Storied house
An interactive stop motion animation film by Mahan J Dutta in public realm
As a part of the Public art project by Samudra Kajal Saikia:
Disposable
House, The imagery of HOUSE in individual and collective memories
Around the concerns around “House” two proposals for ‘Public Art’ were developed. One was making of a public-wall-painted-animation film and the other was performative activity oriented project – “Disposable House”. During the discussion with the juries of FICA Public Art Grant there was a suggestion if I could combine both the projects into one. However, we partially tried to inculcate both the ideas.
I discussed my concerns and my interest with Mahan Jyoti Dutta and he took up a relatively smaller project in Ahmedabad. Mahan did his BFA in sculpture from Kalabhavan, Santiniketan and diploma in Film and Video making from NID, Ahmedabad. He already had interest in such an interactive process of film making. So we discussed and developed an interactive stop motion animation film making project in the old city of Ahmedabad. In a much lesser time span and expanses Mahan developed and executed the idea in his own way, which we title as the “STORIED HOUSE”.
The artists involved into this project are: Mahan Jyoti Dutta, Niwesh Gurung, Amit Kumar Das and Saheb Ram Tudu.
"It
is inside the Pole near Manek Chowk in Ahmedabad. When I had the first view, I
almost made up my mind to set the film at that location. The place is like an
uplifted courtyard (Aangan) at the
centre of the locality. On the opposite side of the main wall there is a
temple. That whole area was actually a huge Haveli
which was destroyed in the Gujarat earthquake. The remaining of the Haveli (like, remaining of doors,
windows, pillars etc.) still lingers the space. Now the space is used for
community gatherings. The fact that the space which used be a haveli (palace) and now a courtyard for
the community living in that area was quite inspiring to do this WALL animation
on the theme of HOUSE (disposable house)", Mahan Jyoti Dutta says.
"Like
any other Pole in the old city of
Ahmedabad this location too was very crowded, dingy, chaotic place surrounded
by old buildings. The people were Hindu.
After we
all came up with the initial idea about doing a wall animation me and Niwesh
looked around for location in the old city of Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad is well
known as a city of walls and gates. Incidentally we saw this huge wall inside a
pole which seemed to be perfect for
our purpose due to the wide open surrounding, light condition, the remaining of
the broken haveli and other elements
all around the space. The space was very convenient for animation and its
shooting. So from the next day itself we started shooting.
"We
didn't face any difficulties in getting permission for such a work in that
particular place. In fact the owner of that space, who use to stay in the next
house, and the other people within the locality were very much cooperative and
interactive with us throughout the process".
About
public reaction: "Same as above. At first the people were very curious to
see and know about what we were going to do because they didn’t have any idea
about stop-motion animation. But after shooting for quite some time we played
it back on the camera itself and the small crowd gathered at the spot were very
excited to see how an image moves".
"The
biggest and the best “accidental circumstance” is the animation itself. I had a
complete different story in my mind on the basis of the original concept by
Samudra Kajal Saikia and I did make a storyboard for that. But the moment we
started our work we threw away storyboard and only on the basis of the original
concept we went on a complete spontaneous animation making use of the space
(its location, structure, properties around and the changing light pattern)".
"The
whole process of making was quite fun and as we all four are very good friend
we were cracking jocks, pulling each other’s leg and enjoyed working with paint
stains all over our body, dust and dirt and the scorching sun of Ahmedabad".
What
could happen if you didn’t do this event in this particular location, but in
some other location?
"As
you have understood from the earlier answer, if it was some other location it
would have been a completely different piece of work".
- How this project may address the larger
public or larger issues?
- Tell me about your engagement with film
and video and animation. Comment on the contemporary “media-entertainment
industries” from a working artist’s perspective.
Well, we always have to consider the fact that we are painting a wall
which is at a public space. And we all realize the fact that walls are not just
made with concrete and bricks. Therefore, when rebellious artist paints graffiti
it is not at all same like making a painting on a sensitive political (or any
other) sensitive issue which would be seen in art exhibition or gallery. It is
like a slogan in a protest march which one can’t ignore.
Even animation, which is generally a studio based, indoor activity
make the similar kind of impact when it comes out to a larger public space.
Animation we see on our television, computer or sometime even on
bigger screen. But wherever we see we see it as a complete film and not the
key-frames. When an image moves on a public wall, it not only draws the
attention from the audience of the animation film (which actually comes out
through digital media much later the process of painting, animating, editing
and effects) but the people witnessing the performance of painting itself. And
even after the painting is finished it remains for certain time at that place,
unless it is destroyed/ removed for certain reasons.
Here, I don’t want to discuss or say how it is technically difficult
or different to make an animation on a public wall from a studio production.
But during the process/ production one thing I have noticed that when art comes
out of studio, the reactions of the audience change drastically. Let me explain
the point in a clearer way. We see films (live action/ animation) in theaters
or on TV. All these films mostly fall under the category of commercial films.
But there are “other kinds” of films too; which are not easily available,
excisable for “common audience.” These films are generally seen in film
festivals, certain organizations, private screening, and personal collections. Not
to mention, common people try to stay aloof from these “art films” because this
is a common myth that “art films” are mostly abstract or difficult to
understand. Considering this myth people choose to stay ignorant about it and
do not want to enjoy an abstract form of art, painting, animation, films etc.
This is my personal view that I realized during the production that,
when we were painting THEIR wall in spite of the certain abstraction in imagery
and concepts people were taking part in the process as an audience and enjoying
it too. The process of painting/ animation too was quite spontaneous as I
mentioned earlier. But I realized that the reason behind it was mainly the fact
that WE CAME TO THEIR SPACE which is a public space. Here art, artist, public
nobody can ignore the presence of each other.
In India, animation is still limited in a very small circle of cartoonish,
comedy or shot of advertising and promotional films. Even mainstream
film-making is also overshadowed by commercial Hindi, Tamil or other bigger
regional film industries. Popular culture always has a large impact on the
contemporary art practice.
Being a part of this big entertainment market, I prefer not to project
this entertainment industry in a negative manner. Because of the big growth in
entertainment industry and media technology it is allowing the independent film
makers and media artist to take up alternative ways. Especially the digital
revolution made film making a more democratic and public medium.
It is often considered that the subversive forms and mediums are not
commercial or if the subversions come to the mainstream it won’t remain
alternative to the “mainstream media” anymore. To a certain extend it is true.
But main-stream media is a diluted form with a complex mixture of thousand
forms. Therefore, in the bigger picture we see that “mainstream media” gets
enriched and enhanced with the supplements from all the alternative mediums and
vice-a-versa.
I personally do not agree with the fact that subversive mediums cannot
be commercial because they are made for niche audience; neither have I believed
that alternative mediums are not commercial because they are niche. In a
country of more than a billion even a certain amount of audience can be a very
promising consumer to let it grow commercially. Alternative can grow and sustain
in its own independent zone with commercial value. That will be even more a
powerful force.
To be very specific to a medium like wall animation I would like to
say that it does not stay within the aspects and limitation of a film-making or
painting. It can go far beyond. As a medium, it deals with physical involvement
in a particular space which can be a public space sometime. Because of this it
can also be presented as a performance. It also opens possibilities for
interaction of the artist with the “public”(people) around through this medium.
In my next project I have plan to take this medium to a level of performance
and interaction.
http://vimeo.com/21745846?ab
amazing...
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