Studio-crit: Reflections of the work done so far

I thought of sharing how the studio crits have benefited me in improving the quality of work.

I will give a brief of what the crits are meant for and its basic structure. The idea is that as ADP (Advanced Diploma Program) students we should get critical feedback/ discussion over the quality of work. So during a crit, we present one or two works to a panel of minimum two faculties.

As of now I have had two crits. I will add a brief summation of the inputs received on both the crits.

Inputs received:

Crit 1(Mine the City_ Assignment 1_Basavanagudi_The Rambler’s Voice):

•             The assignment did not reach the depth in terms of placing the work with respect to the community.

•             I need to analyse what public art is.

•             It is important to refer to the local materials, and where and how they are used.

•             I need to look at the ‘text’ from a broader view and not just typefaces on the shops. Text that is prevalent on the surface of monuments, the kinds of text that people are acquainted to regularly through loudspeakers, vocabulary etc. also needs to be investigated.

My reflections: Being the first crit, I was nervous. I had made a presentation but it did not show the process properly. Also the timing was not too good. The crit was held on 12^th September and the first assignment was already over. I did not see any scope in improving it. But the lessons learnt during the process and afterwards through the crit were invaluable.

I had initially written my doubts regarding the materiality. Please refer to the previous post from 3^rd September. The crit helped me understand the point better. Materials are not random especially when one deals with public/site specific art. I am not sure of the religious powder that was suggested during the crit but I feel something like flowers that surround the area (there is a flower market and it’s also used in the daily rituals) could have suited. Also I could have tried this on a smaller scale and experimented to check if things are working or not. I do not see this as a failure though. This was something new I did. I am not sure when I will repeat a process similar to this again. But I learnt few important lessons which can be applied universally.

·         When dealing with a community/ specific person, it is important to see them as valuable source. By understanding and engaging with them one could get valuable intangible insights that one might otherwise not find in a library.  

            Research/ process happen in layers. References like internet, library plays an important role. But after that it is important to get to the ground where all the action is happening.

·         Another important learning lesson was the discussion on what constitutes the public/ audience for the work. This is one area that I never thought of deeply. I normally took it for granted that people should ‘enjoy’ the work. But I did not ask ‘how’. I now think that by knowing one’s audience the work can be closer to the context.

To the plus side, I also mentioned about the independent project, and it generated enough discussion and gave me good insight on how I can take the idea of vegetation further.

Crit 2 (Mine the City _Assignment 2_Commute in the city):

•             I need to work on the narrative.

•             There is a need to be honest to the representation and not manipulate the image based on personal generalizations.

•             Improve the observation skill and bring the minute details/intangible experiences into the work.

•             Need to open up to more experimentation to give myself freedom of expression.

•             Bring out the textures that are there on the surface.

•             I need to work in the context, engage more with the space as it can be much more enriching. (Reflection: Not too sure about engagement in this particular assignment because the journey was a very personal experience, but I will definitely give this suggestion a thought)

My reflections: After the first, I was patiently waiting for the crit. I had called specific faculty who I felt could be more perceptive to the works.

The above assignment had consumed too much time and I was not really enjoying. I could see that it was faltering at several points yet I was not sure where to work on nor did I have the time. So I showed to the faculty how I came to the final images. I started with the storyboard> mind map> illustrations> drafts and then the> final unfinished slides. We had an hour long discussion. I expressed my concern with the anatomical problem. I learnt that more than the anatomy it is the sensitivity to the space that makes all the difference. By making an extremely sterile and composed environment I had removed it from the reality. The discussion went on to photography (how a photograph differs from the illustrations). This was led by my point that by restricting photography I felt restrained. But no matter how flexible photography is, it cannot capture the smell in a crowded space and textures associated with a specific crowd. This is where illustrations come into play.

Initially I was so conscious of the dateline and the final presentation that the work almost lost its essence. Also the process had got restricted and was mainly depended on the quality of the execution.

As we wrapped up the crit, I was ready to see things with a fresh perspective.

The process: reflecting the journey_Mine the city 2

I had multiple questions when I started this assignment- from the metaphorical meaning of a journey to what I 'see' to more mundane questions like how to represent these, the kind of forms that might best reflect the experience etc.

I have gone through multiple stages to reflect on the journey. Herein I will give an account of the process, the pitfalls and the learning.

FYI: The process is far from over though, so this is just the first phase. I am currently in the second phase. Will expand on that in a later post. Enjoy!

The day I took the journey, it was an overwhelming experience. There was so much that I saw and felt that it was important to filter it before it could be given a permanent structure. 

So the first thing I did was to write. I feel that writing helps me filter the process. Note: Please read the previous two blogs to learn about the journey.

Then a step-by-step story board for the same was drawn.

It was part of the documentation.The process seemed extremely mechanical initially. But on reflection I think it helped me realize what to filter out, secondly helped me notice certain patterns which were my perceptions. I kept emphasizing time as an element. I think it was not time per se but its relation with the space. The use of space is what I will be taking forward from this step.

I made a mind-chart next. The idea was to plot the corresponding spaces and emotions with the images and time. Herein I divided the entire journey into few parts. This helped me concentrate on the parts I needed to work on and what I need not.

I then decided to give shape to the form. I made a small book of illustrations. What I had in mind were the illustrations which I saw once in a library. It had simple black and white illustration of an office scene. I like the handling of the forms, they were confident and narrated a story. It used minimal text and were based on the minute expressions of the characters.

What I did didn't work though. It was not me. It took me time to do this, yet the illustrations looked like a sketchy version of the original  I now realize that I was thinking too hard on what to do than how to do. I ignored the process and directly jumped to the conclusion. What finally emerged was a poor fake of the original image I had in mind. Also these images were not too different from the documentation. As a reader I could not feel the journey the way I wanted to portray.

So I sat with a fresh mind and thought about the 'experiences' and tried to stick to what I felt. And voila it worked!

Though this is the first draft, I feel better with the particular output. My next task is to experiment more in terms of mediums, texture and finally the form.

This entire exercise highlighted few important points. First being my dependency on certain mediums.  Secondly, I find any kind illustration extremely hard. I feel I lack patience to work on a long narration.

I used the recent studio crit to discuss all these. And I must say, it was extremely beneficial. I will share a separate post on the crit though.

Don't forget to drop in your comments.

Reflecting on the journey_Mine the City

As I approach the end to my second immersion as part of Mine of the City project, I thought it would be a good time to retrospect my activity. The project started as a consequence to the first immersion, which dealt with exploring a specific area through text. 

As a rule we were barred to use all the conventional mediums that we had used in the previous assignment like photography and videography. The idea was to challenge our engagement. It was a struggle to think how to approach the assignment without the conventional forms and made me realize how restricted I had become.

This assignment is called Commute in the city.

My initial destination was from Yelahanka to Benarghatta National Park. So I made the first journey after doing research on what to expect, which bus to take and when would be a better time to visit. I had very specific outlines of what output I wanted even before the trip started. But it did not work out. Lesson learnt. I told myself never do any work with pre-conceived ideas especially when the subject/project I am not attuned to. With the hope of looking for things that I had in mind, I missed out on seeing things that were already present.

This led me to take another trip. And this time the journey was quite adventurous, in the literal sense. I will put the highlights briefly. The journey started at 11 a.m. and ended at 10:30 p.m. The mode of transportation was BMTC. Also I had a daily pass, so that saved me spending extra bucks when I diverted from my route. The first trip between Yelahanka to Majestic was long. The only incident that stuck out was this ‘weird’ (I don’t know what else to term him as) guy who tried touching me. From Majestic, a bus called 365 goes to Benarghatta National Park directly. The frequency is moderate. But I stood at the bus-stand for more than hour and finally gave up. I decided to look for other routes. I took a bus till Mekhri Circle. On asking for directions, due to language issue, I took the bus from the wrong-side. Instead of reaching M.G. Road as planned I was on my way to Yeshwantpur. (Please read the previous post to learn about the journey details.)

I take my concept from this point of the journey as where and how space changes and the experiences associated with it.

It was a struggle to begin with. I never realized that documenting a personal experience could be such a mammoth task. (Read the next post to see the process.)

The final output is in the form illustrations. The process is still on to find a relevant form that will reflect on the content.

How I came to final content will be elaborated in the upcoming posts. What I can say is that at times the easiest could be the most deceiving. Illustrating, as I later find out has not been a cup of tea. I have struggled at every level of this assignment. But I also learnt a lot.

Anyways this apart, I am on my way to work on another project. It would involve extending the research done in the first assignment and creating a new project. Things are still at an early stage. Lot of homework has to done before anything could start. Today in fact I had my first discussion with my project tutor. Few essentials need to be worked out like writing the scope of the project, synopsis, timeline and finding another mentor possibly from my department. This though is just the beginning is also teaching me the importance of planning and approaching a large-scale project. I am sure there will be more to this, so keep checking as I post the experiences from my time at Srishti.

Trip to Nelamangala: Mine the City_Assignment 2

Journeys cannot be written. This post is a documentation of a journey I took from Mekhri Circle to Nelamangala. The journey was later used as part of the next assignment in which I explored the change in space in terms of the crowd and the area which was transversed.

As a rule, we were not suppose to document it through cameras, So this blog is devoid of any picture.

“The only thing I consciously avoided was asking the either conductor/driver in the first half of the journey for specifications.

As I sit to write this after returning home from a rather happening journey, I have come to realize the truth in the saying that journeys are always our own. It is our perspective that gives the journey its final conclusion.

It all started when I took the bus from the wrong direction. Instead of getting down after realizing my mistake, I decided to use it as an opportunity to document the commute for my current assignment. It is called commute in the city. I asked my co-passenger which is the last stop, to which she said ‘Yashwantpur’. Language was a barrier. So I asked twice.  I had heard that the depot is very well connected to other areas in Bangalore. So I did not bother to get down and remained on the bus. As the bus left the depot, I did not know that it didn’t take a U-turn, but went straight on the Tumkur highway. It is the NH-4 and connects Bangalore to Bombay. Everywhere on the way I could see signage showing that our path leads to Bombay. I found it weird, but was ought to I realize that I had left Bangalore long back.

My perspective was like an olden day missionary. I was noting and seeing every little thing.

All over the highway there was construction happening. It was almost a competition on who could be taller. The buildings, the metro, and the flyovers everything seemed to be running for the race. It reminded me of Gurgaon, a place on the border of Delhi which has familiar characteristics. I marveled at the engineering capacity. I looked into the minute details of how a gap between two plates (a bridge is currently constructed using pre-fabricated blocks) of a bridge is filled. I questioned what height is a good view point for someone to see the horizon. Everyday each new building is only targeting to achieve a taller parameter. ‘What and how can we define as the new horizon?’- were the thoughts at the back of my mind.

As the bus travelled further, I suddenly realized that the metro pillars were gone.  I found it strange, yet oblivion to the fact that I am in the wrong direction. With the sun setting, wide roads, a window seat, I was engrossed in the journey. It was refreshing to look outside at the never-ending road.

Finally I reached a place called Nelamangala. The signage at the entrance said welcome to the Town of Nelamangala. Looking outside, suddenly it seemed as if I had reached my grandfather’s town. Small, chaotic, less private vehicle, hap-hazard planning, crowded roads, and small vendors were few of the similarities between Burdwan and this place. What shocked me was when the bus docked inside the depot and the conductor announced that the bus is not returning.

Now the twist to the story is that I was without any drinking water, without a map and my phone had died down. As a back-up, I had an old phone which can only be used for messaging.

I inquired at the depot office and spoke to few locals to see if any other bus would go to ‘Bangalore’.

Everyone pointed out that only G-8 goes. It is the same bus I came in. I was a little tensed now. It was already 7 in the evening, and to reach home I had to get into a bus for my final destination maximum by 9.(As I later realized, Nelamangala is one of the farthest locality under the Bangalore municipality and the last bus from Majestic to my place leaves at 11:30 and not 9. But like any newcomers to a city, I had my panic attacks)

Thankfully another bus came called 258c. It was going to Majestic. It was 7 p.m. As I sat on the bus I heaved a sigh of relief. But the route was filled with traffic. Being a highway, buses and lorries had filled up the entire stretch. Also the metro construction had made the flow of vehicles tough. While I was sitting, I calculated my chances of getting home. As a back-up option, I had decided to spend the night at Central if nothing better happens.

Near Central the bus got stuck due to traffic so I got down and covered the 1 km stretch on foot.

On reaching Majestic, I grabbed an orange juice and looked for a bus going in the direction of my home. I got into a bus which was unfortunately heading for the depot. I got down and ran back to the platform and found another bus, I jumped in, literally. It’s a nice to know that I was finally on my way home. With a journey spanning 5.5 hours, with sprinkle of excitement, agony, nostalgia, I could not have found a better excuse to reflect on myself.

The journey made me realize that I am all alone, both physically and emotionally. All this while I was in Bangalore, I was struggling to acquaint myself with the place. Deep inside I knew that this journey came as a lesson, also hinting at the time to come. Every road remains for us to travel. It is our initiative and attitude that finally brings in the different perspectives. I was no more bothered that I was in an unknown territory. I was learning to move, walk, fall and run.”

Though there was excitement in the onwards journey, it was tension that held my breath in the return journey.

It was good to be home but it was better to know that I have learnt something even deeper as a person. As for the assignment, I think I have enough fodder now. What remains to be seen is how I will get all these experiences and reflections together.

Right now the idea coming are- a painting where the painting resembles an image from Salvador’s Clock, the other could be making an accordion book which would flip out into a map. I think instead of thinking as much it’s better to start writing the experience into a paper. Let’s see what the final outcome will be.

Self-evaluation: Semester 1

This post is a reflection of my first ADP project. 

Project Title: Mine The City

My initial interest was to explore the concept of space. I felt that by choosing this project it will help me get clarity on what I mean by space and how can I take it further.

As it was open to engagements both in terms of media and interpretation, I felt that it would also help me in experimenting with newer mediums and develop my skill as a new media artist.

Subject matter

As of now I have done two assignments.

1.     The first was about working in a locality and with the use of text bringing forth its essence or our interpretation of the landscape. The title of my final output is called ‘The Rambler’s Voice’. 

The brief given to us was that the work be based on text and not visuals. I chose an area called Basavanagudi. It is an old area which has in the last few decades’ undergone tremendous change. My initial research was involved photographing various types of text/type found in the area along with recording sounds and visuals. As the area had been renovated multiple times, it was hard to trace old typefaces. Also I had difficulty in relating to it for some time.

My second phase of the research was based on understanding the history of the area, and learnt about its historical, cultural and social aspects. For that I used online blogs, websites, read books on scholars who had lived there in the past, research paper on the area, and took interviews especially with residents who have lived there for more than a decade.

 

To execute, I chose a prose from a book called Nivedana, authored by DVG. I inscribed it on the road where DVG used to live and recorded the change of place and time over a period of three days.  

My motive was to inscribe a text on the road that I could relate to its changing landscape. Secondly it was a reminder to the residents of what the place means/meant in terms of culture and history w.r.t. Bangalore. The area is not just someone’s home/ shop/ commerce. The initial planning of Basavanagudi was formulated based based on colonial perceptions on how the society should be shaped. It is now embedded in layers, which is very difficult to sift through. I think, personally, after living in a sub-city for a long time, I have got much more aware that a home is not just a structure with brick walls. So it was personally a way to begin my exploration into what a landscape is in the context of a city.

The text was a prose which I wrote on the road. I had few issues in implementing the text as planned. The initial idea was to write in Kannada. But I could not find one. Secondly I wanted to use local materials to write the text with. But last minute glitch appeared. Hence the feedback was mixed, but I got more insight into the place and culture because of it. So I am happy with the outcome. Also I learnt on how to do public art. The final recording is edited into a 3-minute film which gives a glimpse into the project.

2.     The next assignment was on documenting a commute which I undertook as part of the project. The idea was to put in the experience without using any of the conventional mediums like photography, videography, audio recording. In short all the mediums that we represented earlier could not be used. The basic idea was to express the change in the space and how it affected my thoughts.

OBJECTIVES

The main objective was to engage with the space at different level.

AUDIENCE 

For the first assignment, my audience were the elderly people of the area. The feedback I got was good. There were some concerns on the text, especially the fact that it was in English and not Kannada. But overall they could relate to what I intended to say. They expressed that it was a good initiative given that most of the recent dwellers don't see the place as a cultural hub and community.

The second assignment was a personal journey which I tried to express through drawings. I think the audience could be anybody. Though it is yet to presented so I can't comment on the feedback yet.

CONTEXT 

As mentioned previously, the context of the work was to bring in the community of the locality. Since it was to be written on a busy commercial road, I wrote it early morning and on a holiday, so that maximum number of residents could view it.

MEDIUM/PRESENTATION 

The first assignment had hand written text, which was furthur recorded into a 3 minute film. This helped me acquire video editing skills.

Secondly as part of workshops, I learnt how to use photography as a context based and reflective medium.

RESEARCH METHODS 

The initial research was through photography, interviews, audio recordings.

The second part involved online research to get acquainted. It was then overlapped with related books, research papers and other artistic initiatives of similar nature.

REFERENCES 

Few of the references were very useful. Others were not that productive. But nevertheless, it was interesting to learn about  them.

POSITION & RELATIONSHIP 

It is difficult to answer this at the moment as I see this project as a work-in-progress. That said I have intended to take this project furthur.