Ali Agharabi: The Death Of Color
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Ali Agharabi was born in Tehran. He began his passion for photography in 1991 and started working professionally in the press in 1997. He then went on to work as a photographer for various Iranian newspapers and also as a member of the Iranian News Agency. From 2009 until the present, he has worked freelance.
There is more than just grit, a refined sense of composition, and an obvious humanity in Agharabi's photographs, there is also the startling realization that his subjects—these miners—have emerged from the depths of our xenophobia and revealed the common concerns of working people around the globe.
When they come out of the tunnels, the light stings their eyes, and the fatigue and exhaustion are noticeable on their faces and bodies while they attempt to reach the transportation heading for the resting...
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All Images © 2023 Ali Agharabi
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They can hardly bear to stand in front of the camera, but when they do, their first reaction is to smile and then gradually consent to be interviewed…
The mine is located east of Tehran in the defiles east of the city of Gorgan.
The health conditions of laborers vary depending on the kinds of activities they are engaged in, but among these workmen, the health status of miners who have been working on a traditional basis is, to say the least, troubling.
Water shortages within the mines, lack of compliance with safety regulations and standards, and poorly paid working shifts of more than 8 hours each day have created a harsh and hectic situation that is mentally and physically trying.
Long hours in the dark tunnels, as well as the threat of methane gas emissions (which have caused two casualties over the last three years), have made these men distrustful and uncertain—with a discernable melancholy and even depression lurking behind their appearances.
Nevertheless, their major complaints would not include the merely arduous conditions, but insufficient insurance provisions and low monthly income, as well as the fact that some of them travel from remote regions in Iran in order to work and are far removed from their loved ones and family.
All Images © 2023 Ali Agharabi
Ali Agharabi was born in 1975 in Tehran. He began his passion for photography in 1991 and started working professionally in the press in Iran in 1997. He went to work as a photographic reporter in various Iranian newspapers and in cooperation with the Iranian News Agency. From 2009 until the present, he has worked as a freelance photographer.