Mulling on some blurring lines from my here-and-now.
{The photographs above were captured on a Holgaroid on FujiFp 100 C instant film}
Category: fine art
-
Layers and Letters
portrait of a tribal mother-infant from the nilgiris, transferred using acetone onto a page of my grandfather’s bookA quick entry before I disappear.
I’ve been getting my hands dirty at image transfers for sometime now (sporadically, however) – as a part of prep for one of my next projects. Must say I haven’t really gotten far with these trials, but I’m loving every bit of the process and to be actually using my hands. I liked what came of one of these experiments and thought it was share-worthy :) Intend to peruse this a lot more next month when my current state of affairs is a little more relaxed. Any thoughts, ideas with regard to this are more than welcome.
I will be back soon, with a post about a favourite topic of mine – Indian Dogs.
-
Being the Self
Janaka : “Who is that Self ?”
Yajnavalkya : “The Self, pure awareness, shines as the light within the heart, surrounded by the senses…
…Only seeming to think, seeming to move, the self neither sleeps nor wakes nor dreams.
~ Brihadaranyaka Upanishad – 7 (translated by Eknath Easwaran)
~~~
It’s been a really busy last few weeks and I’ve been drawing a lot of inspiration and calm from this translation of the Upanishads.
So simply, articulately written. Highly recommend.
Needless to say, I’m thrilled the rains are visiting more often, and I’m going to be back next week with a Monsoon Colours Post.
Hope everyone is enjoying the comforting blanket of the cloudy skies and the lovely warmth of the peek-a-boo October sunshine.
-
Art, Food & New York
I've hopped over from the sweltering Indian summer to a blossoming North American Spring…And quite likely I'll see more of the transitioning of seasons on two continents this year :) Just so happens that R's (my other half) work needs him to spend equal amounts of time between homeland and California. So I'll pop in for a few weeks each season. I'm so so lucky to be able to do this and also carry my work with me as I go. I only wish my dogs could come as well. They are however in the greatest of care back home and I'm going to make the most of my time here before I go back to them end of the month.
We had to make a quick stop in New York enroute to San Francisco. In the two days there, I greedily walked my way through the streets soaking up as much of the city's energy as I could. And ate lots of course ! Ate. Walked. Saw. Two days of just these three things.
Simple, hearty New York breakfast is the best fuel for a long day of walking and absorbing.
There were a couple of fantastic exhibits at the MoMa. One by Cindy Sherman which was breathtaking, shocking and intriguing. And an awe inspiring exhibit of murals depicting New York in the 1930's by an artist I admire – Diego Rivera. There were also several of his incredibly detailed smaller drawings and life size paintings which depict the politically charged times and turmoil of the early 20th century through his eyes.
I'm always amazed at how artists can draw from within, their perspectives on life and society – often larger than life itself, but true in every sense nonetheless because of the reflections that they encourage, the questions they raise, the answers they offer and the emotional whirlpools they cause in all of us. It's all what really shapes the collective creativity and intelligence. Don't you think ?
The food at MoMa's cafe was delish. See picture above ! Simple, fresh food, handmade to quench a wanderer's thirst.
Installations set in the outdoor area made for such interesting juxtapositions against the wintry branches, spring sunshine and the hustle-bustle. Outdoor exhibits – challenging but something to think about and not just for sculpture.
I went to the Met the following day. Though this place scares me -the sheer scale of it – I decided to go and take in one more big chunk of it. Particularly to see the Steins' collection of the Matisse works. Needless to say it was breathtaking.
To stand there in such close proximity to the works of great artists I so admire and see the strokes of their own hands that made these masterpieces is overwhelming. I love art museums for that reason, to let the work in front of me be a reminder of just how deep and vast this ocean of inspiration is and how small we really are.
-
The Road Not Taken
A friend gifted me something really, really special the other day. It was this little metal box that seemed to have travelled distances and well. I loved it even before I could see what was inside. Felt like it held many stories, adventures and lifetimes. I opened to find a beautiful antique compass. The etching on the inside of the lid is a poem that is well known to us all and a true guiding light. I suspect there are few and far between who might have not dwelled on it. And what a truly thoughtful home to place it in. This exquisite compass to lead the path ahead.Thought it would be nice to revisit the gem with you all and make an emulsion transfer of the image with the Fuji peel apart film I am currently addicted to. Read on !
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.Robert Frost
As you see, my blog has a new look – I have designed and put it all together with lots of love. It also has a name ! daydreams and footsteps. I felt it nicely summed up the things I like to share and talk about. My website will be moving as well. It has a new face, cleaner divisions, tighter edits and better interface making it more manageable for me as well. All these changes and facelifts will come together soon. And an online store is also in the making as is a bi-monthly content rich newsletter with lots of content around creativity, fine art photography resources, techniques, artist interviews and much more, all carefully put together/written by me. Hope the blog is pleasing on your eyes for now :) I'm still fixing odds and ends as we speak. Do chime in if you have any thoughts/ideas/feedback.
-
This Dream is Real
Galibore, on the banks of Cauvery and in Coonoor, August 2011I am in love with the Lensbaby ! Talking gear is definitely not among my favorite pastimes, but it does feel amazing not to be walking around with an immaculately engineered heavy duty lens but opt for a completely new way to see my world. And feel it, swimming through abstractions and infinity. I've been playing so much with this baby and doubt if I'll ever tire of how it lets me interact with the world. There's nothing like simplicity. Don't you agree ?
-
These Days of Mine
making the most of my days . . .
. . . even as time eludes me
leaving me behind . . .
. . . more often than notSome experiments with my Diana and a Fuji Instax back. Baby steps as you can see. It's absolutely refreshing to be getting back to photography where less is more, process is pleasure and the results are mostly surprises life throws back at you. There are some more experiments to be shared though. Soon enough. -
Finding the Flow
The Nilgiris, November 2010While I'm on a constant search to fill up on inspiration, I see a positive shift in how I feel about photographing and making images in general. Less inhibited. Less afraid of perceptions and criticism. The need to conform to set moulds is also on a receding path. It has something to do withgrowing up for sure but beyond that, I think it has also to do with making peace (gradually, of course) with both the devils and angels of one's creative life. Not the most fun thing to do particularly for the sorts like me, but I'm learning to like all states right from melancholy to joy. Just let them all be. Come and go. Let the negativity and fear hit-and-whizz past without too many questions or confrontations, so there's less chance of setting off new chains of unwelcome reactions. Become also a spectator and not just the experiencer is basically what I'm trying to say. It is liberating and lets ideas stem from one another and from places you'd never expect – simply because we are letting our playground become more expansive and less aggressive, besides bringing an element of objectivity into the volatile lives of those of us who thrive on creativity. I'm trying. So far so good. I'm in the process of developing some new work and the newly alert spectator cap puts me in a better state of flow while I think and work. I like this state of flow and the uninhibitedness that comes with it. Who knows how long it will last , so I'm going to make the most of it for now and report back if this little theory of mine backfires.Hope all you people are living your most creative lives! I will be back next week with a little post on my favourite season, the monsoon, which is in full bloom right now this side of the world. Meanwhile, I thought this quote by JK reflects the spirit of Flow so beautifully.
-
Life in the Stillness
"My quest, through the magic of light and shadow, is to isolate, to simplify and to give emphasis to form with the greatest clarity. To indicate the idealproportion, to reveal sculptural mass and the dominating spirit is my goal."
Working with still life is really a kind of meditation. Playing in the landscape of light, shadow and the simple forms does something to calm the nerves. Perhaps it is the silent life in the stillness of these things. -
Hopes and Wishes
boats, from the series a Chair's reverie. this collection was a part of a recent exhibit that I was participating in.
Every new beginning is like a beautiful dawn, however hard the task ahead might be. Like the fresh morning air, hope fills the spirit and a sense of positivity pervades. Like the sky takes on and spreads the pristine colors of daybreak, a lucid mind prepares to absorb and extend the myriad fresh possibilities that are waiting to happen. As always, this year has started out on a positive, happy note for me. There's so much to look forward to. So much to give. And take in.
This new beginning, I hope, will bring us all the strength to see our prayers and wishes answered . . . A very, very happy new year to you all !
-
The Chair : An Exhibit with Apparao Galleries
I am so thrilled to be participating in this show, and am exhibiting a short series of surrealistic landscapes titled a chair’s reverie
I have enjoyed creating the images and experimenting through this series. I will post more on this work along with an image in the days to come. But if you happen to be this side of the world, please do drop in for the opening reception. I would be delighted to show you around.The exhibit is on until the 30th Dec in Bangalore in case you want to catch it over the next couple weeks. Hope to see you there !
-
Quiet Wisdom
” Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated.”
Muttom (a Tsunami hit village near Kanyakumari), December 2009Old things and all those that have lived to tell the tale, stand tall and beautiful in my eyes. I have a fascination for them and a reverence that cannot be expressed in words. I was going through my archives and found some such treasures that I had photographed months ago . . On a gorgeous winter’s day last year, when walking about the Tsunami hit shores of a fishing village on the southern most tip of the subcontinent, that I met these wonderful old souls — wrecked fishing boats that have had to endure much in silence over the years. They stood still but I could feel them breathe. And rooted deeply to their land and ocean, the winter skies bathing them in a surreal light, adding to their otherworldliness. Quiet, wise spectators of life as it carries on; past all the things and hardships they have endured.