Introducing the Absent Ones!

The first post on a fresh blog would ideally be an introductory one, and I would like to adhere to this tradition too. The only difference being that I would like to introduce the group members of Peers 2010 through some photographs, but not through their presence but their absence.

Beginning with the official PEERS 2010 shot.

ABSENT MEMBER - Malik Sajad (College of Fine Art and Music, Srinagar). Sajad was totally sapped-off by the Delhi heat, absolutely understandable – as he had come from Srinagar (with max temperature of 23°). We have plans of cropping and inserting Sajad through Adobe Photoshop (precisely the reason to leave some space between Ravindra and me)

(Agat Sharma, had just stepped a few minutes before the click, as though he came in only for it, or else he too would have been the one to be introduced through another blank space)

Malik Sajad at the Khirkee Mosque - turned his back towards his peers and chose to click dogs.

SECOND PICTURE : Centre table talk –ISSUE -What needs to be cooked for DINNER! Which has become like a necessary formality, and ever since we have stepped in the guest house, FOOOD has been playing in the back of our minds, all our plans get moulded accordingly.

ABSENT MEMBER – Agat and Rabindra

AGAT SHARMA (NIFT, Delhi) – Knight In The Shining Helmet, tying the costume at the Kinari Bazar, Old Delhi. Agat was busy with his final jury and chose to stay away from us, at his own room, therefore missing.

RABINDRA PATRA allies Ravi, he was absent because he was the one with the camera. Ravi is the man who is always the first one to wake up and is always all set to leave for the studio early in the morning.

The remaining members will be introduced in the same manner, as and when they go missing. Wonder when we will get our complete family photograph!

Over the week, at the guest house, our temporary home, the post dinner sessions were allotted for showing and speaking about the woks of individual artists. And of course most of the discussion would begin focusing on the artists’ works but over the hours would deviate and deviate further to take an absolutely tangential path, such that we would have to make an effort to trace the point of commencement. These talks were like ice-breakers. I guess most of us feel intimidated to speak in public, therefore these extremely casual talks proved to be really good, as there was no special need gather courage to speak and no fear of getting battered for committing mistakes.

At this point, though I am extremely tempted to speak about their works, but I want to hold my self from doing so. The reason being that each artist needs to be spoken about, at length, which I would be doing in the following posts; and moreover what remains of initial / immediate interest is the way in which all of us are considering this opportunity to understand our works by taking a step back and looking at it from a different perspective. There all catalyzed the process of mental readjustment in an extremely positive manner. Well, looking at the DVD (movies and documentaries) rack in the digital library at the Khoj Khirkee Studio we collectively feel that 30 days would be too short a span to make the best out of this space!