Taylor, who is now based in France, first visited the city in 1987, when he took a six-month sabbatical from work to travel around India. “My first impression of the city was that it reminded me of home. It was fascinating to observe the mark left by the British culture on Kolkata and it was not just the buildings that were a remnant of the by-gone era, rather it was the people’s attitude. Kolkata has managed to retain an old-world charm that’s lost in England,” says Taylor.

Perhaps it is to capture this old-fashioned charm of the city that he chose to use his old Rolleiflex camera. Unfamiliar with old-world camera in the age of small digital cameras, he claims, people often assumed a film was being shot. “Since it was mounted on a tripod, most people assumed I was making a film, especially since I had to cover my head and the camera with a black cloth to take the pictures. Not too many people in India use this camera though it’s a popular medium abroad,” he emphasises. However, he claims, his decision to use this camera was not just nostalgia-induced; technically it suited the subject far better than a modern camera could.

Sticking to the two cities of Kolkata and Mumbai, this particular project concentrated mainly on administrative buildings. While the lavish residences of the Tagores in Burdwan and the Mookerji household of Kolkata, are a reminder of the opulence of the British era, such portrayals of private residences are few and far between. Most of his other works concentrate on official addresses like the Standard Chartered Bank, Mackinon Mackenzie, Currency building and Dead Letter building in Kolkata and Royal Seaman’s Club and Victoria Terminus in Mumbai.

Yet, what is bound to catch the eye is the absence of human figures in his frames and it is a novel experience to see places like Chowringhee and Indian Coffee house that is usually associated with commotion and movement, stark empty. Though devoid of human figures, the photographs nevertheless give the impression of a human existence just beyond the lenses. For example, the priest’s residence in Howrah gives the impression of the person stepping out of his room for the brief moment while the photograph was being shot.

Explaining his decision to focus mainly on the building Taylor says that human figures often distract the observer from the main topic. “This project was about buildings, but if there are people in the frame then they become the focal point in the photograph. Moreover, emptiness is a theme that fascinates me. Absence of things does not necessarily mean absence of substance. It is an integral part of the Tao philosophy, and something I have been trying to understand, since my last project on China.”

Most of his works — from the present series, to his past works on China and Iceland - have all been an endeavour at understanding the past, be it the Colonial legacy or the rise of the Chinese civilization. His project in Iceland was an effort to trace back and understand his wife’s Icelandic roots. “All artistic ventures are an effort to get to the bottom of the process of discovery. Of course, it’s not always feasible as one also has to make money,” he admits with a laugh. The exhibition though is merely the prelude to his up-coming book on the same subject. “The book should be out hopefully by next year where most of these frames will be finally available on pages.”