You see, I believe that photographs make for good stories, but not great memories.

[…]

I’m not saying the human eye sees reality/things exactly as they are. Everything is a perception, be it a photograph or a memory. I’m just saying a memory usually turns out to be very different from a photograph.

I’ve noticed that I often refrain from (and rarely miss) using my camera when going through some of the most incredible experiences during my day-to-day life. The top of a mountain peak, the edge of a cliff, that warm partner on the cold 3 a.m. walk, the lip-smacking chole bhature, that stunning piece of architecture, the captivating live performance…

I’m not sure of the exact reason, but I think it’s a combination of things. A bit of wanting to surrender myself completely to the moment, some hesitance in attempting to replicate something so unique, and the feeling of futility in trying to capture and preserve the moment as a mere photograph. (This, by the way, is also why I’ve been reluctant (so far) to share photos from two recent influential and extremely stimulating trips to Hampi and Fatehpur Sikri.)

Yet this insecurity of doing justice to a real, lived moment lies at the heart of my fascination with art. When you stop trying to document the entirety of your emotions and choose instead to express, to tell a story—your story—is when art shines best. And I have nothing but admiration for the artists who manage this feat.

Be it a tweet, a painting, a book, a photograph or even a film, there are always constraints. The great storytellers manage their way around—nay, embrace these constraints, and they do it so well that they’re able to evoke emotions so vague and diverse that you might just find yourself pointing to their work to indicate the way you feel.

∞

∞

∞

Jon Tangerine puts this a lot more eloquently.

∞

The Music Project is a series of video portraits, documenting independent music in the country.

An excellent project by Tehelka.

The indie music scene in India is gathering momentum every day, but much of the music is still very hard to come across. Initiatives such as this and NH7 are doing a great job at bridging this gap between the artists and the listeners. Great not just because their work supports upcoming musicians and gives shape to a new culture, but also because of the quality, care and taste with which this work is carried out.

With The Music Project for instance, Tehelka has done a really nice job of selecting a diverse and interesting group of bands & individual artists, but they have done an equally good job with the production itself. Intimate, patiently shot video sessions, very high quality sound recordings and just enough art direction — all set in various eccentric urban spaces across contemporary India. And they have uploaded and shared these episodes on YouTube for us to enjoy (in high-definition, no less).

Pity then how all of this goodness goes largely unnoticed on a Facebook page. My only gripe. Yes that platform is popular, but it is not the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything.

Ah well. Not-realising-the-internet’s-tremendous-potential rant aside, this really is a wonderful project. Go listen to some new music.

∞

Update: The day’s proceedings in full, over at the Parliament of India archives.

∞

∞

In March 2011 the two of us set out to travel around India and make a film. The film you see here is a teaser of sorts, edited from footage of the first two months of travel - mostly around Himachal Pradesh, and a bit of Rajasthan.

From an unsuccessful house hunt in Chennai to documenting performers and artisans up and down the country, somethingwehavealwayswantedtodo. Wow.

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, music is in the ear of the listener. Delightful little travelogue. The whole thing is done quite well, but the editing just shines through. If this is just the teaser, I’m excited to see what they come up with next.

∞

∞

So wonderful, so tragic.
(Wikipedia | Trailer)

∞