B.L.O.T. :: Basic Love Of Things

GIGS // BLOT @ Counterculture / 26 May

2012-05-23T19:20:00.002+05:30

PRESS // Making it to an in-flight magazine

2012-05-21T12:40:00.000+05:30

never thought we would be on the Air india In flight magazine..the writing is a bit sensationalized for our liking but whatever :-)

Artwork // Frog formerly known as Prince

2012-05-18T14:04:00.001+05:30

Somewhere in between a frog, a prince, a grasshopper and an anorexic. Hands are not that nice. Still figuring out the software but its fun. Tried animating it in Cinema4d. Will post samples.

VIDEOS // BLOT fashion preview / Anaglyph 3D

2012-05-16T15:46:00.000+05:30

ha ha is all i can say for now >>

ARTWORK // Angry Old Man

2012-05-16T15:42:00.001+05:30

Exploring Z Brush some more..its great! Of course the detailing and form explorations have to improve manifold, but its amazing to see how one can explore 3D sketching quickly to identify new ideas and directions for characters instead of drawing on paper. These were made directly on the computer in about 1 hour.

ARTWORK // Exploring Digital Sculpting

2012-05-16T15:38:00.000+05:30

So I have been exploring ZBrush - the amazing digital sculpting software that is pretty much the industry standard right now. I have to say, its been less than a week since I started tinkering around with this, but it is an amazingly intuitive software and surprises with how much freedom it actually gives to 3 dimensional expression. I cant wait to get better (which should take about 1-2 years) and get back to my toy design roots. One of the directions we want to explore with this is 3D Printing for creating moulds for making own little toys and collectibles. Inspired! :-)

ARTWORK // The Mangroves in Havelock

2012-05-05T13:30:00.000+05:30

I was just sitting and dreaming about our recent trip to the Andamans - to Havelock Island, the beautiful mangroves self organizing themselves to leap up and catch the sunshine on blue oceans.

ARTWORK // Stereoscopic Wallpaper for Nightclub

2012-04-30T17:35:00.001+05:30

Get your 3D (red-cyan) glasses on and check out this series of stereoscopic wallpaper that we are working on. Partly inspired by a baroque sensibility of maximalism, and partly by electronic music, this is the first beta test for a new nightclub we are designing in Delhi with Mumbai's award winning studio The Busride. More soon.

ARTWORK // A Watchman in Florence

2012-04-30T12:45:00.003+05:30

Here is one of the artworks I made (in a real rush as always) for our gallery showing in Delhi last month. Its the start of a project thats being brewing in my head since we visited Florence last year. The ceiling frescoes and art at the Uffizi gallery were amazing, and I have been wanting to create a digital video / mograph interpretation of these ceilings as my project for 2012. Of course, my 3D skills really need to get up to the next 4-5 levels for anything that comes remotely close to the mastery of the old school. Yet we try. This one's called 'A Watchman in Florence' >>

Here are some of the earlier developments while making it >>

And here is the final artwork as it got printed on canvas (4ft x 3 ft approx)

ARTWORK // Exploring Stereoscopy

2012-04-30T11:04:00.000+05:30

So I have been spending some time exploring anaglyph / stereoscopic artworks. Have to say upfront that nothing I do or have even seen in contemporary 3D visuals compares to some of the pioneering work done in the 19th and early 20th century, such as these amazing works below (you will need Red-Cyan glasses to view these in their anaglyphic glory) There are thousands of such stereo-cards that we were shot a century or more back, and I find it pretty amazing that the 3D visual really has regressed since then. Even with present technology and its advanced state, I do find myself completely humbled by not just the quality of the image making / production, but also the relevance and ethnographic perspectives in these pictures.

Cut to 2012, and I have been exploring the stereoscopic camera in Cinema 4D. Must be said my own skills are only improving slowly given my lack of time, but its a start. I went on a trip to the Andaman Islands, and the first snorkeling and scuba experiences really got me inspired. Get your 3D glasses (red-blue) and take a look at what I have been up to. These are mostly graphic elements / motifs for a stereoscopic wallpaper set I am developing for a nightclub in Delhi. More soon!

GIGS // India Goes 3D - Delhi chapter

2012-04-26T10:19:00.000+05:30

So we are on the last weekend of the India Goes 3D festival in Delhi, after visiting Mumbai and Bangalore last weekend. India Goes 3D is an Indo-German Music Conference and Festival, and a part of the Year of Germany in India 2012. Supported by the Goethe-Institut, the festivals brings a delegation of artists and experts from Cologne, Berlin and Hamburg to India. More pictures soon from our first silent disco and 3D stereoscopic gig that was part of this festival.

Media // BLOT @ Palette Art Gallery

2012-03-14T12:00:00.000+05:30

So we are presently hosting our first mini art exhibition at the Palette Art Gallery in New Delhi. The Wall - an online art site, interviewed Thiruda. Catch a small guided tour and bit of erratic video in this one :-)

UNBOX // The Light Surgeons 'SuperEveryThing'

2012-02-25T14:55:00.001+05:30

Here are some pictures from the UnBox Festival 2012 opening evening, which featured UK's pioneering AV ensemble The Light Surgeon, who presented their latest project 'SuperEveryThing' for the first time in India. The UnBox Festival is co-created by BLOT in collaboration with Quicksand, CoDesign, BlindBoys and The Grey Garden. The venue was the outdoor space at The British Council, and big up to Levi's India and Absolut for supporting such progressive experiences.

SuperEveryThing is a project set in Malaysia, that brings a new perspective not just to the contemporary Malaysian condition, but also to old and new media itself, and the presentation of research-led content through immersive experiences. The Light Surgeons also presented a workshop and sharing session on their methods and tools at UnBox 2012.

Their visit was inspiring to say the least. They are one of our heroes! And turns out we might be working on a larger project set in India with them soon. Photo Credit : Lucida (India)

UNBOX // The Grey Garden Food LABryinth at UnBox

2012-02-25T14:44:00.001+05:30

The Grey Garden - the restaurant and conceptual eatery we partner in New Delhi, undertook a slightly off centre approach in creating a pop-up gastronomy space at the recently concluded UnBox Festival 2012. Taking over the open lawns at the Goethe-Institut, New Delhi - The Grey Garden team, led by Mia Morikawa and Dennis, collaborated with mixologist Arijit Bose, BLOT and Quicksand to create a space for gastronomic pondering and discovery, in a bespoke installation made from repurposed materials. Live cooking, molecular spirits, curated street food from Delhi and DIY salad installations made for a pretty trippy experience. This concept was an extension of the Grey Garden Supper Club (check more on www.facebook.com/thegreygarden) and was supported by Absolut, with whom we also developed the Absolut Liquid Lab (more on that soon). Photo Credits > Lucida (India)

GIGS // BLOT @ Zoo / March 03, 2012

2012-02-25T14:35:00.002+05:30

Touring with The Light Surgeons in a 100 yr old Mumbai Cinema :-)

2012-01-29T20:57:00.000+05:30

EYEMYTH VISUAL MUSIC FESTIVAL / Feb 2012

2012-01-29T20:00:00.001+05:30

EyeMyth is a festival of moving images that visualize and celebrate sound and music. EyeMyth is the only festival of its kind in India looking at the past, present and future of visual music.

Curated from the work of established and emerging film makers, musicians and new media artists from around the world - the programming showcases a diversity of approaches and techniques in the creation of engaging audiovisual content. Pioneering agency OneDotZero is donating an amazing screening for this one, as is acclaimed media curation agency Stash (www.stashmedia.tv).

The Mumbai and Bangalore editions of EyeMyth also feature performances by The Light Surgeons (UK) - audiovisual pioneers that have defined this space for more than a decade, and New Culture Mash-Up - the live cinema project headed by BLOT and Nucleya.

Schedule:

Saturday 04 February 2012 @ The British Council, Delhi (7pm-8:30pm)

Friday 10 February 2012 @ Edward Talkies, Mumbai ft. The Light Surgeons and BLOT!

Saturday 11 February 2012 @ Counter Culture, Bangalore ft. The Light Surgeons and New Culture Mash Up

February 2012 Daily Screenings @ Iron Curtain, Hauz Khas, New Delhi

EyeMyth is supported by :
Levi's
Absolut

Powered by NEC

Partnered by :
The Goethe-Institut
British Council
Dutch DFA
Pro Helvetia Swiss Arts Council

PROJECTS // Antariksha Sanchar : Interdisciplinary Performance / 04 Feb 2012

2012-01-29T19:52:00.003+05:30

Antariksha Sanchar is a an interdisciplinary performance that interprets the history of flight. This is a journey to the origins of aircrafts in mythology, science and imagination.

Antariksha Sanchar is the closing performance for the UnBox Festival that is supported by pioneering cultural institutions. The venue for the performance is Max Mueller Bhavan, where a bespoke installation by award winning studio Anagram Architects, Cell Dsgn and BLOT will host the performance.

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NOTE: This performance is open to all UnBox registered participants, invited guest and pre-registered guests ** We have a capacity limit, so PLEASE pre-register! :-) **

Please send a request to culture@unboxfestival.com stating the performance you want to attend in the subject with details of names, and a phone number

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Led by Bharatanatyam exponent Guru Jayalakshmi Eshwar from Kalakshetra, the dance choreography assimilates the new media and unusual context of this piece to present a neo-classical production that looks ahead at the future of classical arts in India.

The production brings together pioneering studios from dance, art, music and architecture. This is a hybrid performance at the intersection of classical dance, costume design, cinematic experience, architecture and electronic music. All the participating artists are pioneers in their creative practices in India, and are united in their exploration of new frontiers of collaborative performance.

COLLABORATORS >

- Guru Jayalakshmi Eshwar and Students

- BLOT (Basic Love Of Things)

- Cell Dsgn (11.11. label)

- Sattyananda (Audio Aashram)

- Anagram Architects

- Oroon Das

- MIchal Levy

- Ayaz Basrai

SUPPORTED by >

- Absolut

- Levi's

PARTNERED BY >

- The Goethe-Institut

- The British Council

- Pro Helvetia

- The Dutch DFA

GIGS // Sunburn 2011

2011-12-22T09:54:00.000+05:30

So we were asked by the folks at the Sunburn Festival in Goa to curate an evening at the experimental stage. The line up features our invited guest Astronivo from Israel, and also smashing Indian acts - Kohra and Vinayaka.

GIGS // BLOT @ The Zoo / 02 Dec 2011

2011-11-28T11:43:00.001+05:30

PROJECTS // UnBox Festival 2012 Beta Communication Tests

2011-11-25T23:14:00.001+05:30

GIGS // New Culture Mash Up Family Guy Special @ Shroom!

2011-11-25T23:05:00.001+05:30

So we are hooking up with the crazy Nucleya for a live cinema evening cutting up Family Guy. Woo Hoo.

PROJECTS // BLOT + RBMA Lightwriting Trials

2011-11-25T23:00:00.001+05:30

So we were working with the progressive folks at RBMA India to evolve a platform for the celebration of the festival of Diwali in contemporary ways. These images are from some trials we did with some lightwriting last week. More from the project and and evening full of projects coming soon. We developed some really basic light writing tools with LEDs and found objects (thanks Patrick from Australia) and looks like this needs a whole lot more preparation to do anything complex. The skills needed are diverse and the preparation can be possible intense. More soon for sure. Step 1 has been Fun!

Also thanks to Kriti from Turmeric Design for coming by and contributing!

Ummm...pondi anyone?

2011-11-12T10:44:00.001+05:30

Just fooling around trying to reconfigure porn as family friendly aesthetics. Instead of traditional blurring, black banding or pixellation, one could look at more creative ways of censorship on the internet and TV.

PIXELS // Recent Gigs 02

2011-09-05T17:15:00.000+05:30