As I proudly displayed the ppt presentation to my aesthetically challenged boss, the slide trickled down from the top, like the matrix, the tiny particles taking their respective places and forming the title page. The template was carefully chosen from a bunch of 'Andhra' related images. The subject, since you all are unaware, is a building complex for the Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, creatively titled "Andhra Centre". My boss stared at it and said, "ye niche kya kya photo lagaaya hua hai ?" As I patiently sold my idea, I could feel a glaze over his eyes, his brain refusing to comprehend the aesthetics of it. He said, "haan haan...wo drawing sab lagao, phir dekhta hoon"...The wall of the seventh sense, an entity as old as time.
I can imagine the stone age maverick Tim, sharpening his stone tools with his stone knife and heating the stone tip on the flames of the stone fire. As he put his final touches to the disparate image of 'Man Killing Animal', his quarry buddy Bob must have walked into the cave, stared at the painting and said,
"Why are you making holes in the wall?"
"It's art."
"Baah...sab bakwaas hai."
Haven't we all faced a situation, where our brain refuses to countenance an idea, when our apparent ignorance harps at our image ? When the other guy extracts joy from an article, a song, a dance form or a scenery while we gape sans cognition ? While I risk sounding arrogant and undesirably proud, I can confidently say that I am adequately high up on the scale to go ahead with this. I think it isn't a binary switch, or a DNA gene chromosome-thing that God forgot to attach. It is a pleasant scale (from one to ten) where the seventh sense displays its strength at varying levels. I think it follows the 80% - 20% fundaa too. I am sure researchers are devoting months into this issue, trying to discover a way to gauge it. So lets not get pseudo-technical, ok?
This concept of pseudo appreciation flows into the realms of music too. I feel this novel kind of pity (with a streak of amusement) when I come across an individual devoid of a beat and/or music sense. There are few images more counterfeit and pretentious than chinki (or non-chinki) dudes head-banging in a concert, out of sync with the song. I guess peer pressure can make one do crazy things. Back home (at Kharagpur), we encounter aspiring musicians and image-builders, who informally audition for a spot on the band. Bengal, with all its music background and rich culture, seems to have a lot of chlorine in its gene pool *. I have really come across gems every year, who refuse to stick to the rhythm, trip and eventually fall out of the music group. A good voice without a beat sense is as pointless as a blonde bimbo without you-know-what. At least an incompetent guitarist has a functional instrument to offer. A singer's larynx neither makes a good dish, or a showpiece. I wish I had the velleity to say it to their face (like Kramer) - "Why don't you just give up ?"
My dad relates these horrendous anecdotes of officers, playing Jagjit Singh tracks and wah-wah-ing endlessly. I am sure there is a buffoon living in your neighbourhood too, who elaborates with pride 'Uske chehre se parda sarakta jaaye...wah wah wah'. Kawaali and Shaayari are much worse, and I wouldn't want to drag them into the mud here. Maybe some other day...
There are quite a few of us, wondering "Why is a skewed image of Kali selling for over 1.5 million dollars ?" I wish someone would give the answers.
* quoted by Jerry Seinfeld
I can imagine the stone age maverick Tim, sharpening his stone tools with his stone knife and heating the stone tip on the flames of the stone fire. As he put his final touches to the disparate image of 'Man Killing Animal', his quarry buddy Bob must have walked into the cave, stared at the painting and said,
"Why are you making holes in the wall?"
"It's art."
"Baah...sab bakwaas hai."
Haven't we all faced a situation, where our brain refuses to countenance an idea, when our apparent ignorance harps at our image ? When the other guy extracts joy from an article, a song, a dance form or a scenery while we gape sans cognition ? While I risk sounding arrogant and undesirably proud, I can confidently say that I am adequately high up on the scale to go ahead with this. I think it isn't a binary switch, or a DNA gene chromosome-thing that God forgot to attach. It is a pleasant scale (from one to ten) where the seventh sense displays its strength at varying levels. I think it follows the 80% - 20% fundaa too. I am sure researchers are devoting months into this issue, trying to discover a way to gauge it. So lets not get pseudo-technical, ok?
This concept of pseudo appreciation flows into the realms of music too. I feel this novel kind of pity (with a streak of amusement) when I come across an individual devoid of a beat and/or music sense. There are few images more counterfeit and pretentious than chinki (or non-chinki) dudes head-banging in a concert, out of sync with the song. I guess peer pressure can make one do crazy things. Back home (at Kharagpur), we encounter aspiring musicians and image-builders, who informally audition for a spot on the band. Bengal, with all its music background and rich culture, seems to have a lot of chlorine in its gene pool *. I have really come across gems every year, who refuse to stick to the rhythm, trip and eventually fall out of the music group. A good voice without a beat sense is as pointless as a blonde bimbo without you-know-what. At least an incompetent guitarist has a functional instrument to offer. A singer's larynx neither makes a good dish, or a showpiece. I wish I had the velleity to say it to their face (like Kramer) - "Why don't you just give up ?"
My dad relates these horrendous anecdotes of officers, playing Jagjit Singh tracks and wah-wah-ing endlessly. I am sure there is a buffoon living in your neighbourhood too, who elaborates with pride 'Uske chehre se parda sarakta jaaye...wah wah wah'. Kawaali and Shaayari are much worse, and I wouldn't want to drag them into the mud here. Maybe some other day...
There are quite a few of us, wondering "Why is a skewed image of Kali selling for over 1.5 million dollars ?" I wish someone would give the answers.
* quoted by Jerry Seinfeld
no wonder that you didn't like my blog, you write a LOT better than I do.
ReplyDeletehowever, it is nothing like being awestruck outside bong-land. anyway, the sarcasm is appreciated -:)
Mr. Iyer: Your blogs are really good, makes my day lighter.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up
Batch of '97
Naveen Yenmandra