‘Student Speak’ 2017

Department of Fine Arts, Stella Maris College

Wednesday, 18 January 2017

Inaugural function

Keynote speaker: Ms Sharan Apparao

Session 1: INVESTIGATE

Session Chair: Dr Bernadine Joseph

ABSTRACTS

ANISHA VERGHESE

Subverting the Male Gaze: A Critical Look at the Work of Contemporary Indian

Women Artists Anju Dodiya, Pushpamala N. and Bharti Kher

The „male gaze‟, refers to a term coined by film critic

Laura Mulvey in her essay Visual Pleasure and Narrative

Cinema published in 1975. Mulvey used the male gaze

theory to analyse the objectification of women in

mainstream cinema. Socio-cultural notions of the

binaries of masculinity and femininity abound in visual

culture and serve to further augment stereotypical notions

of gender. With this study I propose to analyse select

examples from contemporary Indian art in order to

highlight the significant attempts made to subvert the

„male gaze‟ and the gender conventions associated with it.

SRINIDHISHA B

The Machined Crafts: Impact of Industrialization and the Loss of Traditional Arts

and Crafts in India

Over the last century, industrial production has steadily replaced traditional handmade craft

production in countries around the world. In India, this

has led to the loss of traditional markets for artisans and

craftspeople, who struggle to compete against the

economic and production efficiency of volume

manufacturing with advanced technology and

mechanization. This has made a number of artisans and

craftspeople to shift to other works to stabilize their

daily livelihoods and many people who made the

traditional craft products have started producing

contemporary products. They produce these products by either following some of the traditional

procedures or by having embellishments that resemble the craft. For example traditional

Thanjavur paintings were always associated with the elitist class because of its high price.

But nowadays in craft exhibitions, one can find mass produced objects like clips, jewelry

boxes that are decorated with the Thanjavur painting technique. My paper concentrates on

two such traditions and how these crafts have turned into mere profit making products and

the survival of the traditions in the contemporary market.

NAOMY ANTONY

Kolhapuri: A Journey through the Ages

The Kolhapuri chappal is traditional footwear

handcrafted in Maharashtra. Initially made for the ruler of

Kolhapur, Shahu Maharaj, this craft slowly gained

popularity due to the patronage offered by him and spread

across the country. This research aims to study in detail

the craft of this footwear, trace it back to its origin in the

13th century, survey on how the changing trends and

innovations have affected the authenticity and survival of

the craft. Traditionally done in the homes of artisans, with

the entire family being involved in its making and the

refusal of their offspring to take forward this hereditary craft business has become a

challenge to these artisans thereby slowly leading to its decline. Various designers of today

are aware of this and are contributing to its revival by taking up various measures; either by

raising awareness or by giving the Kolhapuris a completely new look to suit the trends of

today. Lately, there have also been a lot of celebrities trying to flaunt and promote the

style and benefit factors of adorning a Kolhapuri. Through this research I aim to study in

detail the various revival methods that are undertaken in order to sustain this dying craft.

ANUSHIYA AARTHI M

Pachaikuthu: The Traditional Tattoo Art of Tamil Nadu

The history of tattooing in India dates back to a very ancient

era. From being used as a permanent mark of jewellery to

becoming a status symbol, tattooing was a widespread

tradition across various communities in India. Through

this research I intend to shed light on and rediscover an

ancient custom of tattooing system in India, called

pachaikuthurathu, which is mainly prevalent in the state of

Tamil Nadu. Traditional pachaikuthu can be considered as

a decorative body art that was in fashion a hundred years

ago. Inspired from kolam patterns, it not only served to beautify the human body but also to

be carried to the after life. Slow influence from the west and urbanisation has modified the

custom of pachaikuthurathu to a large extent, that lead to changes in terms of methods, patterns

and symbolism.

ROSHNI KUMARAVEL

Street Art on Chennai Walls

Street art is a form of art that is very important, as it is

accessible to all sections of the society. It is meant for an

audience with no prerequisite knowledge of art and

influences people from all walks of life. It also provides a

refreshing change from drab and dirty surroundings. This

paper takes a look at the significance of street art and

some of the street artists based in Chennai.

ANANYA R

Taboos and Controversial Art

Art is always under constant scrutiny by the public. It is

interpreted differently by different societies. What may seem

controversial to one may not be to another. Most artists go

out of the way, just to get the public to react. It is

imperative to understand, the intention behind any art

before categorizing it. Many artists have courted

controversies for their art in India. What are the norms for

a work of art to become taboo? What is taboo in art? This

is an attempt at understanding the norms that decide what

becomes taboo, by drawing parallels to controversies throughout art history.

Session 2: EXPERIENCE

Session Chair: Dr Renuka Rajarathnam

ABSTRACTS

ALURI SMITHA RAO

Kunstwollen: Tracing the link between German and Art

I have been learning German for the past one year, and I have

recently completed ‘Deutsch A2’, the second level. As a

student of both German and art, there have been many instances

where I have come across the established link between the two.

Consequently, this has increased my interest in culture, society

and art in Germany. In this presentation, I wish to explore the

development of German art and design through the years, whilst

also stressing on the importance of the language in the field.

ADYA RAMAN GANDHI

Art and design in Chennai- Heritage Walk and Workshops

I attended the series of workshops titled ‘Writing for the Arts’

hosted by Apparao Galleries in collaboration with The Hindu

Lit For Life and subsequently, a Heritage Walk at the

Kapaleeshwarar temple conducted by Dr. Chithra Madhavan. I

would like to talk about some of the aspects covered in both,

and highlight how these have helped me in deepening and

strengthening my understanding of certain subjects like

‘Fundamentals of Art History’ and ‘Hindu and Jaina Art’.

R KRUTIKA

Performing arts in Chennai

There are a lot of performing arts coming up in Chennai. Not

just in the genre of classical but also in theatre and other

contemporaries. It‟s the core of these art forms that interests

one the most and the drive that pushes each person to take their

form of art further than the other. In an ever competitive world

like ours, many performing arts are finding their zenith in a city

like ours filled with enthusiasm and serge to learn and do more.

Being a performing artist myself, I know what an up comer

faces to shine between thousand others. If it is not the art that

defines the core of a city then what will?

BIANCA JOSEPH

Experiencing Art

One cannot fully appreciate art by just looking at it or

by just reading about it, the experience is in fact

interdependent. Two aspects to fulfil this experience,

one is the actual context of the artwork and the other

the part where you are actually there, viewing the art up

close. It is simply impossible to truly appreciate a work of

art without context and drawing from personal experience I

can say that it is the best feeling to look at an artwork with

your own eyes, know what the artist is trying to

communicate and add your own interpretation and thoughts

to it. Art, people, places; everything that surrounds you acts

as inspiration for both painters and designers. I would like to explain my experience with this

further by using three main works of art namely La Victoire de Samothrace, Tour Eiffel and

the Chartres Cathedral.

JERUSHA CHRISTINA JOSE

Studies and Survey in Stone Poetry

Sifting through the history and the story behind the

renowned sculptural masterpiece awed by artists and

critics, but underappreciated by tourists and locals,

namely The Descent of the Ganges at Mahabalipuram.

Narration of the knowledge acquired and that which took

effect during our Indian Art and Architecture classes at

college. Recounting my personal, emotional experience

associated with this rock cut monolith. Inclusion of a survey

taken in the midst of visiting patrons; to calibrate the

statistics of those who are actually aware of the story behind the unfinished poetry in stone.

Bringing into question whether local artistic treasures are considered of equal worth when

compared to Taj Mahal, Ajanta and Ellora caves and the like.

SHRINIDHI SUNDER

Temple Tour to Halebidu, Belur and Somnathpur

It was a three-day trip to Halebidu, Belur and

Somnathpur. The trip was based on my favourite subject,

Indian Art. We visited the temples there and they left me

awestruck. I wonder how exquisite Indian architecture

and sculpting was then. The modern architecture

would lose to them. I am also thankful to my friends who

made this trip a memorable one for me.

PEARL MAXY KATTIKARAN

Student Internships

This paper aims to share my personal experience being

an intern, and how is it that internship works in the field

of arts, especially as a graphic designer. My internship was

a learning experience in a hub supporting and transforming

youth into great citizens, a place that gives an ample

exposure for all interns. Along with excellent courses it

offers a wide variety of student internships aiding in

building confidence and morale of the young battalion. It

consists of an exchange of services for experience

between the student and an organization.

ANNU JOSE

Experiencing the Kailasanatha Temple at Kanchipuram

A specimen of the Pallava architecture from 8th century

CE, the famous Kailashanatha temple at Kanchipuram

offers one with inner peace and tranquillity. Being a first

time visitor to a practising temple, the Kailashanatha

temple provided me with a lot of fortifying and

enriching experiences. Walking through the

circumambulatory passage, past the sculptures carved on

the prakara and vimana, I took a moment to admire and

appreciate the workmanship of the Pallava sculptors. The

effort they must have had put into the making of the

temple is beyond explanation. The study tour was indeed an opportunity to extend our

knowledge beyond the four walls of the classroom.

VANYA V

Little Joys of Learning: Working with Little Children

A part-time job is something all of us look forward to

doing in our free time to make some extra money. When

that job suddenly starts to grow on you and turns into

an experience that you would cherish for a lifetime. That

is when you know that you have found something more

than just a part-time job. Child-minding at Hilton Hotel

is the weekend part-time job that I do. The joy of teaching

children something that is close to my heart and the

realizations that dawned on me from teaching them is an

experience of a lifetime.

C APARNA

Study Tours as Holistic Learning

Study tours are tours undertaken for the purpose of studying

or carrying out research. Such tours are vital for an art student.

They help in getting visual experiences of things learnt

theoretically. Such visual experiences of wonderful works of

art give art students like me immense pleasure and joy.

Apart from educative purposes, study tours also allow us

to have fun with friends and provide scope to learn

important life skills. Balancing these three aspects, namely

gaining knowledge, having fun and learning life skills, is

very important in any study tour. I value the numerous study tours I have undertaken,

during my college life. I share some of those memories and some other aspects such as

what to expect from a study tour, how to travel and how to get the most out of such trips. As a

person who loves to travel to new places and learn about their art and culture, these study tours

were definitely great boons given to me. I have gained knowledge, exposure, experience and

life skills that will stay with me forever. These trips have even changed me greatly as a

person.

K PRIYANKA

Pursuit of the Right Perspective

There are these two young fishes swimming along and they

happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who

nods at them and says “Morning, boys. How‟s the water?”

and the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then

eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes,

„what the hell is water?‟ As the young fish, I have realized

that we often forget, or take for granted, the obvious thing

around us. This paper explains my perception of the world

and life in general as a young fish trying to find water and

myself.

TASNEEM M LOHANI

Learning through Internships

I would like to present the various internships I did and my

experience with dealing with the professionals of the real

world and on how to accept, learn and grow. Internships are

particularly useful in increasing knowledge of one‟s field of

interest at the same time preparing a college student to face

the world outside of college.

SUPRAJA V

Memories Made at the Makers’ Market

The Artists‟ and Makers‟ Market which happened in

February and August 2016 were memorable experiences

for me. I shadowed a talented ceramic artist and

an independent administrator of an NGO. My paper

discusses the small, yet impactful things that I learnt

during the two internships, understanding the different

kinds of artists who put up their work, the blind-buyers,

the all-time bargainers and the elite art connoisseurs.

Session 3: EXPLORE

Session Chair: Ms. Shantha Gabriel

ABSTRACTS

MASOOMA K

Paradoxes of College Life

The life on college campus is very contradictory. It is peaceful

and serene yet always bustling with people. From meeting new

people coming from different cultures and backgrounds to

seeing familiar faces. Trying to cope up with the academic

demand while participating in non-collegiate and extraclassroom

activities and so on. I would like to share my experiences in the

midst of all these divergent aspects and what they have taught

me.

SNEHA C

Learning Outcome of a Specific Course- Fundamentals of Art History

The course‟s objective was to study the fundamentals of art

history and to provide an orientation to art history. It dealt with

art fundamentals that are to be understood to approach other art

papers. It provided an introduction to different styles , genres of

painting and important art terms. The course was such that it

instilled an interest in formal and contextual analysis. An

application oriented course, it continues to assist in

understanding and working on other art history papers.

S NANDITA

Life on Campus

Life on campus for me has been a complete roller coaster ride.

From having boring mundane routine classes to exciting eventful

days. My first year in Chennai as well as college was somewhat

feeble and dull. It took me some time to bring myself out of the

comfort zone of homely pampering and adjust in a totally

unfamiliar surrounding with alien souls. The only thing that kept

me going was „I chose this for myself” and I have got to figure

out things on my own. Being in a new city gave me sense of

freedom which came along with untold responsibilities and

challenges. Without venturing out anywhere, I decided to trust

my only interacting space – college to help me widen my social circle. Thus, I joined several clubs

like Debate, Quiz and Current Affairs Club, Dramatics Club, Damini Club of our college with great

enthusiasm and hope. Every club enhanced my confidence and boosted my morale.

DAMARA JESSICA D

Art is Rebellion: Art Fundamentals

Volumes of educative and fascinating information,

improving my knowledge and vocabulary with every

sentence; But it still played in the back of my mind, the

restriction and rules that followed these great artist‟s

works.Was there any room for rebellion in this closed up

small system of education that we so religiously follow? Is

there any hope left for the future generations to not be

bound by the legislation of what is socially acceptable and

what is not? And then, as if she heard my buzzing

chaotic train of thought, the professor went still and silent. As did the whole class like on cue.

Her eyes lighted up and her voice low, so low it was almost inaudible but yet it reverberated

in my young mind, „Art is Rebellion.‟

CAROLYN SUSANNA P

Life on Campus

Campus is second heaven to me. As I enter the gates the

buildings speak volumes of the past history. The sisters

walking ever so briskly set off the neat environment,

clean campus with greenery and buildings. The faculty

on campus show no generation gap and make education

lively. The canteen with its many flavours is cherished

by all its patrons. It is no wonder that the young girls

are moulded into complete women on campus.

ALANKRITHA M K

The Creative Side of Nature

„Fundamentals of Horticulture‟ was offered as a general

elective course in college, it was an excellent opportunity

for me to improvise my interest in growing plants.

Horticulture was an easy and fun-loving course for a

person like me, who has considerable fascination for

nature. I benefited very much from this course. Being a

design student, I explored the creative side of certain topics

under it. I thoroughly enjoyed every class of this course.

DIVYALAKSHMI

A Passion for Photography

Camera hung around the neck, steady hands, a smile on the

face and some sneaky moves might be the qualities of a

photographer… but all she aims for is to capture the

moment. The art of photography taught me the skill and the

idea of focus. With many instances I have felt that

photography has a great connection with our lives. Every

person's wish is to have a rewind button to relive the

moment and this is achieved through pictures. Each

photograph reminds us of a person, an occasion or an

emotion. Capturing a moment and seeing the person relive

the moment is all a photographer asks for.