from the king himself.
Thaipusam festival.
The quintessence of Chennai - The Pallavan transport (MTC) and scramble for water.
Darren Burnham accepted a posting in Chennai at the Indian operations of the British firm William Hare that is into integrated steel fabrications. He spent six years in Chennai and over these years the city got under his skin. He came and he captured the city into his photographs. This way he came to know the city, much more than most Chennaiites do. What is he going to miss, now that he has left Chennai? The little courtesies that one is so used
to like ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ may not be the order of the day here but he most certainly will miss the traditional old-fashioned values still prevalent in Chennai life.
Photographs courtesy: Global Adjustments, Darren Burnham