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Monday, October 29, 2007

Lines of Grey, Suchitra Vijayan and Social Change through Photographs

Lines of Grey is a project of social change through photography conceptualized and cultivated by Suchitra Vijayan. The idea is to provide cameras to the children, enabling them to capture their world in pictures. The concept is similar to the award winning documentary film "Born in Brothels", where children of the red-light district in Calcutta recorded moments of their lives through cameras handed out to them. Using the donations from friends and volunteers around the world, Suchitra supplied disposable cameras them to the street children in Tanzania. Cameras in the hands of these children first flicker a smile on their lip. A dream flourishes when their camera captures what any eye merely glances over, never stops to see. The idea rests upon a slogan associated with the project, called "Every child is an artist."

Suchitra is a barrister by training and used to work for the UN. After schooling from Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan in Chennai, Suchitra moved to UK where she graduated with a LLB and European Law (Hons.) in 2004. Since then she has worked for UN War Tribunal for former Yugoslavia and UN War Tribunal for Rwanda. Suchitra is as young and relentless as she is passionate about her NGO effort. She epitomizes the modern Indian woman, who is global not only in her aspirations and achievements, but also in her pursuit of her dreams and ideals. Her own photography is quite fascinating, and she recently was awarded with the Nikon Imaging - Emerging Talent of the Year award. Suchitra is very well read, widely traveled, and immensely inspiring person, and I am sure this allows her to be an exemplary mentor.

I owe my friendship to Suchitra to our shared love for poetry and literature. Back in 2004, when she was still a student, we exchanged several emails, discussing authors, philosophers and poems. Even back then, I was amazed at her intensity, work ethic, and nature of her will to effect change. Many of us are able dreamers, capable but lazy poets or many times, well meaning mortals trapped in our daily circle of money, education, career, love, relationships, parties and movies. It requires a strong sense of purpose to go out there and try to organize something voluntarily, without a material gain in sight. Suchitra has been actively harvesting creativity in form of images from the children in Tanzania, and has managed to get to a point where some of these will be exhibited in Bay Area in US, and in Chennai, India.

While the intentions are noble, the effort is charged with single-minded devotion, the approach is based on aesthetic, the labor is of love, there are many hurdles in realization of real goals. Let us assume that such an effort can indeed empower kids to channelize their creativity. Yet to make a significant change, one needs volunteers around the globe to carry this effort. The whole issue of logistics is baffling one, and so far Suchitra has limited her scope to Arusha, Tanzania. One might argue that what the kids need most is education, clothing, housing and means to earn a livelihood. The photography seems like a distraction, as if, from those goals. Having worked with children in slums in Delhi, I figured that most children were motivated by play, by humor, by adventure. Poverty molds the scope of their imagination, but does not curtail it. The richest tales would surface through conversations with these children, and the only lesson I learned there was this: No amount of money or schooling distributed randomly to these children can help them as much as a personal attention, where both their angst and amazement at this world are interpreted, addressed and cultivated. Suchitra has been working to provide the flash of hope, a snapshot of creativity and joy to these children.

I shot few Questions to Suchitra and here they are:

  1. Why lines of grey?

To answer why “Lines of Grey “ I need to talk about my fascination with the colour grey. This goes back to my own love affair with black and white photography. Like all great love affairs, it started with this heady feeling of getting the winds knocked out of me and I was in an expedited hurry to learn and discover everything there was to know about this medium. In that process I came to understand this subtle but complexly layered colour called “Grey”. Grey is an achromatic colour between white and black that exist in the state of great lightness, caught between the lighter side of black and darker side of white. Grey is a shade of remarkable gradation, it is its own complement. Grey remains grey when its colour spectrum is inverted, and therefore has no opposite and alternately is its own opposite.

Lines of Grey represent the street children who are a part of this project; each shade with its complex mixture of shadows, highlights and mid-tones. They are the product of economic and social injustice that is rampant in this world. These children are prisoners of prejudice, social attitudes and numerous negative associations. Just like the shade grey, these children live on the marginalized edge of extremes. They are the existing reality and the beautiful abstraction.

2. How long do you plan to carry out this project? What happens when you move from your present appointment?

The photography project was designed to last for a period of six month. Then the process of compiling the children’s images, their stories and thoughts begins. This will culminate with the launch of our website and series of exhibitions. The money generated from this project will go back to these children. The website is also geared toward having individuals sponsors for addressing the education and other economical needs of these children. Since I no longer live in Africa, I am planning on getting my friends from that area and some of the older kids form the Project to co-ordinate and continue the project.

3. What is future of lines of grey?

Right now 24 hours of sleep doesn’t seem enough to accommodate the collective dreams and aspiration of everyone who is a part of LOG. Not surprising since most of us are dreamers first. Left to our devices we would conjure an imagine where LOG would solve all of the worlds problems. (Chuckles) . On a more serious note, there are plans underway to start similar projects in India. In June 2007, Lines of Grey was registered as an NGO in India, and plans are underway to launch the NGO in the United States. Right now the projects focus on photography as the medium. If every child is an artist, then art should also take different forms.

Honestly I am not sure what future lies for Lines of Grey. I am not sure if we can generate enough interest, enough momentum to sustain the NGO. I am not sure if it will make any sustainable change. But Lines of Grey is not just a project, it’s an idea. Everyone who is a part of this project decided to be a part of an experiment that seeks to make a difference at a personal level. The project runs on the inherent belief that individuals still possess the power to make that little difference that will one day become a part of the critical mass required to change this society and change it fundamentally.


4. Do you have plans of expansion outlined for your idea or project?

Expansion is a big word for the small acts we do. When I think in terms of expansion, I think about mainstream awareness about this kind of work. Every time I return back to India, I feel the phase at which the country is heading towards its intellectual death has been hastened. We have become a celebrity hungry society tuned only to the stories of rich and famous. We have become characters in soap opera in search of an author. Series of reality shows with “celebrities” shaking their legs to the latest bollywood number has become the nations pre-occupation. Urban India with its increasing disposable income has become deaf and indifferent to the stories of the “other” India and the underdogs of this world. If these stories do surface from time to time they become marketable commodity in a culture of sensationalism. True voices become buried and often do not have a platform. In this context Lines of Grey is a form of social documentary through the eyes of the “others”.

For instance, imagine giving cameras to the kids from various fishermen villages affected by the Tsunami. Imagine the powerful images these children would harvest from their reality. Their images have the power of self. If there is an expansion, that expansion to me is not kick starting more projects all over India and other parts of the world. But merely getting enough people interested to look and maybe think.


5. Have you noticed any change in lives of kids over last many months?

I wish I could say with brimming confidence that “yes I have”. But the harsh reality is not so. This project hasn’t altered their life drastically. But I can vouch for the happiness and joy that I witness every time I handed over the camera. I remember the immense pride, I felt when I saw the first set of pictures when it was developed. How they reacted when they saw their pictures. But these are not tangible and I am very aware of that. Inheritances of fond memories cannot be converted to currency. But they are nonetheless inheritance everyone should have a stake in and I can but only hope that LOG is contributing towards this in some measure.

On the more pragmatic side, in the great Indian art of self justification, I often tell my self the project just got over. When the website is done, when the exhibitions happen things will be different.

Here are few websites that provide images and information about Suchitra and Lines of Grey:





http://linesofgrey.org/
http://www.suchitravijayan.com/
http://photo.net/photos/Suchitra
http://la-moreneta.sulekha.com/

6 comments:

Vivek Sharma said...

from desicritics.org

#1
temporal
URL
October 29, 2007
05:03 PM

vivek:

Grey is an achromatic colour between white and black that exist in the state of great lightness, caught between the lighter side of black and darker side of white. Grey is a shade of remarkable gradation, it is its own complement. Grey remains grey when its colour spectrum is inverted, and therefore has no opposite and alternately is its own opposite.

when i was inordinately taken in with photography i preferred b&w photography

in portraits it added more nuance and 'color' but as i reflect now there is another dimension to greys

it is impossible to place life and what it hurls constantly neatly divided into black or white

life's reality is grey!

#2
Vivek Sharma
URL
October 29, 2007
05:22 PM

Suchitra combines the logic of a lawyer with the vision of a photographer and the imagination of a poet. The grey has many shades, and so has life. The poetry in her presentation is apparent in the write-ups she has for her webpage. Also, the lines of grey has an great series of images posted at Suchitra's pages, and my blog is listless without those images!


#3
Vivek Sharma
URL
October 29, 2007
10:57 PM

*Correction: Suchitra used to work for the UN; she has decided to work for an NGO in Cairo.

Vivek Sharma said...

from sulekha.com

denice _menace comments: on 29 Oct 07 20:01:00 PM
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wow, I loved her pics and poems, I left her a message on the website, cool, I appreacite her efforts and thsi blog shud be showcased..sulekha wher's your brain?

Vaidyanathan Pushpagiri comments: on 29 Oct 07 21:32:00 PM
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Vivek Sharma:

How true! We photographers, along with our cameras and other ancillary equipments live in a world of 18 % grey!! In spite of the riot of colors, all our photography medium sees is only grey, and nothing but middle grrey!!!


"To answer why “Lines of Grey “ I need to talk about my fascination with the colour grey. This goes back to my own love affair with black and white photography....Grey is an achromatic colourbetween whiteand black that exist in the state of great lightness, caught between the lighter side of black and darker side of white. Grey is a shade of remarkable gradation, it is its own complement. Grey remains grey when its colour spectrum is inverted, and therefore has no opposite and alternately is its own opposite." Suchitra Vijayan.


18% Gray Card:

An 18 Percent Gray Card is a simple gray-coloured card which uniformly reflects 18% of the light which falls upon it. Gray cards can be used as a reference to set the camera exposure or to calibrate a light meter (light meters are used to determine which exposure setting is required to produce a medium gray tone). Both with built-in meters in cameras and Light Exposure Meters.


Regards.
fotoRaj
aka
Rajaputhran.

Vivek Sharma said...

more from sulekha.com

vandana1982 comments: on 30 Oct 07 01:35:00 AM
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Ya sure we all can't be like Suchitra but can still try a bit to help the society.


Suchitra Vijayan comments: on 29 Oct 07 22:34:00 PM
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@ Vivek

asante sana

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Vivek Sharma comments: on 30 Oct 07 09:21:00 AM
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Thanks Denis. The highest grossers on sulekha are typically posts about sex or depravity, about contentious issues, or the pop-posts, which talk in language of bubble gums and hair gels. I am not sure why they have a ranking system or featured posts, when the top ranks are not calibrated by the quality of writing. But since Suchitra has been a contributor on sulekha, I would have liked them to promote her enterprise. I am sure they will highlight it once she wins any accolades for it: but that is neither the aim nor expectation of her efforts. As her interview points out, she is motivated by her own means. Hopefully, she will have the strength and time to carry out her efforts.

The idea of this post is to reach an audience that will respect the effort, and when possible, contribute in either spreading awareness or doing there bit. I don't expect everyone to emulate her, but I do want people to pay attention to have-nots. The world will be happier place when the happiness is shared by as many people as possible; and luxury is not a meter or metric of happiness.

Vaidhyanathan: Is that a fact? Our eyes typically are poor detectors of light of short wavelength and hence sky appears blue and not violet or indigo!

Vivek Sharma said...

from dudseascrawls.com

*

Tue, 2007-10-30 10:00 — Pradzie
Nice one! I do browse her

Nice one!

I do browse her stream once in a while , shes got some beautiful frames…

* reply

Tue, 2007-10-30 06:18 — India Whining
Thanks Viv

for the heads up. Am not sure if i can add anything (more) in praise of Suchitra’s work, without being repetitive & stating the obvious. Her work (photography, social causes, career ) speaks volumes of the person that she is. Truly inspirational.

* reply



Tue, 2007-10-30 14:38 — Vivek New
Spread the word!

IW: I usually stand in the same boat. But I guess as bloggers we can at least spread the word. There are enough people who look out for opportunities like these, but cannot start out on their own. Since Suchitra has been doing the groundwork for sometime, I am sure anyone or everyone interested can collaborate with her. She is hardly a soul looking for applause, and would rather prefer us with our rolled-up sleeves helping her out. Maybe I’ll get to do that someday.

Yes Pradzie, the photography is really good. She gets to go to such exotic locales too;)

Vivek Sharma said...

From Blogliterati.com


Vivek Comment By : Vivek
Posted On : Oct 30 07, 09:58 AM
Red Chill: Mahatma Gandhi always believed in the capacity of individuals to drive change. I will seek out more information about Dr Mitra's work. There are hundreds of people in India and around the world who are working selflessly for such pursuits as Suchitra's.

Her NGO effort is a personal enterprise, which is disjointed from her former job at UN. She worked as barrister for UN, and outside her office hours was working with thirty children in the streets.

Thanks jaijui,
I hope Suchitra receives enough support and encouragement to remain passionate about her efforts and we can do enough to back her up, or work with her.

Red Chill Comment By : Red Chill
Posted On : Oct 30 07, 04:12 AM

Hi!

I think Ms Vijayan's work is extrordinary. After all the years of seeing the deprived through the eyes of UN, NGO and other peoples eyes, we will see the lives of these poeple through their own eyes. It is like, this Computer chap in India, called Dr Mitra from NIIT who has taked his project " Hole In The Wall" to the slum dwellers in GKII, New Delhi and come up with amazing results. New thinkers can make a difference.


Red Chill Comment By : Red Chill
Posted On : Oct 30 07, 04:10 AM

Hi!

I think Ms Vijayan's work is extrordinary. After all the years of seeing the deprived through the eyes of UN, NGO and other peoples eyes, we will see the lives of these poeple through their own eyes. It is like, this Computer chap in India, called Dr Mitra from NIIT who has taked his project " Hole In The Wall" to the slum dwellers in GKII, New Delhi and come up with amazing results. New thinkers can make a difference.


jaijui Comment By : jaijui
Posted On : Oct 29 07, 05:07 PM

hi vivek,

its a new concept ..i havent grasped it yet ..but ..

congrats to you , suchitra and lines of grey ...

keep up the good work :)

Vivek Sharma said...

more from sulekha.com

justpassingby comments: on 12 Nov 07 12:12:00 PM
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I came online today to complain about something that was stuck in my craw and I stumbled on this.

I don't usually see blogs like this.But this definitely made what I had stuck in my mind seem very petty.

Yes it is true we cannot all become Suchitra Vijayans.I in fact am a full time working mom of a one year old.But I always wished to be a bit philantrophic and donate and I never really knew which one of the thousands of orgs to donate to.I know now after reading about Suchitra's work.

I know and I feel the same about what India is tumbling towards culturally and as a society as a whole.But if one wants to make a change in 1 billion people it will take years and I guess small steps like Suchitra's will probably and hopefully help.

I know every one has a little bit of Suchitra in them even if they are not doing so well themselves.I hope they will bring her out.

A collective mass of Suchitras will help us reach the Utopian dream that I have still despite all the negativity around us these days.

Thanks for the blog for I never knew.....

Just PassingBy.


« Back to Post
Vivek Sharma comments: on 12 Nov 07 12:29:00 PM
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Thanks for the comment "Just passing by"

We are often trapped in our own lives, and I guess there is nothing remarkably good or bad about it. Yet I take offense when people fail to appreciate the efforts of the motivated few. Your comment is so apt in saying that each one of us wants to help in some way. We can start with appreciation, proceed to invest money, and perhaps, we will eventually reach the point where we can spend our time and effort to do something.

Our worries will fly away if we only knew how much trouble each thing alive has to face on a daily basis. When you teach or interact with underprivileged kids, it is often like a violent shake-up. Our crisis and problems seem so little, and can be overcome more easily than of those people, who neither know the way, not the destination.