Graeme Robertson is helping us to see the blind with his new exhibition
SWABIL Magumba goes to Bishop Willis Primary School in Iganda, which is a town of about 50,000 people in the eastern region of Uganda. Heās one of the children award-winning photographer Graeme Robertson has chosen for Framing Perceptions, an initiative funded by the non-governmental organisation Sightsavers, which highlights what life is like for people living with disabilities in Uganda and India.
āSwabil was born blind,ā says Robertson. āHe lives in the middle of nowhere in a community run by elders who believe that a blind child, a disabled child or an unwell person is bad luck or a curse on their community. When it was found out that this kid was blind a family member poisoned him with the blood of a lizard to try and kill him. He didnāt die but his face and his whole body were covered in blisters.
āHe was put into a school for the blind to help him. He was the guy I started the project with and another couple of cases of kids being set on fire. Horrific stuff, which is why I wanted to get involved and use my position to try and get this word out that things like this are happening.ā
Robertson also travelled to a district in the Indian city, Bikaner. One of his subjects, Sankarlal Bishnoi, 60, was blinded in 1984 when a person threw acid into his face. He had to give up his job. He used to tend buffalo and sold their milk to local cooperative dairies. He was so ashamed about his appearance that he often found it hard to leave his house.
The stigma caused by people who suffer from disability in these communities is a problem. Another man who Robertson photographed is Shyam Sundar, 36, who became visually impaired 15 years ago due to glaucoma. He can only make out colours from a distance. āI can see the moon but not the stars,ā he told Sightsavers.
When Sundar is outside and if he stumbles or falls he is laughed at. There are shameless urchins who spread thorns on the street in front of him, as he walks past. He said is considered useless ā a burden on people ā because he canāt find suitable work. He lives next door to his older brother who is married with seven children. His brother has to support his own family, Shyan and two other brothers who are blind. Shyan suffers from depression, and spends most of his days in his room.
Robertson captured Sundar in typical everyday poses ā in his room and one striking photograph with his two blind brothers. Robertson explains he has to maintain a certain level of detachment ā despite the often-harrowing and sensitive cases he has to deal with ā in order to get his photographs.
āMy job isnāt really to help. My job is to photograph and my photographs should be the thing that helps. Iām trained to capture events, people and if that person is happy or sad or in trouble I have to capture that to show the rest of the world what is going on. If that pulls a heartstring or you get angry about it and read about it and want to get involved to help in anyway, Iāve done my job.
āIāve never stopped myself taking a photograph unless the person didnāt want me there then of course Iāll walk away but itās not really up to me to make that choice. Iām there to do a job. Iāve been in situations where Iāve thought, āJesus Christ, what is going on here?ā But that doesnāt mean because I feel wrong about that situation I shouldnāt take the photograph. Iāve never taken a photograph where Iāve pushed a person to a situation where theyāve felt uncomfortable.
āThere is a really thin line between are you helping or could you help. Iām not there to change peopleās lives by saying, āCome home with me. Iām going to give you a good life.ā Thatās not my job. I struggled with that a bit more when I was younger but experience tells you what to get involved in and what not.
āThere have been situations where Iāve photographed people, and then put my camera down, and then continued to photograph. For example, I was outside the UN Building in Baghdad when it blew up [in 2003]. There were a lot of people running about, with blood all over them, limbs hanging off. I photographed it and then I saw a little kid screaming over somebody. I picked up the kid and took him to the side of the road and then went back and photographed. Iām not heartless. Of course Iām a human being and I care about people but thereās a line where you have to be very sure what you do is for the right reasons.ā
Robertson, 38, grew up in Falkirk, Scotland. He got his start in the world of photography as a 16-year-old working as a wireman and darkroom assistant for the Daily Record and Sunday Mail newspapers in Glasgow. He moved on, working as a photographer for The Scotsman, The Herald and Getty Images before joining the Guardian in 2005 where he has been working since.
On his beat, he has covered the flotsam of life ā celebrity shoots, football World Cups and three general elections ā as well as some bloody theatres, including war zones in Iraq, the Middle East and Pakistan. He admits heās had nightmares but stresses heās not a war photographer.
āItās not like Iāve been living through wars for the last 25 years but I did have a period of my life where I spent a lot of my time covering shitholes and places you wouldnāt want to go on your holiday. Iāve struggled at times, coming home to my house at night having held kids who have died in your arms. Or Iāve spent the day with orphaned kids from AIDS and then gone back to my hotel. You can get mixed up ā and a lot of people do get mixed up. Of course youād feel bad, but Iām not there as a nurse or a doctor or a security guard.
āAfter the event, I might have a little cry or feel really bad about something, but Iām totally privileged to be put in these situations so I can have an opinion on them and try and help in the only way I know I can help ā by taking photographs.ā
