My studio space at the Sir John Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design in Aldgate, London.
Before I left for Pakistan amidst the Corona virus crisis, I had been exploring laser cutting at The Cass. It had been an interesting technical and physical endeavour for me to prepare and procure different kinds of paper for this purpose, learning from Joel how to make an Adobe Illustrator file out of the linear pen illustrations that I had drawn, and ensuring that the illustrations were made in a way that would be conducive to this process. Unfortunately, the first time I tried this, I put in many hours to get the prerequisites in place for my slot in the laser cutting room, but failed after an entire day of hard work because the laser cutting machine did not recognise the vectorised drawing. Finally, with Joel's help, I managed the correct kind of digital file-making, and was able to print a particular illustration on a number of different materials (foam board, wrapping paper, chart paper, watercolour paper) for experimentation the next day.
One of my illustrations scanned and converted to a vector onto Adobe Illustrator.
A laser cut-illustration of mine on wrapping paper.
This laser cutting process, however, was cut short when I had to leave for Pakistan in a rush and managed to carry only a few materials in my suitcase. With the closure of laser cutting facilities here in my hometown of Karachi, Pakistan, due to the current world-scenario, I am unable to carry on with this particular idea. However, I will be able to make drawings that can be used once laser-cutting facilities are available.
Due to my lack of access to the laser-cutting machines, and because I had already tried my hand at the following in my studio space in London, I have been working on hand-cut paper pieces in Karachi. I had already made a few such simpler pieces back at The Cass and enjoyed the process. This process surely takes more time than laser cutting, and I find it to be enjoyable. I think the good thing about hand-cut pieces is that each can be unique as well as experimental in terms of spontaneity. So far, I have made a hand-cut drawing that took 4 days to make. Instead of making a complete illustration and then cutting it out, I worked on small portions of it at a time as I decided its direction and amount of detail as I worked on it. With all the stores shut in the Covid-19-related lockdown in Karachi, I was also unable to procure paper, and the only one available at home was some waxy and soft calligraphy paper. The cutter glides very well on it and makes the cutting process easier and more enjoyable. Just my luck, as I would never have tried it out otherwise. However, I am not sure how durable or strong it is, yet.
With the left-over pieces (or negative space) that have/has been cut-out, I am thinking of painting over them or assembling them to make another piece, or using them in some other way (perhaps pasting them on top of the hand cut piece to add some layers). This is not yet decided.
A hand-cut piece I made at home in Karachi, Pakistan, inspired by the current pandemic.
On the other hand, I have been continuing with the previous idea I had at The Cass of painting small books in a slightly illustrated style; something that I have wanted to do for a long time. I was interested in making A to Z books with illustrations, however I was not sure which words should be included in order to make the works unique. Nevertheless, this coronavirus pandemic gave me the idea that I could incorporate terms and emotions related to the virus in these books. Therefore, I wrote a list of both negative and positive terms related to this pandemic in my sketchbook. My idea is that the A-Z book(s) will contain interesting juxtapositions of ideas and notions that reveal the contrasting attitudes of people towards this pandemic all over the world (collectively as well as individually). One particular day for us can be positive and hopeful; the other, not so much.
Recently, I made a test-book of 4 pages with calligraphy paper (the only kind of paper I have available at home), and which I am using both for painting and for the hand-cut works. For watercolour painting, it is alright; it does not produce the best results (but it’ll do). However, this paper is naturally helping me generate an illustrated style, rather than a very refined, miniature painting-esque style that was naturally being produced while painting on watercolour paper.
Being at home since the last 14 days, and having had the traumatic experience of leaving London within a few hours of deciding to do so, has been interesting in terms of dealing with what seems to me great loss; loss of a good studio space and a great work environment, loss of having new experiences back in London, loss of seeing my new and cherished friends. I miss visiting museums and art galleries and conversing and exchanging ideas with people in person, and I miss the green parks I would sit in, coffee in hand, for fresh air and inspiration.
Having breakfast with friends back in London when things were normal; this feels like a lifetime away.
I am trying to make the most of the situation. The positives are that I seem to have a lot more time to work because I do not have to undertake a 40-minute journey to and fro commuting from my accommodation to The Cass, and overall there are fewer distractions. I have been rather productive so far; I hope this will last.
I could only manage to bring a few materials with me back to Karachi, which includes my watercolour and gouache paints, a paper-cutting knife (I hope the blade lasts me long because I forgot to bring the replacement blades), a small cutting-mat, as well as my pens, brushes and coloured markers. This narrows down my possibilities in terms of material, but also allows me to focus on a few things rather than get distracted by a number of different things I could explore.
As mentioned earlier, I have completed a paper-cut piece that took me almost 4 days to make. Yesterday, for Charlotte’s class, the entire day was spent making an audio-visual piece (not sure if it can be classified as video art or sound art so far) which is a response to Bjork’s song, Virus. This song was assigned to me by Tamsin and I had to respond to it in any way. I enjoyed that process as it took me back to using audio and video technology/programs on my computer that I hadn’t used in a while. Perhaps this piece could be played on air during our upcoming Resonance Radio gig?
I will soon get back to the A to Z books to create the pandemic- related pieces. Simultaneously, I have been reading my notes and have started a blog that is part of Charlotte's class requirements. This blog is helping me to record my thoughts and feelings at this strange time;
it is the documentation of a time that will be remembered in history.
Candid photograph with some of Magnificent Cusstard, our MFA Collective at The Cass, when we took a lunch break during our Winter Show at 4Cose, London.
May we meet again soon!
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