Tuesday, September 09, 2008

India Shining -Gandhi and the Laptop

I saw this sculpture made by a Kolkata artist named Debanjan Roy; I found it amusing (not sure if that was the intended effect the artist meant to have). I don't know why Gandhiji is all red-- (thats more of Chairman Mao's colour, yes?); but the laptop that's replaced the charkha & the title "India Shining" makes the piece very tongue-in-cheek.

14 comments:

shakester said...

i think its quite striking, actually...
where didja see it?

Parth said...

Interesting.

Radha said...

Shakester,
I thought so too. No, I haven't actually seen the sculpture; just saw this pic on an email from an art gallery.

Parth,
It is!

Satyajit said...

is he in the nude? dayam....that IS India shining. BTW what's the laptop make???

Radha said...

Satya,
Whats wrong with you? He's not nude !!!

Nilesh said...

I kinda lose it when i see such protrayals of India Shining though the image is striking. But is it just about keeping up with times? Cause thats what Gandhiji would have had to do today anyways? So something that anyways had to happen, in our case years later as compared to the so called developed western world, is labelled as India Shining. Guess the only true metaphor i can think of right away from the top of my head is the Nano! I wish they had shown Gandhiji driving one! We just don't seem to figure on the shows like "Extreme Engineering" on discovery where they show huge buildings,tunnels, bridges and what not being built all over the world. Bandra Sea Link project probably is another example of India Shining. :)

Nilesh said...

And about the sculpture itself. I loved it! :)

Sneha said...

Bizzare (but damn interesting!)

Unknown said...

Nice pics.. come to think of it, I wonder how it would be if we had to fight the independence during the Internet & IT era.

Radha said...

Nilesh,
I guess what makes the image "striking" is the fact that Gandhiji who is an icon of simple living or the face of India's strong, resilient common man; is with another icon of the younger India -- the IT-savvy India.

Sneha,
You thought so?

J,
It would've been way different, wouldn't it?

Unknown said...

wow..thats creativity...

Radha said...

Yogsma,
Yup.
How have you been? Long time!

Chica, Cienna, and Cali said...

at his age, he looks pretty comfortable with his laptop, don't u think ;DDD

Radha said...

Moi,
:))