6.20.2006

Local Library raided!

Aah...the smell of books! We raided the Towson Libary today; and here's the loot:

1. Grimus
2. Satanic Verses
3. Freakonomics
4. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
5. Confessions of an Economic Hit-Man

The picture on the left is slightly unrelated; but if I were to justify why it's there, I'll say that it's because it reminds me of books lined on a shelf.

6.18.2006

Arco Degli Acetari

Arco Degli Acetari is a charming little courtyard in Rome. When gazing at the pictures, charcoal paintings and the caricatures in Piazza Navona, I chanced upon this oft-used little courtyard – bright red, quintessential Rome. So we asked this graphic artist dabbling in tomography where we would be able to see this courtyard; so we felt really proud about discovering this small neighbourhood. It more than lived up to its imagery; L captured a good picture of it – I particularly like how the light seems to almost flood one corner of the picture.

6.15.2006

Juxtaposition

I find juxtapositions in architecture, or indeed any art form most intriguing. Post-Modern against medieval, fusion music, the suspense of a tangy mango chutney with Cuban cuisine – I believe it’s something to do some kind of sensory overload; where the first reaction is “Oh – this doesn’t fit” and finally it grows on to you, as if you think it existed since time itself.

Centre Pompidou is an exoskeleton of “inside-out” activities, meaning it has the building functions such as plumbing, escalators, heating on the outside in order to maximize space to house modern art, and is located in Paris’ medieval quarter. It’s difficult not to gasp at the ugliness of the building, but I was equally flattered by its design after walking through the building and going up the escalators.

I was less impressed with IM Pei’s pyramid in the Louvre; maybe I just didn’t get the concept of the entrance to the museum – not sure it had some subliminal message about the openness of space against the traditional architecture.

Somewhat unrelated to art but certainly within the realm of this topic is a fun place in Baltimore for Tex-Mex cuisine called Gecko’s which serves the most delicious mango chipotle enchiladas. Yum! Truly a burst of flavors.

6.11.2006

YUVA Studio has launched.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 1, 2006

Toronto design studio launches online environment to stimulate creativity

It's Children's Day in China and Hungary, and children everywhere have something new to play, create and share with! Thanks to YUVA Studio ( www.yuvastudio.com ), a Toronto based studio with a mandate to develop products that nurture creativity in young children.

YUVA Studio's Product Design team announced today that YUVA, their premier product is ready and available for purchase. YUVA, the root of all words meaning "young", is an online environment, a creative playground for children aged 4 -10 years.

Shapes are at the core of YUVA. Co-founder Jayashri Deshmukh, refers to them as "the basic alphabet of a person's visual language". YUVA fosters PLAY with a palette of shapes. The rich environment challenges the imagination of young artists as they merge, rotate, enlarge or flip them to create a variety of drawings. "It's like playing with 2-D blocks. In the process of play and experimentation, a child makes a multitude of connections that unfold the principles of pattern, design and composition."

CREATE follows PLAY - it is a more deliberate act, one driven by intention. Using YUVA, children will be able use their original drawings to create e-cards, posters, greeting cards and even custom T-shirts.

A natural step to follow CREATE is SHARE – the act of confidently showing one's creations to others through e-cards, printouts, galleries and the YUVA Studio Merchandise store. YUVA not only makes sharing easy for children but also encourages them to solicit a response. E-card recipients can send messages to the artist. They go directly into the child's "Sketchbook" – much like signing an Artist's guestbook. The YUVA Studio Gallery is a public-facing online venue for these young artists to submit their drawings to. Soon, the Gallery will invite professional artists and designers to curate art shows and competitions.

Although YUVA's primary audience is children who have basic computer skills, the co-founder of YUVA Studio, Parth Upadhye says, "YUVA is actually for everyone, for all ages. There's a child in each of us that delights in creative play. In our product tests we found that while the children were drawing trucks and birds with YUVA, their parents were designing rugs and wallpaper! The possibilities truly are endless!"

At YUVA Studio, we can all be YUVA Artists.

About YUVA Studio:
YUVA Studio (www.yuvastudio.com ) designs and develops products that: foster play (with shapes), stimulate creativity, and encourage sharing. We have a "single" focus - that of creating products that fit this "Play. Create. Share." model of a creative process.

Contact Information:
YUVA Studio | www.yuvastudio.com | Play. Create. Share.

T: 416-607-6125 or 604-678-5764
E: media@yuvastudio.com

6.04.2006

Enchanting Europe

L and I are back from Paris, and I cannot stop thinking about it. For the past few days, I have reliving it by writing this blog, typing long emails, talking about it with my friends and family and tagging our online pictures.

My flight to Paris from Baltimore was very eventful to say the least. I got delayed by more than 12 hours...it was really awful. The book I was reading "The Accidental Tourist" turned out to be an ominous sounding title after all. We stayed that night in Paris which was close to the Eiffel Tower, went to see the Eiffel Tower, by sunset. The next day, we went to Rome, and were floored by the Colosseum, the Roman ruins and the Pantheon. Truly unforgettable! These ruins cover a massive area, and it is not hard to imagine the kind of life the Romans lived. Palatial gardens, artistic temples, and the larger-than-life orgy that they led on a day-to-day basis.

The next day, we went to St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, and explored the small neighborhoods and squares in the evening. We went all the way up to the dome at St. Peter's, even saw the tiled mosaics on the dome. Really extravagant and an amazing architectural feat. What was kind of disturbing was the fact that most of the bronze, gold and marble used in the Basilica and the Sistine Chapel had been plundered from the Roman forum, the Pantheon and other pagan symbols. Sistine Chapel was really awesome, and I'm glad I took the audio guides for the explanations. There are so many parables woven into "The Last Judgement", "Genesis" and other Michelangelo frescos, that L's Sunday school teachings would not have been enough:)

Paris was a totally different experience; we hit the usual touristy spots – the Louvre, The Pompidou centre, Montmartre neighborhoods, Notre Dame, Hotel De Sully, Place Des Vosges, the Isles…I still cannot get over the fact that there was history at every corner, every square, and yet the locals seemed untouched by it all. After all, they're Parisians right?

I absolutely loved the idea of the "piazza" in Rome and the "places" in Paris. Highlights of the trip were delighting in the concept of a "caffe" bar in Rome, the inevitable "Made In China" Pinocchio keychains, gawking at the wonderfully dressed people in Paris, discovering small courtyards in the inner alleys in Rome, going all the way up to the top and enjoying the breathtaking vistas of Paris from the Georges restaurant on top of the Pompidou and enjoying the fabulous food, wine, gelatos.

We're still soaking in this unforgettable trip, and are bashing "America" for not being even close to Europe...the faux Corinthian columns adorning the office buildings and churches here are so passé.

I will try to cover each place in detail in the next few days.