Working on the pathways of Sound
If I think of language which evolves out of sound, to me it has some acoustic value. To think in words has been always a difficult task for me, when there is a visual expression. Words need attires like articles, tenses and grammar to support its stand towards an explanation. I am looking for words in my work, which can be authentic like that of proper nouns without specific and related meaning. One possibility can be to form a structure of sound, which can be a difficult process that needs further exploration. In the system of the animistic society sound plays a very important role as emotions and expressions. In their society words with meanings are not authoritative and have no such fundamental influence. They came out with a certain representation of sound through their ceremonial and domestic behaviour, which is difficult to logically analyse but which is experienceable. I am looking for sound through which I can communicate, which itself becomes a word, a language and a source that can help in presenting my own works.
A Passage from my manuscript.
MANIFESTATION:
“…There has been not many listeners around. Not many listeners use the mind to distract their listening, few listeners allow their heart to listen. The mind loves to claim that it is free from the situation of being a puppet-ear to the speakers.
…
On the other hand not many speakers use complicated vocabularies to lay their eggs of sentences. Not many speakers are in the book of inter-textual pirates as those speakers display their own experience, examples and performativity to form their vocabulary that resonates the heart of the gathered listeners.
Mind loves to dissect, distract, divide, define, damage, dump all that is pulled into it’s problematic mechanism. Heart loves to demonstrate, dissolve, donate and deal with solutions. Mind holds the power to break the Heart. Heart makes all effort to renew, remake, reconstruct, renovate, restore, reform, rediscover, reinvent and relishes the evolving senses along with visible and invisible forces of expression.
Mind supports the heart. But only to manipulate with doubts and questions the trust that can add elements of integration. Mind almost becomes monotonous in it’s authoritative claim over heart, taking the decision into it’s hands. Heart needs to awaken more to realize the fluidity and spontaneous phenomenon of expression, that arises for instance from the flow of mountain spring; that transforms into long distance rivers to communicate with the sea and finally merge into the vast ocean.
Can we participate to recall the differences, understanding the diversity and registering a bridge that can calm down the domination and tormented demeanor of the mind over the Heart?
(Extracts from the manuscript– Manifestation)
…To discover what is covered has always been the tendency of excavators. Excavators are not restricted here as archaeologists, anthropologist or ethnographers. There are the appearance of ‘the other’ with the notion of excavating numerous phenomenon in the existential and astral world of happenings. At times the word ‘to reveal’ is protected under the word of excavation. Something gets uncovered, exposed, expressed. ‘I’ sometimes become ‘the other’ when the role of excavation plays upon my searching nibs filled with black ink. ‘The otherness’ is always vulnerable for the term of a rational space to look through. If I am scribing, I am also picking up records and uncovering the expressions that seem to me from the perspective of otherness. The otherness sometimes embodies and at times dissects connective wire of being involved, not knowing that the link is always there in the content and context of selection. What can be a safe way to excavate? Do I have to take precautions? Do I have to be a cautious predator towards the prey? Do I have to submit to the consequence of the uncovered form? If I do submit, is there any harm in doing so? These are all the sets of question which ‘the otherness’ carries to approach the site of action and inaction. ‘I’ transformed into the ‘the other’ is a tricky phenomenon. In this, the constant play of vulnerability reveals like a game of return and serve. Even when I am letting out the words, coming directly from me, becomes ‘the other’ in outlook. All these acknowledgement of something personal fades away when the manuscript is read, performed and reviewed. There is no longer any ownership when constantly a concept of shared world comes forth and then ‘I’ exist no more….
…….I relate to this in my work as layers, found for instance in onions. Each layer smells different, looks different, feels to be different. I accept the layers of acceptance, rejection, possessions, position, sentiments, moods and modes in my being. Layers of ownership that appear like a make-shift stall of goods that are purchased, given, recycled, bartered and banished. I witness as an eye-witness – layers of anima- animus, layers that are bound by void, dissected and adjoined by them. Because layers are not intact as they are destined to peel off or destined to stay dormant undisturbed by curious mind. In this shed of existence I am and all are reconstructed as reactionary beings to formulate and experience the layers of happenings associated with the sense of perception……
Self portraiture
(self is the Other even in our Body)
When we enter into a phase building up our personality, we are generally dealing with the word ‘persona’ . Persona is considered as mask to deal with beingness of individuality confronting this phase. Earlier I was questioning this state while observing the role element. It is here the notion of ‘being’ and ‘becoming’ comes into frame. For example – being an ‘individual’ versus becoming a ‘personality’. Here, I can see an attempt to enter into Otherness. Self confronting the Other. For instance, even it can be that some nation’s strategy to convince the citizens to reconsider their individual status through the Otherness aspect; here self becomes the Other. This is so evident when individuals confront each other. Putting an emphasis on personality frame, they exhibit profoundly the specific ‘Other’ and appear to each other as An-Other. Also the perception of the people while looking at this portrait which gets into the point of personifying me aims towards the becoming aspect. Appearance is always met with questionable glance when one appears and faces the other, technically bouncing back to oneself like a pendulum. Very often my looks have been like a puzzle for the onlookers. Most often dealing with the juggling effect of identity, although I don’t fall into a role yet the general tendency of the people is to categorize me in the juncture of becoming though in actual sense they are facing my being. If I now bring a specific example here – one of the viewers after looking at this very self portrait addressed me that I look like a rebel, actually a a Maoist rebel. It is evident here that an individual’s eye becomes an instrument to transfer information to the brain. This is where the appearance deceives when the actual ‘me’ is somewhat and somehow, confronting them. To some I look like someone from South America, a Mexican, or sometimes I am even compared to a Brazilian or Lapland people due to my countenance. In a way this constant assumption of identity makes me explore the specific Other in a more questionable form. Rest assured self portraiture then turned out more important to me dealing with it in frequent time and space. Coming back to the question of self and the Other, self portraiture allows one to look into numerous aspects, questions and doubts. This practice is not only about colour, tones, hues, styles, feature; but also one can discover many levels even by tincturing the philosophical discourse. However, here I feel lot of pondering evolves and opens up, when we can actually discard the references that has already been tampered forming into bibliographical approach. It is therefore such a reason why self portraiture helps in studying the self as a ‘self’ or even as the ‘Other’. A narcissist way of doing or studying is conditional which doesn’t apply much information to the creative expressionists; there is always something more than what is generalized, what is perceived. There is always a question to be answered, an answer to be questioned. For some practitioners self portraiture is like examining various techniques, even I had the privilege to explore on that ground. In recent times my exploration is not thoroughly lingering in aesthetic value of portraying, but more in the line and margin of a value concerned with the livingness associated with the present. To me self portraiture reveals the time and space range adjoining an experienceable notion. The journey of self in the Otherness of a body frame has innumerable remnants to go through, which concerns the bygone days, present-recentness and absent-tomorrow. It brings forth the issues that are uncertain, issues that are existing and issues that one has to deal with in this huge maze of a complex mechanical world. We and I represent the existing inhabitant in the presence of beingness. This beingness can be like a make-shift semantic or it can be stagnant in the situational remedies of the world, which thrusts individuals into the becoming phenomena. What I create here is a picture or in other words I bring out a picture in the open and in this very ground this self portraiture can also relate to thinking of the Other. The Other which becomes The An-Other, perambulating in the pendulumic manner so as to consider in anyone’s viewpoint. This question of the Other has and had been an important card for the philosopher’s and psychoanalysts’ desk appearing as a synthesis of critical thinkers. On the other hand to live and breath as the Other is somehow more in the realm of reality. Self portraiture is however, just a representation when the ground is different, as this paper presents so. A specific pictographic description to count and evaluate, rather than merely observing the resemblance of the feature presented here. The other is potentially triggering the self and self in return potentially resonating on the realm of the Other.
Self Portraiture is not only a way to be a narcissist but also to examine, excavate and question the identity. Identity is not only a sovereign subject practiced by the evidence-mongers, but also to refer to the paradigm of ‘Being’ and ‘Becoming’.
Self is also the Other in our body. Normal mirror image cultivate in this query when one craves to inquire in one’s domestic practice. The otherness also tampers and tickles the role that one wants to adopt. Questions of belongingness, the time and space aspects that points to durational stand always tincture the Other. The stretch from Other to the space of An-Other is peremptorily evident and one can bring this to problematize.
Feature of self analyzing is very evident with constant examination in the velocity of time range. My effort is concentrated more in this juncture, choosing on my personal ground the paradox and metaphor of self and the Other. But all these are explored with the challenges that are already existing. I remember how my visage through a transitional phase went through considerable changes, taking note of the choice and chance syndrome seen in this plane of existence. Make-shiftiness is present not as choice but it is conditioned by the events and situation that tincture the ‘Other-hood’. I try to test and reflect this issue through bodily writing and self portraiture. Refined and civilized ancient culture and animistic cultures have examined this notion by living it. Constant dribbling was done by examining the enigma of Self and the Other through sacred and secular rituals, rites of passage, processing of divinations and practices. These cultural people anticipated the Other by representing in symbolic gesture the concept of past existence, rebirth and re-incarnations. Or in another word they attempted to diminish the visible and invisible margin that exist between Self and the Other. In the present age the Otherness enters and faces the notion of An-Other. Here through self portraiture, some kind of attempt is singled out by these juggling of terms – a visual kind which don’t necessarily require textual curtain being translucent yet being strong in expression. A visual kind in which one can also look through mind’s eye, one can travel deeper to perceive and conceive, to encode and decode and to opine whatever sense of energy one can find. But at the end this visual kind performs with symbolic correspondence to the viewer’s domain of denomination. The real ‘me’ is always there whether the looks may change, whether the attire changes ; the visage and the body is always there as a container, as a filter to all that we can face.
Are we actually generalizing while we hold discussion or are we making any point in any which way? For me questioning the self as the Other is an important way to release the generalization. Each portrait that I have done goes into this phase of time and space phenomenon, examining the all round phenomenal changes, going through the remnants, going through the present and going through the ineffable inevitable future anon.
Action (Ville Karel and Perfo Fartistsuva) – Last day – ISSUE Open Demonstration Forum.
There is always an opinion forming when one see things with the eye. Our eye collects information to our mind and then thoughts develop. I am referring to the moment specifically when one sits in the observer’s role watching an action going on. I bring out the situation of the action we just did yesterday, the 3rd of April 2012 in the closing event, of our exhibition with the theme – ISSUE Open Demonstration Forum at Rajatila Gallery, Tampere, Finland. The exhibition started on 16th of March and ended yesterday.
An action which involves collaboration appears as an important ground to have a practical experience, I think even this text cannot fulfil the purpose to describe what one can get by doing. Here I put in black and white, not on the ground of audience view point in observing the action, but how as an Artist we confront the issue of doing and making doing. Most astonishingly how an action is perceived when a live animal is a part of the moment’s presentation? The test of behaviour, control, tension, communication, response and many more levels to be felt, experienced and seen. Can these action touch the notion of autobiographical aspect ? Just a question to ponder on.
Description of the Action:-
Myself, Ville karel and his dog – Fredi, a screen displaying political speeches as a backdrop of the action. On one side of the performance space people were preparing food. I serve myself a portion of the ready food and wait patiently to anticipate Ville’s action with Fredi. While he enters with Fredi, he stands facing the observers, I move towards the same area with my food plate and two incense sticks. Ville begins to make action interpreting the order and commands and in the same frame I start to eat the food with the help of incense sticks and then gradually i start lighting the incense and continue the action of eating with a lighted incense sticks. Slowly I start using the duct tape (silver coloured) wrapping over my torso and which is making also a screeching sound, adding to the sound coming from screen and Ville’s action of command and order. Somehow Fredi ( Ville’s dog) seemed to be confused with all that has been happening, I can really sense what is going on with the notion of control, examined by Ville in his relation to his own action and Fredi’s presence. On the other hand I am in the midst of problematizing the aspects of border between three of us. Specifically the presence of the dog made me really sensitive when I reached very close to Ville with the duck tape and that moment of encounter where three of us are in the same spot in the space, seemed to be in the height of tension. Ville being conscious of Fredi, Fredi being confused (for audience probably it seemed that the dog’s condition is panic stricken, on the other hand the master knows his Dog well) and myself in the state of speechless dialogue, the play of sensitivity, communication where the border is being tested. This moment is hard to describe in words and one can only experience this by being at the same situation/shoes. I gently place the duct-tape-roll near them and stretched the tape to a considerable distance to draw a border. Then instead of eating the food that I have with me on a plate, I start smearing the food in my face several times. I also place the burning incense in my wet face and light them again, proceed towards Ville who is now standing with a bunch of lighted incense sticks in his mouth.Then I place the rest of the incense sticks into his mouth. I shift the action suddenly, by smearing Ville’s chest with the food and then after a moment of stillness Ville walks back and I end the action by licking the food from the floor.
Its evident that the whole action described in written form may not be the same in comparison to live observation. We leave it to the viewers, observers, thinkers and critics to ponder on the Issue. To me the exploration of The Border = B + Order, examining “control” and the action which allows to browse through the behavioural elements of all of us including the participatory observers (audience), these all worked in a more experienceable notion. This action is one of the ways to examine the specific “Other” in the space of “An-Other”.
Reference from the Video page :- http://youtu.be/WBYNWb83jV4
Operation on the street – Caution vegetables are safe in condoms (plastic suffocation)
Pirkanmaan 5. Triennali (9 August 2012) – Street action of cutting peeling and cutting potatoes near the cross road.
The action took place on the street close to the cross roads ( zebra crossing). I am vestured in doctors uniform, white coat and wearing the arm bands with flag symbol of India on the left arm and that of Finland on my right arm. I am wearing a hat and also dark sun glass. I have a table placed with one of the leg stand almost crooked. A bowl where I am peeling the potatoes and later cutting them. I am also simultaneously writing caption oriented text while the action is going on. The captions that I recollect as there were no video documentation but images taken by a photographer Riikka Vaahtera, those are like – Vegetables in the condom. I am doing the action bringing humour in the symbolic provocation. Potatoes are big part of this culture. Cutting and peeling potatoes on the road side in the open and also wearing a doctors uniform with an added dandy look brings out a satirical demonstration of the ongoing tight petticoat approach of the System, which is so much based on the control mechanism of a certain convincing theory and the fever of playing safe and not taking risk ( for example keeping all vegetables wrapped inside the plastic). On one side trying to play safe and on the other side actually suffocating the nature of the freshness of the vegetables.The reaction of the people passing by is creating the instant structure of the Other in the space of An-Other.
Here is the link of the images on my gallery page :-
Suva 