Some new art works!

Hello!
Been a long time since I scribbled anything on here.
Anyways, thought I will atleast post some skecthes I have been working on.

Night, luminescent .

(medium: Pen: edited in photoshop)

Untitled 2
Quick sketching practice, done in just under 3 mins.
(medium: Pen: edited in photoshop)

Angel playing musical instrument. (WIP)
(medium: pencils)

Captivated
(medium: pencils)

Representation and Participation

Last week I attended the IAI conference held by Animation Xpress.com in Mumbai on teh 21st and 22nd May. There were quite some interesting points discussed during the 2 day sessions on how Indian Animation I should get more organized in the Academic sector, Collaboration between the Industry and the Academia etc. A point I did notice was that there were a lot being discussed, some very valid thoughts and concerns, but very little was actually being thought about in terms of coming up with solutions and finding methods of implementing them.

With these thoughts buzzing in my head, I came across an interesting article by Prof. John Maeda of MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, on his thoughts on a similar topic of purpose of a committee, specifically in academia.

Representation and Participation

In academia there are many committees as compared with industry. Committees enable the sharing of viewpoints in an open forum of members who are committed to the cause of the committee. If you turn that around however for someone who is not on the committee, from the outside it appears like a closed forum and makes those that are not inside the committee feel less committed to the cause of the committee.

A committee is usually formed of representatives for particular constituent groups. It is the responsibility of the representatives to provide representation, and more importantly to report back to their constituents how they did with enough details such that they feel properly represented but also they know how to become more committed, albeit indirectly.

Minutes are an important tool for sharing the issues discussed in a meeting, knowing who went or didn't go, and when shared openly provide for greater accountability. Starting the meeting with an agenda is important; sharing the agenda ahead of time for feedback is even more important. Finally, executing the meeting in the promised allotment of time is critical.

Even and fair participation is important. Otherwise the viewpoints become skewed and the outcome fails to benefit from the strength of diverse opinions. The leader needs to be careful to solicit opinions from quiet constituents, and at the same time ask for more vocal constituents to grant some extra room for the less vocally-gifted.

A committed core needs to connect with the uncommitted masses. Otherwise the committee has no meaning to exist. Communication in every which way is everything for the leader. Without communication, she is the leader of a team of one -- her own mind.

- Prof. John Maeda

I just find that at this stage, the Indian Animation industry and academia need to come up with a follow-up action plan rather than just talk about it in seminars and sessions.

As pointed rightly by Prof. Maeda, the leader becomes a very important driving force in the success of the committee. The question that most definitely arises then is 'WHO' is going to take on this kind of a task, and lead this cause in an effective and more importantly a committed way.

The answer to that, only time shall tell.

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo

Well believe it or not this is actually a sentence!
An interesting forward mail in office today, and I thought is was worth sharing!!!

It is an linguistic sentence example called: Lexical ambiguity

The best part, this sentence is grammatically correct and has meaning: “Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.” First devised by professor William J. Rapaport in 1972, the sentence uses various meanings and parts of speech for the term “buffalo” (and its related proper noun “Buffalo”) to make an extremely hard-to-parse sentence.

Although most people know “buffalo” as both a singular and plural term for bison, and “Buffalo” as a city in New York, “buffalo” is also a verb meaning “to bully, confuse, deceive, or intimidate.” Using these definitions, Wikipedia suggests the sentence can be read:

[Those] (Buffalo buffalo) [whom] (Buffalo buffalo buffalo) buffalo (Buffalo buffalo).

Still too hard to follow for those of us who don’t know “buffalo” as a verb. Refine once more:

[Those] buffalo(es) from Buffalo [that are intimidated by] buffalo(es) from Buffalo intimidate buffalo(es) from Buffalo.

And once more:

Bison from Buffalo, New York who are intimidated by other bison in their community also happen to intimidate other bison in their community.

Wikipedia has further explanation, including the slightly frightening note:

Buffalo is not the only word in English for which this kind of sentence can be constructed; any word which is both a plural noun and a plural form of a transitive verb will do. Other examples include dice, fish, right and smelt.

And there is an image explaining all of this!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Buffalo_sentence_1_parse_tree.svg

WOW!
Beware of Buffalo buffalo, buffalo, for they may buffalo you.

Why Being Creative Is Good!!

A very interesting article; I knew I had to get back to my own creativity after this!!!Very inspiring indeed and to a lot of extent very true!!!

Why Being Creative Is Good

Much of my days and all hours are now spent on contemplating the value of the arts and design. Of course there is the economical value of art as artifacts that accrue value, or design as enabling enhancements that result in product revenues. But my mind has wandered towards this strange overused word of creative. The idea of someone that has a propensity to create.

While watching my daughter's viola lesson, and as she stood in front of the class, I realized that the moment when the bow touched the strings was not something to be taken for granted. It was the moment when she was to begin the process of expressing herself by creating music. To create is to potentially embarrass oneself in front of others. It is about the courage to be oneself and to be seen as oneself. Putting ink to a page, or pressing one's fingers against clay, or typing a line of computer code, or blowing glass and realizing mistake. Or success. With everyone watching. But most importantly, you.

So it dawned upon me how important it is to be a creative. Because it means you have within you infinite capacity to experiment. You are unafraid to go somewhere new because you are creating a new thought process about your own creativity. You know that if you stop and no longer challenge yourself, you cease to be creative. You become still, silent, and the bow no longer connect with the strings and music is not made. And you do not exist. You show you do not have the courage to exist.

Creativity is courage. The world needs more fearless people that can influence all disciplines to challenge their very existence. Creativity is reflection aimed not at yourself, but at the world around you.

- By John Maeda