Tuesday 20 January 2009

Narrative as Drivers - contd. from the previous post!

Continuing from the last post - my latest for the installation - the prototype for the character(s) and the bags in which the books will be carried.

Although I do apologize for the not so great images (esp. the ones of the bags - for sure will put a better picture up when they are done with the illustrations on them).

I've always enjoyed spending long afternoons with corrugate paper,maida glue (the first ever time I'm using this - my mom suggested it and I couldn't suggest anything better - I'm loving it - I'd heard about this type of home-made glue only from my neighbour who'd claim he'd fix his kites with this magical goo), fabric paints - ooooh the gold and the silver powders and their binding liquids, but surely if it wasn't for the cold mosaic floors, the slowly deteriorating hand and brain co-ordination (yes, yes I am going to blame the *digital* lifestyle a bit) and a bigger room, ohh!!! bejeezers! I'm happy I've logged in my cribs and complaints - boy am I glad I got to do all this fun stuff all day long, and guess what I'm making more of these fellas, and with different emotions - will keep you updated!

Till then, the almost, not-so-confused soul signs off with these images...


The funky jute bags!

The *Grumpy Goo Trunka*



p.s. : the lips, the rest of all the jang bang for the character still need to be worked on, let's hope that by the weekend you get to see 'em all!

Sunday 18 January 2009

Narrative in Art Spaces

With the beginning of the new year and the new courses that happen at school, I've decided to put up parts of my work from this course. Right now working on a project - Narrative as Drivers - we got to choose a space in the campus, and come up with our story(characters, plots and all that storytelling jazz), and finally set up an installation - creating (or recreating) an experience for an audience or participant.

In this post, I'm putting up some of my initial sketches for my running project, and with the help of dearest joos, who has been helping my *word* my overly-hyper thoughts - the introduction of the story!

* * * * *

It is a midsummer morning, in the forest of eternity,
The thrushes whistle, they go too-tee-twee.
The winds whisper with the leaves, matters completely hush-hush
The leaves themselves hear the news and jump down i
n a rush.

It is a sad death for the leaves, upon the ground.
They shrivel and die, to pass from reality without a sound.
None live to tell a tale. oh! What tales they could tell!
About scandals in the flora; about gossips in the jungle.

But wait! Hark! A faint rustle like the final wheeze of an old geezer. What is this? A lone green traveler, caught in the undergrowth amidst the roots! A hardy leaf, surely, for he has defeated fate. His certain death seems like a bad joke now, in his comfortable couch near the great roots.

Accustomed as they are to the dry, brown, crisp corpses of the leaves, the roots shudder mildly at the sight of the green body waving peacefully in the breeze. A hushed conference ensues among the old veterans, a dissemination of the recent catclysmic event - the Descent of the Leaf.

"Who are you?" asks the Eldest of them all with distaste. The Eldest frowns, his shriveled body wrinkling further.

"Who are you?" ask the young roots, with awe and delight. Their ends quiver with anticipation.

"Hear me, elders," begins the leaf. "Hear me, oh old ones. I come from above, from the world of juicy red fruits and green comrades. From the world of prosperity, I have come down now, to experience life in the nether regions. You may call me Leaf."

"Humbug!" cries the Eldest. "Everyone knows there is nothing beyond the green skies!"

"Tell us more!" cry the little ones, angry at the old timer.

"The green sky is my home, Grand One! And there are worlds that you know not. There is a world of mad old tree trunks too proud to talk. A world of cheery leaves that socialize with the breeze. There are worlds beyond your comprehension. Worlds beyond your reach."

"Dung and more hogwash!" shouts the Eldest. But the shouts falter with the jubiliant cries of the younglings.

"A story!" The young ones huddle around Leaf, while the Eldest watches from a distance. "Tell us about the worlds!"

"No. Not one story but nine. Not one life but nine." The young ones cheer at the annoucement while the Eldest frowns further. Bad business.

* * * * *

Initial sketches of the characters...


* * * * *

* * * * *

Below is the mood board I made to help visualise the concept better - Images from various artists and designers - majorly from India : credits roll - Raghunandan K., Kavitha Arvind (a personal fav.), Nitin Utge, Diya Shankardass, Indophile, Manish Arora, Aarohi Singh)






Thursday 8 January 2009

Moodboards for Yellide!





These are a set of moodboards I made for a travel book I designed a little less than a year back, for some reason I thought I would post it up and share with you.