5 | The Eye

Why The Eye?The eye is the alpha and omega of visual art.

With the last few decades art has we know it is becoming increasingly visual

in nature. It's becoming more about appealing to the visual senses than any

other. In this light much of art today is Visual Art. Even that fancy iced cup

cake design is visual art. So is the way you dress. So why a magazine wholly

dedicated to everything you see and is beautiful? Well, the answer is sim-

ple- it is time we develop a better understanding of things that our eyes per-

ceive as beauty. This magazine is not only for people who understand this,

but for those who want to acquaint themselves with any form of visual com-

munication, be it graphic design, typography, photography, cinema or tra-

ditional art.

We are neither promoters, nor creators. Artists make this world a more

beautiful place to live in. We just tell you where to look.

Until next time!

The Eye

Editorial Team

Aditya Sapkale

Akhila Shankar

Mohita Namjoshi

Tanvi Hegde

Ojasvi Mishra

Vaidehi Tendulkar

DesignAkhila Shankar

All rights received through out

the world. Reproduction in any

manner is prohibited. Printed

and Published by abc on behalf

of The Eye. Printed at XYZ Pvt.

Ltd. K.A Subramanium

Road,Sion,Mumbai-400022

6. Movement to Identity

9. Japan introduces cricket to India

12. 12 Areas Of Photography to Watch Out For

14. Much Ado about Dokra

16. Art in Cinema

19. Remembering Andy Warhol

6 | The Eye

Movement to identity

Art Deco is a statement. It is a reflection of aspira-

tion. The height of the movement was when it

transcended artistic expression to become a func-

tional tool in engineering an identity. The remi-

niscences Mumbai’s long-standing affair with this

movement.

Mumbai congeries memories

on innumerable clichés-‘The

city of dreams’, ‘The city that

never sleeps’ and the less ro-

mantic ‘financial capital of

India’. However, what is often

overlooked is that Mumbai is

also the second largest hub for

Art Deco in the world after

Miami, a movement only kept

alive today by the architecture

that still stands.

A unique combi-

nation of fac-

tors led to the

adaptation of

the Art Deco

style of Ar-

chitecture in

Mumbai. In-

crease in

tourism and

travel in the early

half of the 20thcen-

tury had made Bombay

a cultural hub for western

artists. Many touring European

ballet, opera, theatrical and

musical troops entered the

Bombay scene. The social and

cultural ambience in Bombay

was hence very conducive to

the incorporation of Art Deco

into what would become quin-

tessentially Bombay.

Besides tourists, Bombay was

also becoming a political hub in

the pre-independence move-

ment at this time. The Chamber

Of Princes was the official body

responsible for negotiations be-

tween the Nawabs, princes and

maharajas of India and the

British government. These

Nawabs, princes and maharajas

started building houses here so

as to avoid staying in hotels. Al-

most all of these houses were

built in the Art Deco style, cre-

ating the appropriate

patronage for this

style.

The in-

creas ing

n u m b e r

of gradu-

ates in

Architec-

ture from

foreign uni-

v e r s i ti e s

brought in the

new wave of archi-

tecture in a way no one could

have thought of and with intel-

lectual ideas flying around

Bombay was soon to become

the Paris of India. In November

1937 the first Architectural Ex-

hibition ever to be held in India

which was organized by the In-

dian Institute of Architects at

town hall displayed the modern

trends in lifestyle all over the

world, and as unsurprising as it

would be- Art Deco was every-

where!

Akhila Shankar

7 | The Eye

The movement’s standing testaments were the new of-

fice building in the fort, Bungalows on Malabar and

Cumballa Hill and Juhu, apartment blocks in Marine

drive, Backbay reclamation and most importantly all the

then new cinema halls such as Regal Cinema, Eros Cin-

ema and Metro Cinema.

Art Deco- A cinematic experience

The Regal Cinema was designed by Charles Steven, son

of Fredrick Steven (The man behind the design of Vic-

toria Terminus, now CST). For its time Regal was the ul-

timate epitome of glamour. It was probably the first

Indian cinema hall with completely air-conditioned the-

atres underground parking and even a lift. Following this

example the idea of cinema being a luxury set in and

cinema halls like Plaza Cinema (Dadar) Central Cinema

(Charni Road), New Empire Theater etc. followed suit.

Art Deco and Cinema reached a peak with Eros, which

was rightly termed as the great grandpa of luxury cin-

ema. Designed by Sohrabji Bedhwar, this building still

stands today as a living mark of the good old 30s. Like

Regal and Eros, Metro was the last word in luxury. The

2,943 square yard plot was formerly occupied by the Air

force and was acquired by Metro Goldwyn Corporation

on a lease for 999 with a ground rent of Rs.1 per year!

Thomas W Lamb, a New York based Architect laid the

plans for the Metro. The complete interiors were im-

ported from the Unites States. The most sticking feature

of the architecture is large mural paintings on both sides

of the auditorium.

The introduction of Art Deco architecture to the cinema

culture is probably one of the most important land-

marks in our cultural history. The idea of a movie date,

the idea of having the red lounge seats at movie halls

today, the idea of 5 star service at a movie, delivery at

seat amongst many other things dates back to the 30s

when the art deco reformation made cinema into more

of an experience and less of a medium for common

man.

Art Deco and culture

Art Deco was a cultural statement. If not for the rest of

the world, at least for Bombay it was and will be. The

luxury which was native to this style was an expression

of the lifestyle and culture then. People wanted change,

people wanted to move away from the Victorian world

(The British Empire as a whole), people wanted to

travel, people wanted to exchange culture. People

wanted to look forward to a new independent age and

Art Deco was just the right style to exhibit this. The way

Robert McGregor would put it

“There was going to be no more poverty, no more igno-

rance, no more disease. Art Deco reflected that confi-

dence, vigor and optimism by using symbols of progress,

speed and power.”

9 | The Eye

JAPAN INTRODUCES CRICKET TO INDIA!

The year 2012 marks the 60th anniversary of

the Indo-Japanese relationship, strengthen-

ing the bilateral ties between the two coun-

tries more than ever. With this being the

perfect occasion of pride and celebration for

both the culturally blessed countries, Japan seems to

have decided to gift India an unforgettable memento.

With animation from Japan and cricket from India, the

event is expected to bring together the best from the

two nations.

The Land of the Rising Sun presents to India this fall,

‘The Rising Star’, an anime on cricket. Based on one of

the most famous sports comics ‘Kyojin no Hoshi’ (the

Star of the Giants) Kodansha Ltd., a leading manga pub-

lication house is set to launch this unexplored theme in

our country. Kyojin no Hoshi, originally a 1960s’ manga,

and its later adaptation into an anime series, were both

extremely popular among the boys in Japan.

While the story of Kyojin no Hoshi, a weekly shonen

manga, revolves around a boy who struggles to grow

into an ace baseball player, The Rising Star is centered

on a poor boy in Mumbai, named Salaji, who strives to

be a cricket star. The young protagonist is a left-handed

cricket player who aspires to be a cricket star like his fa-

ther. The original manga series was written by Ikki Kaji-

wara and drawn by Noburo Kawasaki. It was published

from 1966 to 1971. Japan’s TMS Entertainment Anime

Studio had adapted Kyojin no Hoshi in an anime TV se-

ries in 1968 and now the same company will handle the

beginning of the new show’s development which in-

cludes the script and the storyboards. Local Indian stu-

dios that will also bear half the production cost will

handle the latter part of the production. For the start

the new version of the anime will have about 26 to 52

episodes. These will be aired in the autumn of 2012 in

India.

What makes it interesting is that even though the anime

is an adaptation of an original series, there are many al-

terations involved.

The creators will not only have to study the rules of

cricket but they will have to understand in detail the ge-

ography, the culture and the psyche of Indians. The real

challenge is to use this knowledge in a way that proves

appealing to their audience in India

Mohita Namjoshi

10 | The Eye

Over the years, the American car-

toon culture has been highly influ-

ential in India. The superhero

cartoons had taken their toll on al-

most all the major local stations.

Most American cartoons used a lot

of science fiction and larger than life

events. Indian viewers are accus-

tomed to cartoon content that

might appear superficial and child-

ish. As far as there are noticeable

and comprehendible happenings in

the content, the Indian viewers re-

main contented, notwithstanding

the level of depth in the story.

There are a few newer cartoons

coming along in India, which involve

characters from Hindu mythology.

The viewers of these shows or at

least the supervisors of the viewers

are satisfied with the matter being

shown in these shows. They believe

that content which revolves around

their mythological characters is

likely to inculcate values among chil-

dren, thereby encouraging the view-

ership of these cartoons.

That way, an already established

character comes to the rescue.

Japanese animation series are, how-

ever, dealt with differently. They are

essentially made to cater to differ-

ent areas of interest. They don’t just

make animation for children or

adults but for sports lovers, Shake-

speare lovers, food lovers, music

lovers, Goth lovers, history lovers,

romantic comedy lovers, science

lovers and for every niche market

which is likely to exist. What they

put in is meticulous research behind

every creation because they are

used to targeting specialists of those

fields or potential information seek-

ers. Their magic has logic, their sci-

fies have real science put to use,

their detective stories are hard to

understand in a go, and some car-

toons are an epitome of absurdity.

When an anime has a storyline

which is as simple as the story of

‘The Rising Star’, they will use their

research to make sure that the con-

tent doesn’t have loopholes. In their

bid to attain perfection, they need

to ensure the story doesn’t drag, in

which case it won’t grab eyeballs.

They will have to strike the appropri-

ate balance between appeal and

precision, which in fact they are

good at.

Most Indians love cricket the way no

one else does; few Indians love

anime, but when they do, it’s to the

extent that they can easily compete

in the otaku-race, pun intended, in

Japan. In the 60th anniversary cele-

bration of Indo-Japan ties, the Japan

External Trade Organization, more

commonly referred to as JETRO, had

organized a Cool Japan festival in

Mumbai. The three-day event

recorded about 24,500 footfalls.

That was the first time the city saw

the madness of the otaku world that

went up several notches when the

TMS Entertainment kiosk showed

the trailer of The Rising Star on loop.

Eyebrows were raised, jaws hit the

floor and a herd of otakus sur-

rounded the kiosk. The upcoming

anime was much talked about, and

the youngsters present gave a roar

of anticipation, clearly declaring

their eagerness.

Let’s hope that Japan’s ‘Indianized’

anime sets the foundation for a

larger number of anime lovers in the

country.

12 | The Eye

12 Areas Of Photography to Watch Out For

Photography is an expansive art form that includes more than just portraiture, landscape or glam-

our photography. Both professional and amateur photographers may favor specific types of pho-

tography over others. While a professional photographer may work in photojournalism, an

amateur may be particularly interested in macro-photography. Read on to know more!

Photojournalism

Although amateurs may break into this field without formal training, photojournalism is often limited

to professionals. One reason photojournalism is generally practiced by professionals is that serious pho-

tojournalists must be sure that their shots maintain the integrity of the original scene.

Photojournalism requires the photographer to shoot only the facts: no alteration or embellishment of

the photo is permitted. Photojournalism pictures are often powerful images that engage the viewer

with the news story. Knowing how to take such shots to capture the original emotion is often learned

only through years of practice and experience.

Documentary Photography

Documentary photographs tell stories with images. The main difference between photojournalism and

documentary photography is that documentary photography is meant to serve as a historical document

of a political or social era while photojournalism documents a particular scene or instance.

A documentary photographer may shoot a series of images of the inner city homeless or chronicle the

events of international combat. Any topic may be the subject of documentary photography. As with

photojournalism, documentary photography seeks to show the truth without manipulating the image.

Action Photography

While professionals who take action shots may specialize in a variety of different subjects, sports pho-

tography is one of the fastest and most exciting types of photography. As with any action shot, a good

sports photographer has to know his or her subject well enough to anticipate when to take pictures.

The same rule goes for photographers taking action shots of animals in nature or of a plane taking off.

Macrophotography

Macrophotography describes the field of photography in which pictures are taken at close range. Once

restricted to photographers with advanced and expensive equipment, macrophotography is now easier

for amateurs to practice with digital cameras with macro settings. Macrophotography subjects may in-

clude insects, flowers, the texture of a woven sweater or any object where close-up photography reveals

interesting details.

Microphotography

Microphotography uses specialized cameras and microscopes to capture images of extremely small sub-

jects. Most applications of microphotography are best suited for the scientific world. For example, mi-

crophotography is used in disciplines as diverse as astronomy, biology and medicine.

Aditya Sapkale

13 | The Eye

Glamour Photography

As the name implies, the goal of glamour photography is to depict the model in a glamorous light. Con-

sequently, many glamour shots carry flirtatious, mysterious and playful tones.

Aerial Photography

An aerial photographer specializes in taking photos from the air. Photos may be used for surveying or

construction, to capture birds or weather on film or for military purposes. Aerial photographers have

used planes, ultralights, parachutes, balloons and remote controlled aircraft to take pictures from the

air.

Underwater Photography

Underwater photography is usually employed by scuba divers or snorkelers. However, the cost of scuba

diving, coupled with often expensive and unwieldy underwater photography equipment, makes this one

of the less common types of photography. Similarly, if an amateur has the equipment and the scuba

know-how, taking shots underwater can be complicated, as scuba goggles are magnified and distort the

photographer’s vision.

Portraiture

Portraiture is one of the oldest types of photography. Whether the subject is your family or your pet,

the goal of portraiture is to capture the personality of the subject or group of subjects on film.

Wedding Photography

Wedding photography is a blend of different types of photography. Although the wedding album is a

documentary of the wedding day, wedding photos can be retouched and edited to produce a variety of

effects. For example, a photographer may treat some of the pictures with sepia toning to give them a

more classic, timeless look.In addition, a wedding photographer must have portrait photography skills.

He may also have to employ glamour photography techniques to capture the bride and groom at their

best.

Advertising Photography

Because photography plays a vital role in advertising, many professional photographers devote their ca-

reers to advertising photography. The need for unique and eye-catching advertising copy means the pho-

tographer may work with multiple types of photography, including macrophotography and glamour

photography.

Travel Photography

Travel photography may span several categories of photography, including advertising, documentary or

vernacular photography that depicts a particularly local or historical flavor. A travel photographer can

capture the feel of a location with both landscapes and portraiture.

14 | The Eye

Much ado about Dokra

Most who don’t know much

about India, consider it is

a mystical land of ele-

phants, cows and snake charmers

who somehow co-exist with the

high tech world of computer geeks

and call centres. In the art world,

contemporary Indian art is synony-

mous with the old vanguard of M F

Hussain, Raza and Tyeb Mehta,

these days, Subodh Gupta (who

some term the Indian Damien Hirst),

Riyas Komu, Atul Dodiya are making

waves at international auctions. The

traditional arts of India are so di-

verse that even most Indians are not

aware of the many myriad hues and

forms that traditional India has to

offer. This vast subcontinent is di-

vided into states, communities (over

600), districts, dialects, tribes; which

has given rise to a rich diversity in

art forms as well.

What is Dhokra?

Dhokra is non–ferrous metal casting

using the lost-wax casting tech-

nique. This sort of metal casting has

been used in India for over 4,000

years and is still used. Its name

comes from the Dhokra Damar

tribes are the traditional metal-

smiths of West Bengal. The tribe ex-

tends from Jharkhand to West

Bengal and Orissa; members are dis-

tant cousins of the Chattisgarh

Dhokras. A few hundred years ago

the Dhokras of Central and Eastern

India traveled south as far as Kerla

and north as far as Rajasthan and

hence are now found all over India.

What is so special?

The USP of Dhokra metal craft is

that no two pieces of Dhokra art are

alike. Each and every single piece of

Dhokra craft is unique. The product

of dhokra artisans are in great de-

mand in domestic and foreign mar-

kets because of primitive simplicity,

enchanting folk motifs and forceful

form.

Tanvi Hegde

15 | The Eye

Dokra craft is so coveted by collec-

tors is because of its powerful form,

charming folk motifs and primitive

simplicity – all of which let you ex-

plore and peek a glimpse into the in-

digenous folk culture of India and

particularly Bengal. Intricate designs

and every fine detail on each article

holds its unique and distact identity.

This individualistic touch is due to

the hand crafted dexterity and skill

that these Dokra artifacts boast of.

However, although metal casting is

used in Dokra craft, they are differ-

ent from other types of metal craft.

Although it is mostly brass scrap and

bell metal that are used to manufac-

ture Dokra craft, there remains a

hollow core inside the metal casting

consisting of a clay core.

How to make your Dhokra art

piece?

The process of making Dhokra art

piece is even more interesting.

Dhokra metal crafts follow the tradi-

tional method of lost or vanishing

wax technique. First the clay core is

designed and then is layered by wax,

resin and nut oil. Wax is then carved

and every fine detail is given again

this is covered by clay it works as a

mould for metal art piece. Clay is

then cooked and wax comes out

from the drain ducts. Molten metal

is poured inside the mould. After the

netal has taken shape and has

cooled down, outer clay layer is

chipped off. Metal art piece is then

polished and finished. Thus this

method has a big disadvantage that

mould can be used only once and

hence two pieces will not be exactly

the same.

Where is Dhokra now?

Dhokra craft so far, was dying a slow,

nevertheless steady death due to

lack of patronage and government

encouragement, however the huge

demand for Dhokra craft along with

other types of brassware handicrafts

in foreign shores has resulted in a

flourishing, resurgence and resur-

rection of this ancient art of metal

crafting. The reasons for this are

plenty. Dhokra craft, just like any

other type of Indian handicrafts, was

dying a slow death. Even a few years

back, it was difficult to find quality

or even accomplished Dhokra crafts-

men and metal smiths. The dearth

or paucity of skilled labor resulted in

dwindling supplies and the prices of

the end products sky rocketed up-

wards. Naturally, the demand also

went down because of the escalat-

ing prices. Even the designs and pat-

terns on Dhokra items had become

outdated. But there has been a turn-

around for this industry, which was

nothing short of a wonder. And this

wonder has been brought about by

latest and advanced technology,

adoption of latest product designs

and patterns and newness/innova-

tion of motifs. The line of products

has undergone sea change and

there has been a sudden burst in

manufacture of beautiful napkin

rings, serving sets, good quality

vases etc. The proliferation of new

design developments along with the

latest technologies have enabled the

Dhokra craftsmen to bring out lines

of Dhokra products that are usable

and which can be put to good use by

clients in the contemporary world

markets.

A new design artist called Mukul

Goyal is helping out the Dhokra

craftsmen in their endeavor to de-

velop altered and contemporary

ranges of Dhokra art and Dokra

craft. The Dokra craftsmen are also

being helped by Mr. Goyal in the

marketing of Dokra items in foreign

markets. These people have to-

gether developed and brought out

10 new ranges or product lines.

Some of those items in the product

lines are door handles, flower vases,

napkin rings, lamps, food grade etc.

There are however limitations to the

art, as practiced by these Dokra

craftsmen. All the Dokra art pieces

are hand crafted, and so the finish-

ing isn’t of excellent quality. So,

those Dokra products which have to

be exported have to undergo detail-

ing and final finishing by machines in

some other place.

16 | The Eye

Art In Cinema

An Indian Art magazine

without Indian cinema in it

is unrealistic. Film is con-

sidered to be an important art

form, a source of popular enter-

tainment and a powerful method

for educating or indoctrinating cit-

izens. Film making is also an

“ART”. You need talent and fore-

sight to make a movie. Talent of

making film a piece of art work

and foresight for knowing how

much will it be loved by the audi-

ence. Intuitively, some films qual-

ify as artworks and others do not.

All film is art, though some of it is

better art or higher art. This, it

turns out, is not just a question for

those with a special interest in

film. It has interest for aesthetic

value more broadly, because film

can serve as a test case for defini-

tions of art. A film can be termed

as masterpiece only when all the

aspects in the making of the film

are on dot. These aspects are the

story, the sets, the costume, the

cinematography and lot others.

This is not to say that a work be-

comes art when it’s taken up by

an art-consuming audience.

Moreover, audiences do not

transform works into art; rather

they discover that a works de-

serves to be regarded in that way.

If this intuition is right, the key to

understanding what makes a film

count as art is what goes on in this

discovery process.

India is well known for its com-

mercial cinema. Almost every In-

dian is well versed with onscreen

“running around the trees singing

songs”, the fight sequences, twins

meeting each other after years,

topped with some dose of mush

and lots and lots of spice. These

movies are made completely to

entertain the Indian audience.

India is full of art and that is de-

picted in Indian movies. Whether

commercial or non commercial

movie, both need art.. Both have

got distinct way of describing art

through movies. There are a num-

ber of genres and styles of Indian

cinema that a viewer encounters,

such as, romantic comedies, gang-

ster films, horror films, westerns,

melodramas, musicals and histor-

ical films. While some of these

genres are present in Indian cin-

ema, often as a consequence of

the impact of the western films,

the Indian filmmakers have also

created some styles of their own,

that are acknowledged as their

own. This is clearly discernible in

the popular tradition of filmmak-

ing in India. These movies spend a

lot over creating huge sets, mak-

ing dancers dance in the back-

ground, give audience too many

colors, emotions and entertain-

ment. The Indian Art Cinema has

had a humble beginning. This

genre doesn’t boast of foreign lo-

cales, hopelessly expensive

clothes or the big star cast. The

sole strength of these kinds of

films is the story.

The Indian Art Cinema has beauti-

fully transformed and re-invented

itself. From socially relevant topics

of Child Marriage, Dowry, Female

Feticide, Widow Re-marriage to a

simple love story. A true admirers

of cinema and a person who con-

sider movie-making as an art call

it the “Offbeat” or “The Art House

Cinema”. Many people in India

plainly call such films as "art films"

as opposed to mainstream com-

mercial cinema. From the 1960s

through the 1980s, the art film or

the parallel cinema was usually

government-aided cinema. Such

directors could get federal or state

government grants to produce

non-commercial films on Indian

themes. Their films were show-

cased at state film festivals and on

the government-run TV. These

films also had limited runs in art

house theatres in India and over-

seas. The Art film-makers have

done it all. It’s amazing to see how

some of the very talented film-

makers have gifted their audi-

ences with some of their

magnificent work. The generation

today are more intelligent and

open to a wide variety of topics.

At the end of the day the purpose

of the film and the audience

should be served. From the very

inception of this genre, there has

been a difference between art

and commercial cinema. The au-

dience wants a good story and a

really good way of putting it and

that’s what the film makers are

supposed to do. Yes masala flicks

are welcome but too much of

masala can cause acidity! A good

mixture of masala movies and in-

telligent cinema is what the audi-

ence wants.

Vaidehi Tendulkar

17 | The Eye

In this new context of art-

house appeal to the main-

stream, “of limited box-office

appeal” is striking, if not, per-

haps, inaccurate. On the other

hand, general conceptions of

“art house” have come to de-

scribe films simply on the

basis of their production out-

side the Bollywood system, re-

gardless of their status as

conventional dramas or

slightly offbeat comedies.

However with changing times

this gap has been bridged. The

themes of art movies have

witnessed a change. The audi-

ences today look out for

“good” films rather than the

serious or popular films.

Hence once a while a multi-

starrer movie bombs and a

small budget movie like Aamir

is much appreciated by the

cine goers. The need for better

subjects, the desire to watch

something more feasible on

the screen and the boredom

that has set in with the regular

candyfloss cinema are some

of the reasons for this appar-

ent change. If this trend con-

tinues then the day is no far

when there will be no com-

mercial cinema or art cinema,

but just good cinema and bad

cinema.

The knowledge of Indian cin-

ema gives you an opportunity

to enter into the thought-

worlds and performance-

worlds to the people

interested in this art. Many In-

dian film directors, right from

the pioneers such as Dadasa-

heb Phalke to the modern

ones like Yash Chopra, have

deployed their creativity along

with traditional forms of

dance, folk & classical music to

enhance the communicated

experience. Indian popular

cinema has evolved into a dis-

tinctively Indian mode of en-

tertainment by imaginatively

amalgamating music dances

also and because of the works

of veteran directors like

V.Shantaram. Guru Dutt and

Raj Kapoor. So, through Indian

cinema one can also enter the

larger world of Indian aesthet-

ics. Film makers like Ketan

Mehta has made a movie on

the life of 19th century painter

Raja Ravi Varma named it as

Rang Rasiya. It’s a very artistic

movie showing us the reality

of the society in the 19th cen-

tury. He had also directed

Mangal Pande which was

again very artistic from the

sets to costume everything

gave you the feel on the 18th

century. Aushitosh

Gowarikar’s Jodha Akbar is an-

other epic story in which art

played a very important role.

To add on the list is devdas

Sanjay Leela Bhansali did a

brilliant job with art direction.

Indian cinema has presented a

detailed version of India from

its different historical movies

to its present scenario movies.

The distinct genres of films de-

picted by the different film-

makers have helped in the

study of India from a different

and distinct angle of vision.

Thus, one cannot help but re-

alize the fact that indeed it has

been the old traditions and

the cultures that have actually

framed the Indian cinema,

which have been an encour-

agement to uplift India and

make it one of the renowned

countries in the world. By see-

ing the cultures and traditions

of the distinct societies, peo-

ple can examine their own

country`s culture with fresh

eyes and with a special vision

and approach.

18 | The Eye

Remembering Andy

Warhol

“To be living life between roles” –

Andy Warhol

Everyone wants to go trendy. Everyone wants to

make a statement. If there was one man who knew

who to make it, it was Andy Warhol who is largely

credited to be the pioneer of the pop culture move-

ment.

Pop art started way back in the 50’s and the 60’s. It

was the moment of visual art which characterized

the sense of optimism during the post war consumer

boom. It included different styles of painting and

artistic works from various countries but the most

common factor in all was the interest in mass media

and mass culture. Pop art made it very easy to con-

vey the message to the youth as it influences the

mass culture and the youth the most. Pop culture

later became the medium of expression. It was eas-

ier for people to express their views, opinions and

stands through pop art. Even after 20 years of his

death, Andy Warhol remains the heartbeat of pop

and art culture. The unforgettable artist still inspires

many of his professional counterparts thanks to his

creative imagery and cultivated celebrity. His impact

as an artist is far deeper and greater than his one

prescient observation that “everyone will be world

famous for fifteen minutes.”

The man that was Warhol

The youngest child of three, Andy was born Andrew

Warhol on August 6, 1928 in the working class neigh-

bourhood of Oakland, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Hit at an early age with a rare neurological disorder,

the young Andy Warhol found solace and escape in

the form of popular celebrity magazines and DC

comic books, imagery he would return to years later.

Work came quickly to Warhol in New York, a city he

made his home and studio for the rest of his life.

Building on the emerging movement of Pop Art,

wherein artists used everyday consumer objects as

subjects, Warhol started painting readily found,

mass-produced objects, drawing in his extensive ad-

vertising background. In one of his interviews he

very beautifully quoted, “I love it when you ask ac-

tors, ‘what are you doing now?’ and they say, ‘ I’m

between roles.’ To be living ‘Life between roles.’

That’s my favourite.”

Warhol’s most remebered paintings

1950 was the year

when he began ex-

hibiting his work. This

picture is the Velvet

Underground album

cover by Andy

Warhol.

1950s Warhol, as an

advertisement illus-

trator used assistants

to increase his pro-

ductivity. By 1960, he

became a very suc-

cessful commercial il-

lustrator.

1950s Warhol, as an

advertisement illus-

trator used assistants

to increase his pro-

ductivity. By 1960, he

became a very suc-

cessful commercial il-

lustrator.

1950s Warhol, as an

advertisement illus-

trator used assistants

to increase his pro-

ductivity. By 1960, he

became a very suc-

cessful commercial il-

lustrator.

Ojasvi Mishra

19 | The Eye