this is that and that is this, works on paper colored pencils and ink, 30 x 23 inches, and 19 x 13 inches, 2012
Project is also in book form, 6x8 inches, 2010
this is that and that is this
As a traveler in India with a camera, the urge to take a picture was simultaneously countered by an uncomfortable feeling that I was “trespassing”. I put my camera away and began a project addressing the conditions of the uninvited.
this is that and that is this begins with “photojournalism” and continues to reference this practice through a performative shift away from looking to eavesdropping. I am aware that “documenting” conversations is ethically ambiguous but hope that the aesthetic operations engaged allow viewers and readers to realize that they are the subjects of these drawings.
The project consists of overheard conversations between individuals in public spaces in many cities throughout India. Recorded and collected as notations in a pocket journal, they are ultimately organized by location and time. They situate people in relation to the practices of their everyday lives and, at the same time, position the artist as an observer outside of these practices.
There are four hundred and forty-seven living languages in India, and one fifth of the population speaks the colonial language (English), which is directly associated with class mobility. As individuals code-switch between a native and the colonial language, I record the only words and phrases I understand, which are in English. Later, as my notebook is transcribed into an artist’s book and wall drawings, these words float on a separate sheet in the spatial and temporal order that they were uttered and recorded. In other words, the gaps in the drawings (A documents) represent moments in the conversations when speakers code switch to English (B documents).
In each case, the extent of a drawing is an indication of my presence as a listener, and as a rule does not exceed a single page in the notebook. The duration of an individual’s utterance determines the length of each dotted line-segment, and the density of the dots that make up the line is an indication of the volume of their speech. Each speaker in the drawings is represented by a different color, and titles are limited to location, date, time, gender and an approximation of age, as, in most cases, this is all I can claim to know about the subjects of this project.
Administrative Offices
1 A
1 B, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Sabhagrah Road, Friday, January 29, 2010, 11:20 AM. Two young men waiting in line to speak with a representative.
Airports
1 A
1 B, Babatur Airport, Varanasi, Saturday, January 23, 2010, 3:38 PM. Younger woman on cell phone waiting to board a plane.
2 A
2 B, Indira Gandhi Airport, New Delhi, Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 3:42 PM. Two older men sitting waiting to board a plane.
Banks
1 A
1 B, Deutsche Bank, Tolstoy Marg, New Delhi, Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 11:20 AM. Two younger men waiting to see a bank associate.
Buses
1 A
1 B, Bus #155, Mumbai, Wednesday, January 28, 2010, 11:50 AM. Two women on the bus, unknown location at the time of conversation.
2 A
2 B, Bus #122, Mumbai, Thursday, January 27, 2010, 8:09 PM. Two women on the bus, approximately at Nana Chowk at the time of the conversation.
Cemeteries
1 A
1 B, Sewri Cemetery, (Christian), Jerbai Wadia Road, Mumbai, Tuesday, January 26, (Republic Day), 2010, 3:45 PM. Two men sitting together near gate.
Gardens and Parks
1 A
1 B, Ferozeshah Mehta Gardens, Malabar Hills, Mumbai, Friday, January 29, 2010, 10:55 AM. Two men sitting together on a park bench.
2 A
2 B, Priyadarshini Park, L. Jagmohandas Marg, Mumbai, Thursday, January 14, 2010, 9:00 AM. Three women watching children at band practice.
3 A
3 B, Priyadarshini Park, L. Jagmohandas Marg, Mumbai, Tuesday, January 12, 2010, 7:35 AM. Two men in conversation, one with a golden retriever the other with a boxer.
Restaurants
1 A
1 B, Leopold Café, Colaba, Mumbai, Wednesday January 27, 2010, 2:35 PM. Two women eating together.
2 A
2 B, Pearl Palace Hotel, Hari Kishan Somani Marg, Jaipur, Monday, January 18, 2010, 8:50 PM. Two women and two men eating together.
Shops
1 B, Crossword Bookstore, Kemps Corner, Mumbai, Friday, January 29, 2010, 4:05 PM. Two men in the astronomy section of a bookshop.
2 A
2 B, FabIndia, B. Bharucha Rd, Fort, Mumbai, Thursday, January 28, 2010, 2:30 PM. Two women with small children in home furnishings.
Temples and Monuments
1 A
1 B, Monkey Temple, Galwar Bagh, Jaipur, Monday, January 18, 2010, 3:45 PM. Two men observing monkeys by a pool of water.
2 A
2 B, Bhandasar Jain Temple, Old City, Bikaner, Sunday, January 17, 2010, 6:07 PM. Two women and one man sitting on steps.
3 A
3 B, Bada Bagh, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, Saturday, January 16, 2010, 3:55 PM. Two men standing in a parking area.
4 A
4 B, Gates of India, Apollo Bunder, Mumbai, Sunday, January 10, 2010, 4:00 PM. Woman and man sitting on a wall.
Train Stations
1 A
1 B, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai, Tuesday, January 12, 2010, 4:50 PM. Two men standing on the platform waiting for a train.
Link to this is that and that is this PDF
Link to essay by Tanya Jayani Fernando