Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the role of photography and drawing in ethnographic research on the female body in contemporary Rajasthan. Artistic imagery serves as a tool for investigation and negotiation, fostering collaboration that challenges patriarchal constraints and rethinks participatory methods.

Paper long abstract:

Étienne Rey once described modesty as "merely a question of lighting," suggesting that

it appears or disappears depending on observations and interpretations, much like a photograph.

This paper, based on multi-sited fieldwork in contemporary Rajasthan, examines the role of

photography and drawing in ethnographic research. In anthropology, artistic images typically

function as illustrations, supporting pre-established arguments within a textual framework.

However, this paper argues that images can convey insights into the world that texts cannot.

In a field shaped by patriarchal laws that enforce extreme modesty among the women I

work with, photography and drawing are not only tools for investigation but also modes of

understanding the female body in India today. These practices serve as points of negotiation for

interaction, from photographic portraits to participatory exercises where participants draw their

vision of the Indian woman or comment on images. Collaborative artistic imagery, created with

participants and artists, plays a central role in this research.

The paper emphasizes the importance of integrating artistic practices into ethnographic

methods, framing the image as both a tool for investigation and a means of restitution. The

image becomes more than evidence; it serves as an aesthetic object that outlines contours,

shadows, and lines, and merges with the field. By highlighting these artistic approaches, this

paper advocates for a participatory, collaborative methodology that redefines ethnographic

practice, placing the image at the heart of the ethnographic report.