Monday, May 6, 2013

DIY : Calendar art inspired wall.





A good part of what I, like  countless Indians growing up in the 70s and 80s small town India know about art, culture and religion comes straight from a bright, kitschy calendar, or bazar print : the colour saturated, mass produced representation of deities, religious themes alongside chubby babies, freedom fighters, movie stars and romantic and idyllic landscapes.  These  psychedelic prints of benevolent Gods and Goddesses smiling down their blessings  on to living rooms, shop floors and street corners have  fired popular imagination and visual culture in the subcontinent for over a century .

Much of how we imagine our deities as, is coloured by years of  exposure to the generously proportioned Gods and Goddesses rendered in rich jewel tones in one too many calendars. I have always wanted to hang a few at home.  The problem with wanting to frame calendar art is that there is way too many attractive, fascinating and confusing options to choose from!


So while scouring the local flea market for appropriate prints ( as in, those that evoked memories of  other calendars in other homes )  I landed up coming back with a stash!  With some amount of thought, all of the 11 crumbling and yellowing  prints I found, landed up in a single niche right at the entrance of the house. 


Although the prints were mostly whole they had aged considerably, making  the paper very amenable to being decoupaged. So decoupaged they are, embellished with sequins paints and mirrors. Have two other niches to go. Will come back with them later. Until then, hope you enjoy these. 


It all begins with a single niche  hand drawn in the shape of a Jharokha and cut out along with two others near the entrance.





Cutting, priming, texturing  the wall and painting the Jharokha.




Croping and cutting from Calendars, pasting selected images  on a piece of ply cut in the shape of the Jharokha.



Detailing 






 Going over the pasted images with layers of any good quality sealant . I used modge podge. It is a good idea to allow the surface to dry out completely between applications.


Finally, getting Hem Singh to secure the finished  ply onto the wall :)

8 comments:

Chondryma said...

Absolutely brilliant idea Chandan... Please do post the end result... Consider taking pictures with a diya or two lit at the bottom...

Cheers,
Chondryma

http://chondryma.blogspot.com.au/

Unknown said...

This is such a fantabulous idea. Totally loving it.

Aakanksha
http://decor-gharaana.blogspot.in/

Sruthi said...

Awesome!

My Dream Canvas said...

Such an interesting post!!

lovelifeunderthesun said...

Lovely post!Enjoyed thoroughly going through it!

Lotus Hues said...

Absolutely brilliant idea. very innovative.

Can you help where would I get modpodge here in India.

Neelu (colourfully.urs@gmail.com)

Shanthi said...

Enjoyed it. N u have sealed the childhood nostalgia. Thoroughly enjoyed ur write up on the place of these gods and goddesses on our walls n in our lives.

Chandan Dubey said...

Thanks so much for your appreciation and comments !

@ Colourfully yours : I got mine from a chain store by the name of `Hobby Ideas' in Mumbai. I am certain you will get it in other places as well.

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