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Dec 22, 2008

people spotting


Trains and Travels

On the train to Nice
We met an Italian
who was reading
the Gita.

Shri Shri Massimo
I named him.


The Cote d'Azur
bluest blue I have ever seen


Bed and Breakfast Gilda
Torino


Castello del Valentino
Icograda Design Week
Torino



Pisa.
The leaning tower was ugly
I loved the buldings and the windows though.



Florence


A Spritz at Venice...


...didn't really stop
my feet from freezing.


The Kiss
at Vienna
we couldn't take pictures
:-/


Fairytale castles
Bratislava

Waiting











Dec 17, 2008

Being Jew






Black birds sit

on this metal tree.

This is a tree

Each cold leaf

is a person

whose family

wishes

to remember them.

The leaves don't

rustle in the wind

They clang loudly

as stiff as the

dead that they

represent.

Jewish memorial, Budapest

Dec 12, 2008

Bride Wanted: the film

This is a film made by Sarah Dacosta (batchmate, first roommate, and my louwe) as part of her documentary project at NID. She's used my Bride Wanted illustrations in the film.


BRIDE WANTED from Sarah Dacosta on Vimeo.

Go here to give her feedback :)

Cooking




If Yan can.
I can.

Oct 25, 2008

Parla Inglese?

She points at my Tamil
handwriting and asks
"Is this what you
speak in India?"
I try to explain.

We speak in different
languages in
different parts of the
country.

Her eyes grow wide.
She blinks twice.
Her English fumbles.
She blurts out in
Arabic and then
stops.
"You mean different
accents. yes
Different languages?!
But
Ow it is possibbol
Ow?" Fateh wonders.

Wow says the girl
from Chicago
Y'mean they're compleetly
diffrent?
Like, y'cant understand
what he says?

At this point, I'm tired
My English fumbles.

How do you explain to
someone that A language
does not unite your
country?

Oct 23, 2008

Sep 16, 2008

BRIDE WANTED

Soumya,Varshini,Shreyas seek to discover notions of Beauty as seen through the Indian Matrimonial ads.

The authors of this assignment are currently in 4th year, GDPD at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. This write-up was written for their 6th Semester Science & Liberal Arts course on Aesthetics, taught by Shilpa Das, Akhila Krishnan and Avinash Rajagopal


MATRIMONIALS in India are a common feature in every newspaper, having their origins in the early 20th century. Over time, print and online matrimonials have replaced the traditional brokers who used to mediate marriage alliances between families. A look into today’s matrimonial ads would reveal what the common perception of ‘The Ideal Woman’ is, in
the Indian context. After scanning numerous matrimonial sections we took up six of the most recurrent words and phrases – ‘Fair’, ‘Tall and slim’, ‘Homely’, ‘Convent educated’, ‘Must come from high status family (material wealth)’, ‘Must manage work and home’. We chose to portray these words/ phrases through visuals on postcards. The postcards are intended as take-away/ collectible items with puns derived from Indian media culture, consumerism and mythology.

THE BRIEF A set of six postcards depicting words taken from matrimonials, which we believe could be indicators of ‘Ideal beauty’ in women from an Indian perspective.


To convey a message(an image, an event, speech etc), one needs to choose an adequate means of conveying it. How we convey a message is directly related to how the viewer/receiver/audience reacts(the emotion it evokes-any of the Navarasas) and then responds to it.

The Indian perception of Ideal beauty in women The words ‘tall’, ‘fair’, ‘slim’, ‘educated’… the socalled pre-requisites of a perfect Indian woman have come about due to various factors. Colonial rule has brought about an unwritten rule amongst the masses that fair complexion is better than a dark one. The media and advertisements with their unbelievably slim models, play on the viewers psyche. From Barbie dolls to movie heroines, everything is tailored to fit the image already built up. This forms the groundbase for a young male seeking a prospective bride. We have played upon all these clichés to evoke ‘Hasya rasa’ and also elicit a reaction to this notion of beauty prevalent amongst us, through the rasa.

Why Hasya Rasa? All emotions eventually become impressions(Samskara), which exist subconsciously in the mind, and which are later reproduced as memory(Smriti). Krodha(anger), Soka(sorrow), Jugupsa(disgust) are negative emotions. They consume energy and weaken one. The feelings of the emotion itself often override the intended message. As opposed to this, Hasa(laughter) is a positive emotion, it is desirable. One is willing to recall these memories over time. And with every recall, the message is conveyed subconsciously and consciously.

FAIR


India, fairness creams are almost a phenomenon. The advertisements
for these products show dark women becoming successful(in terms of career/marriage) once they become fair skinned. Fairness is associated with confidence and equated with success. Which family would not want to have a fair daughter-in-law?
This visual borrows from the Indian education charts. It is a play on the claim made by most fairness creams- ‘Beauty. In six weeks”.


MUST MANAGE WORK & HOME



A good wife is expected to attend to all the members of the household. In today’s
context , where most women call themselves “working women”, this still holds true.
Despite the fact that she puts in office hours during the day, she is expected to be the
perfect homemaker + mother + wife before she goes for work and after.
The visual is a play on the concept of the Mother Goddess in Hinduism. Armed
with many hands, She can handle more than any man can. All the while with a
smile on her face. The images are again borrowed from Indian education charts.

(I haven't uploaded the other 4 illustrations here, as we did 2 each. Meanwhile, I jump-cut to conclusion)

The Rasa theory was a theory originally intended for classical and high art. Applying it to a designed product which is governed by many more parameters than aesthetics alone, it certainly plays a significant role but might not be the sole guiding principle on which the product functions.
For a work of art or theatre– even extending to the rasa model into literature, poetry for instance– the emotional qualities are suggested primarily through characters and their actions within a framework of a narrative and a host of other devices such as figures of speech, rhythm
and rhyme etc. thus objectifying the emotion to make it universal and accessible to everyone in the audience. Translating this to a design object/ product/ piece of communication, it then becomes an autonomous activity, for the manifestation of the emotion lasts as long as the tasting of the vibhaav or the cause/ determinant of the emotion does. The anubhaav or the indicators to register the emotion portrayed will consequently be underplayed and distilled to figures of speech or literary devices that work within the framework of the print medium, being less interactive than theatre or dance.

The assumption in our case, was that the audience was well acquainted with the matrimonials section appearing in newspapers and online portals (though a satire/ pun on it distorts the original purpose for which they were used) and familiar with the Indian Mythological scenario.
We launch on a familiar narrative-The underlying subversive icon of the Heroine’s Journey, illustrated in a series of visuals to create that sense of irony in a compact, condensed message.

FIN

Today was my last official day as a member of the Filmclub managing committee. As the only 'non-moving image' student who stood for the three vacant posts, I hardly expected to be elected. Why did I stand even?

This is what I'd sent as my nomination.
Hi,
I'd like to nominate myself for film club. After a
year of laserec, I've
realised, I enjoy screening films,
promoting it, getting people to watch.

Although laserec is more about commercial films,
I'd love to screen films
the 'filmclub"way.

The culture in NID is changing. People choose work
over a screening, or a
submission over making a
poster. I want to try and get people more
involved in
this.. and maybe it will have an effect on life at NID in

general.

Please do accept my nomination.

Thank You.

Shreyas.R.Krishnan
Graphic Design, semester 5 , GDPD
Seems so long ago.Anything I do, I seem to do, to make a change. I hope I have changed somethings at Filmclub, for the good. It will be weird sitting on the other side of the fence...almost like watching a flashback in Tamil serials (minus the byootiful "yeffects" with a change of characters ofcourse)

As always, all good things must come to an end. Lets see what else comes around for me to throw myself into :)

FIN

Aug 13, 2008

Arshia

We had a course on Narratives with Arshia Sattar a few weeks ago. Loved it. Made up for a couple of messed up SLAs.



I still have to post this to her.

Aug 12, 2008

Aug 6, 2008

Tag-ged

Ok, after many years of somehow having avoided getting tagged, I've finally been caught. By Kavita. Ok so,it’s a game of blog tag. Where bloggers tag fellow bloggers with an assignment, and the blogger then has to tag someone else.

The house rules:
* Each person tagged has to write random facts/habits about themselves.
* Those that are tagged will have to write a post on their own blog (about their twelve things)
* At the end of your blog, you need to choose two other people to get tagged and list their names.
* Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

My 12 thingies

1. I HATE BUTTERFLIES. And moths. They creep me out.Especially the big black and multicoloured ones that people find "so pwetty!".
2. I like eating raw oats. straight from the dabba.
3. I pull at my hair when I'm thinking. Also to prove to Apu that my nose won't grow longer in the process.
4. When I was in 2nd standard, I wanted to be a Chief Chef.
5. To set the record straight, my cooking skills are restricted to food that comes in packets and needs to be dunked in hot water.
6. For some reason, I used to think ladybirds were mutated ants.
7. I drink chocolate horlicks everyday.
8. I pick up matchboxes off roads.
9. I'm topographically challenged.
10. I like sniffing at coffee powder. I don't like drinking coffee though.
11. I miss reading in the loo.
12. I used to read STATUTORY WARNING as STATIONARY WARNING. Till I was 16 years old.

:D :D :D

THERE. Im done.
NOW...
I tag vaishu and priyankar.

Aug 4, 2008

Junuka

Spring cleaning. found junuka.

ju-nu-ka
three steps
with anklets
a pot
dunked in water

ju
nu
ka


(i love her name. Its beeyootifoool)

Apr 25, 2008

back home


Im back home. Im getting bored. Im starting to wonder if I really am a workaholic.

I ought to be doing some illustrations for a certain project, so I thought I'd sketch a little to get back into drawing mode. Pulled out my bamboo!

This one is still incomplete, owing to the wierd position I was sitting in while drawing this, and because I had to go out on an errand. Did I mention, the perspective's all warped?

Mar 28, 2008

bam-boo!!!!!!!!



i bought a bamboo!!!

my first attempt at bambooing--merryn sleeping.

and yes, I mean what i said about her mallu.

Mar 27, 2008

Oharu


For today's screening, "The life of Oharu", by Kenzi Mizoguchi.

I'm tripping on japanese.
tow-tah-lee.

photo ink, fabric paint, black rotring, quink.
The collar and waistband of the kimono is supposed to be gold. The background is a mix of copper and metallic red and black ink.

Mar 26, 2008

Ai no corrida

An illustration for the film 'In the Realm of the Senses' (Ai No Corrida) by Nagisa Oshima. This was part of Filmclub's New Wave screenings this month.

marker, poster paint, akhila's white rotring, red ball pen

Mar 19, 2008


Puppet show at Ganesh Chaturti, NID, 2007



Nothing seems to happen on campus these days... :P

Mar 12, 2008

Gabbeh


A quick poster for GABBEH, a film by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, for tuesday's Filmclub screening. Feels almost Klimt-like if you view it from a distance.
size:A4

Feb 12, 2008

Past perfect


As I type this Urmi, Vaidehi and Amruta are emptying out their lockers. Vinu left in the afternoon for his dip. There was a big crowd of people to bye-bye him. Sagarika and Madhura left a couple of weeks ago.

One year from now (if I'm 'on time'), I'll have to empty out my locker- my legitimate one and the 'illegitimate' many. When I joined NID, 4th year seemed like the distant future. Now that distant future is becoming the present, a lot faster than I'd hoped. It's scary.

The phase where I'd miss all those people who have left won't last too long. Facebook/orkut/gtalk/skype take care of that. No, the reason why I'm presently experiencing 'wierdness' is because I'm faced with reality. Whoever said reality bites was making an understatement.

Akhila's mum said "NIDians have trouble cutting off the umbilical cord". Its true. I can't see myself outside NID. Its not a good thing, but that's how it is. I never missed school or even home as much as I miss this place when I'm not here. I guess that is why there are always ex-nidians who come back here to teach.

What makes us stay/come back?

Feb 2, 2008

The Great Panipuri Expedition


This is something I wrote for a DCC assignment in 2006. DCC or design concepts and concerns is a course that one goes through in foundation(frst year) at NID. This excercise involved us going out and studying roadside "businesses" and preparing a business model for them. Each group covered different things- bhajiwalas, omlette-walas, gola-walas, panipuri-walas and more.

read on.

****
THE GREAT PANIPURI EXPEDITION

It was a hot day and people were dozing off in class.To be honest the only thing that kept me sort of awake was the fear that I would be photographed when i was floating away in dreamland. I was pulled out of my blissful state on hearing the word 'ASSIGNMENT'. I had alarm bells ringing in my head.."huh?what assignment?but I'm too sleepy!"..And then Ranjan said the other magic word-"outside". Woohoo...we had to go out for the assignment AND we had the weekend for it. Translation- Sleep now work later. I made my way to my group to find out what exactly the assignment was. We had to make a business model for the panipuri business. Panipuri shops open only in the evenings.Life couldn't get any better. It was too easy.

I mean, how difficult is it to make a panipuri anyways? Make a hole in the puri, stuff some aaloo inside, fill it up with khatta or meeta pani and shove it into your mouth.As simple as that.

Yeah right.

I found out how wrong I was. It was the next morning at the studio. We were all furiously working to make our sfs submissions. Rashmi and Dimple were quite dismayed to see us all still in the insti.

Rashmi came upto our group and said-"oh, you got panipuriwalas. But why are u still here?Go out and see the panipuriwalas at work!"
"But they don't open till 5pm"
Rashmi-"You guys should have gone out at 5am and seen them preparing for the evening"

Now, I'm quite slow in the head towards the end of the week, especially if I'm trying to finish last minute stuff for submission. And what Rashmi said just completely confused an-already-spaced-out me. Why on earth would they start preparing twelve hours earlier? Its a panipuri for God's sake!
But nevertheless we went. We left at 3pm to look for panipuriwalas. We managed to find one in his house. And THEN i found out why they need twelve hours..

I always thought those guys BUY the puris and sell them off at their laaris.But NO..they MAKE them. Two thousand five hundred a day on average. They actually make the damn things!! The panipuriwalas are up from 4am preparing for the evening. Would anyone ever dream that these guys start working before sunrise and keep going till after sunset?

There are a lot of things to do before actually taking the cart out onto the roads and selling panipuri. Puris have to be made, potato and channa have to be boiled, chutney has to be ground and the pani has to be mixed.

The puri making takes up most of the day. Around five kilos of atta is used. The dough is made and really small balls are made at an amazing speed. Oil is spread on them. They are then flattened into tiny chappathis. This is done either with a roller or by machine. When all the puris are done, they are fried. While the puri preparation is going on, the potatoes are boiled. The puris are fried around 1.30pm. The laaris are loaded and the men leave at 4pm to their respective locations and set up shop. They normally stay there till 10pm or so and return home.

As everywhere, the panipuriwalas face problems from the AMC and the police. This was evident from the fact that they were quite reluctant to talk about them. A license is required for selling panipuri on the roads. This license allows the men to stay only in the lanes. But when they come out onto the main roads they face the risk of having their carts taken away by the police. The carts are either purchased(Rs5000- Rs.15000) or rented(Rs.20 a day). Each day's investment depends on the previous days earnings.

The panipuriwalas seemed secretive when talking about their profession. While some of them agreed to talk with us, the rest tried to avoid questions or lied to us about certain things. One man said he made a profit of only Rs.80 a day. But on the contrary when we calculated we found that panipuriwalas make quite a bundle everyday. On an average they earn about Rs.800-Rs1200 a day.
Many of them actually thought we were from the tax department and that we were going to conduct a raid on them! Now in this respect, I think they were being overly paranoid. Nidans are easily recognised anywhere by Amdavadis. Like we have a stamp on our heads or something. Some people say its our clothes(ripped jeans, cut up t-shirts, oversized kurtas, oshos and jholas). After 6 months of having people point at me and say "NID!nid!" to each other, i was quite surprised that the panipuriwalas actually thought we were officials of some sort!!I mean..come on, do I look like one?

There are panipuris and there are panipuris.
Some panipuris are bad. Some are good. And some are excellent.

The panipuriwala outside Agashiye has got to be the best panipuriwala here.They are EXTREMELY hygienic and the puris are damn tasty. They don't mash the potatoes-its all chopped up. The channa and the aaloo are added separately, they aren't mixed. The puris aren't dipped in the water. They use a special ladle for filing up water in the puris. And the meeta pani...I could actually taste jaggery in it. And it costs the same five Rupees.

But then there are panipuriwalas who sell substandard stuff. There's a guy in Vastrapur who sells such panipuris. The meeta pani was an unearthly shade of orange and the khatta pani was equally gruesome looking. I fell ill after eating at his shop. Interestingly, when we asked him if he ate the panipuris that he made, he said -"no.I don't like panipuri"..He probably got grossed out by his own food.

At the end of one weekend of hogging panipuris and falling sick and hogging some more, I can proudly say that I have got a better understanding of the business. Its not as easy as it seems to be. Handling ten customers, each with a specification for the puri, is not easy. But they do it. They enjoy their profession. Which is what matters in the end.


Shreyas R Krishnan
Foundation (batch 2005)
2006
NID

****
Dimple Soni and Rashmi Korjan were the faculty who took DCC along with MP Ranjan.

Being photographed in class---thats how Ranjan takes attendance, and knows whether you've been paying attention in class. He clicks pictures of the class while talking. Simple no?

Treasures

Bought these from the guy who sells 'junk' outside NID. :)


And these are really nice... My roomie got back from a trip to Europe. She got this set of chocolates...VAN GOGH chocolates. These are a couple of wrappers that she gave me.

Van Gogh's Sunflowers

Van Gogh's The pink peach tree

How come junk isn't as tish in India?

Jan 31, 2008

The Kyoorius Diary

The Kyoorius Design Yaatra has been happening since last year. Like last time, this year too it was at Goa. Why Goa I wonder? At the Yaatra, it just seems like everyone is on holiday. The primary attractions are firang speakers, free booze, the Gala dinner and Goa itself.

I'd been to the 2006 Yaatra as well. This time I started putting down all my thoughts
during the conference. Not before, not after, but while I was inside the venue.

Im tempted to include extracts from the notebook here, but its a lot more fun reading it from the actual pages. But since blogger doesn't seem to show a bigger image even on full view go here--> The Kyoorius Diary, for a readable view of the book. :)

Click on image for full view

Jan 30, 2008

2 x 10

This is it.
Its been 2 days since I turned 20.

What better time to start posting on my OWN blog! Yes well, it is common knowledge that my dashboard has too many blogs for my own good, and that I'v posted things on the wrong blog by mistake...BUT... this is M.I.N.E!

Buwahahahahahaha!