Pooja Kamble uses audio cassette reels to create portraits of iconic musicians
Portraits of Pandit Ravi Shankar; Michael Jackson; Pandit Jasraj; (Photo: DC)
Hyderabad: When Bruno Mars’ hit single Just The Way You Are made waves in the music scene a few years ago, people were clued into its tunes and the childlike innocence that Mars personified in the song. But while everybody was soaking in the melody, Pooja Kamble, a Pune-based artist, was charmed by its visuals of reel art. Taking a cue from Erika Iris Simmon’s works (the pop artist who created visuals for the video), Kamble decided to lend the art form her own style.
As the name suggests, the art involves using audio cassette reels to make portraits. In Kamble’s case however, the portraits are almost always of musical legends. Jim Morrison, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Michael Jackson and Bob Marley are a few of the maestros who’ve found a space on her canvases. She believes the process is a fitting tribute to them.
“For me, it’s all about translating the relics of a bygone era into portraits of the artistes. Turning the cassettes (which are now obsolete) into portraits of musicians adds more meaning to the entire concept. Also, since I have learnt classical music for 10 years, music comes naturally. This is a small way in which I can pay tribute to these wonderful artistes,” she says.
Elaborating on the works she says, “Reel as such is quite easy to work with; it can be easily moulded, cut, etc., to suit the requirement of the artwork. The real challenge is maintaining perfect harmony in the work and getting the emotions of the artistes just right. The idea is that the work should not only look like the artiste, but also bring out that state of emotion he or she was in at that particular moment.”
Pooja was always creatively inclined, but never considered the field as a serious career option. It is only after completing her MBA and working in the finance sector that she discovered her true calling. “I do not come from an art background. Like my mother and my sister, I was always good at drawing and crafts. But I completed my MBA and started working in a finance company. It was only after a few months there that I realised that I am happier making art. I later joined an art gallery in Pune called Ayatana. It is under the guidance of the awesome people at Ayatana that I learnt all I know about art.”
So, what does art mean to her? “It is quite difficult to put into words. Art should be one’s expression; something you put your heart and soul into. My work reflects me,” says Pooja whose artworks are created under the label Meraki. A Greek word, it means the soul, creativity and love that one puts into something. “The essence of yourself that is put into your work,” she explains.
( Source : dc )
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