Victoria and Albert Museum are hosts to the splendid Maharaja Exhibition this season, finishes on 17th January I think
It concentrated on the Indian kingdoms and their rulers, old school Indian art that sells! of course it was a ticketed which explains the content. However it didn't feel superficial and seemed considerable research was done for the material up for display. The Indian miniature paintings (with detailed expressions, hair, pearls, clothes and everything in the frame) seemed to be the highlight mostly along with some videos, photographs and objects.
Other than the Indian miniature paintings the exhibition concentrated on the artistic details of the courts that I or any other person would have taken for granted if living in the 18th or 19th century! Things like embroidered cloth under a tent, a beaded and jewel woven canopy, meena work on the insides of the belt, beautiful turban jewels and necklaces, diamond, ruby, emerald studded weapons, a gold plated throne, Jewel studded umbrellas, Royal Palanquins (palkis), embroidered gaddis (or royal thrones) were the typical features of the splendour of India's Royal courts. But because they were kept on their own, in glass chambers, it was fascinating to notice the details and feel so proud of our meticulous artists who devoted selflessly into making the Royal courts look magnificent!
My friend and i also observed how the paintings of the rulers, courts, processions never had a mention of the name or family of artists who created it but only the name of the ruler who possessed it. Which is why my heart goes out to those artists even more!
She was also quick to spot if the painting was by foreign artist or Indian, as honestly in the foreign artist paintings, the minute details were missing and the facial expressions seemed much colder and stern perhaps.
Photographs by Man Ray portrayed two sides of the early 20th century British inspired princes. There were fantastic pictures of the Prince of Udaipur in his Indian prince outfit with his wife and three piece suit with his mistress in France where he studied. Another aspect of splendor?
In fact the Indian Princes were so influenced by the west that they commissioned their jewellery from french companies, Cartier and Louis Vitton and no they weren't wearing western designs, but the same emerald, ruby, diamond studded jewels.
The Indian jewels designed by Cartier and Vitton for our Maharajas in 1930s definitely became a trend. The travel bags were amazing by Vitton, with little compartment and boxes for everything. I want one! dream on!
Also the 1st Rolls Royce commissioned by an Indian ruler, that became symbol of modernity was probably another example that embarked the concept of possessing western goods. To see that car right there was such a bonus, there was also footage playing of it being driven around in Jodhpur. I think this is where it all started our obsession for everything western.
In almost every museum in London the last gallery always leads to the museum shop! So yeah you could find everything there from outfits, pens, spiritual books, little purses to ambi printed umbrellas. Even those flat Damarus, that you find in Melas (when we were kids) were there!. overpriced artificial jewellery (overpriced for me as i know they're cheaper in India), ghungroo bracelets, embroidered bags and every damn thing you'd find on the streets of Janpath in New Delhi. I wanted to go home (in Delhi) and Natalie (my friend) was consoling me!
Overall it was really nostalgic for me and i loved it for those reasons. I also enjoyed the variety, the colour, loved the classical music in the background and the fact that after seeing three rooms full of Indian splendor I was gutted it finished and where those two hours just disappeared!
Friday, 18 December 2009
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Dancing Naked
This post is a part of the Extend Project, includes my experience and personal thoughts on partially planning a live event. Most of it was done by Akademi.
It was about three months to Daredevas (24/11/09 - 25/11/09) when a concept was lingering in my mind and I had an urge to develop it. It took me about month to conceptualise what I really wanted and prioritize what the strength of the piece would be. I think I spent about 35 quid buying music from itunes until I found something that really inspired me. Different people have different things that drive them. For me having the right music is so important, If I don't find it, I can't settle. Anyway I started researching my thoughts and i came across Thomas Hardy's - The Ghost of the Past. I knew I needed text in my piece, I somehow had decided my priority is structure, and the text would really help bring that out.
I started booking rehearsal space to try things out and every time I would come up something different.
Anyhow 26th Oct was my first meeting with John-Marc, our mentor. I had a clear idea of my concept, the structure of the piece, the music i intended to use and the text however what i still had to work on was the movement and choreography! Costume and lights were two things to be planned later. only a month was left and it was high time I start movement and choreography! However i feel if you have the structure planned and concept ready movement is something you can just fit in. Organising the piece and yourself, I felt, was far more important than struggling with the content.
The music required editing, and the text required to be read and recorded. Extra sessions with John-Marc for this reason, along with coordinating a narrator into our busy London schedules was required! Rehearsal space was also turning out to be an issue and i had to book space myself and not wait for akademi to sort that out for me. Oh what a tense week that was, but Amaara (narrator for the text) came to the rescue and things started flowing again. Music score was hence done and dusted. Sharing was on 16th nov and I didn't have a costume! The last week I went to five different High Streets and I just couldn't find what i really wanted. Maybe planning here would require me not to be so picky and make do of available resources, but then, a growing attachment for the live event makes me want to have nothing but the best for it. Oh dear, anyway I did find a costume (which wasn't my choice) and I had to finally settle with it!
The tech run day brought about different issues in planning. Firstly the budget for extra lights was nil, which was a let down for Will and the dancers (definitely for me, don't know about the rest). Will, the lighting designer and me had to make do with whatever was available.
As I was on stage I did a quick risk assessment of the space, lights and psych. As my piece really made me move a lot through space I had to be very aware of my boundaries. The Dress run the next day felt assuring. It does feel great if the events go according to plan!
Anyway an hour to the show, immediate concerns were make up, hair, costume, warm up and inner peace and satisfaction! Irony as it is a concern!
Bah my checklist is done - Concept, structure, music, text, choreography, rehearsals, lights, dress run, video run, risk hazards, well fed, warmed up, costume, make up, hair ..
However when on stage and the show starts, there is absolutely nothing on my mind to plan or think or care about. Its just me in my world, unconsciously satisfied, abstractedly connected.
That is the charm of performance, dancing without inhibition, Dancing Naked.
It was about three months to Daredevas (24/11/09 - 25/11/09) when a concept was lingering in my mind and I had an urge to develop it. It took me about month to conceptualise what I really wanted and prioritize what the strength of the piece would be. I think I spent about 35 quid buying music from itunes until I found something that really inspired me. Different people have different things that drive them. For me having the right music is so important, If I don't find it, I can't settle. Anyway I started researching my thoughts and i came across Thomas Hardy's - The Ghost of the Past. I knew I needed text in my piece, I somehow had decided my priority is structure, and the text would really help bring that out.
I started booking rehearsal space to try things out and every time I would come up something different.
Anyhow 26th Oct was my first meeting with John-Marc, our mentor. I had a clear idea of my concept, the structure of the piece, the music i intended to use and the text however what i still had to work on was the movement and choreography! Costume and lights were two things to be planned later. only a month was left and it was high time I start movement and choreography! However i feel if you have the structure planned and concept ready movement is something you can just fit in. Organising the piece and yourself, I felt, was far more important than struggling with the content.
The music required editing, and the text required to be read and recorded. Extra sessions with John-Marc for this reason, along with coordinating a narrator into our busy London schedules was required! Rehearsal space was also turning out to be an issue and i had to book space myself and not wait for akademi to sort that out for me. Oh what a tense week that was, but Amaara (narrator for the text) came to the rescue and things started flowing again. Music score was hence done and dusted. Sharing was on 16th nov and I didn't have a costume! The last week I went to five different High Streets and I just couldn't find what i really wanted. Maybe planning here would require me not to be so picky and make do of available resources, but then, a growing attachment for the live event makes me want to have nothing but the best for it. Oh dear, anyway I did find a costume (which wasn't my choice) and I had to finally settle with it!
The tech run day brought about different issues in planning. Firstly the budget for extra lights was nil, which was a let down for Will and the dancers (definitely for me, don't know about the rest). Will, the lighting designer and me had to make do with whatever was available.
As I was on stage I did a quick risk assessment of the space, lights and psych. As my piece really made me move a lot through space I had to be very aware of my boundaries. The Dress run the next day felt assuring. It does feel great if the events go according to plan!
Anyway an hour to the show, immediate concerns were make up, hair, costume, warm up and inner peace and satisfaction! Irony as it is a concern!
Bah my checklist is done - Concept, structure, music, text, choreography, rehearsals, lights, dress run, video run, risk hazards, well fed, warmed up, costume, make up, hair ..
However when on stage and the show starts, there is absolutely nothing on my mind to plan or think or care about. Its just me in my world, unconsciously satisfied, abstractedly connected.
That is the charm of performance, dancing without inhibition, Dancing Naked.
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