Udantya Issue # 12 by Udantya *

!e Expressions Issue

ÂŠ Udantya 2012

Welcome to the twelth issue of Udantya! ____________________________________________

This month on Udantya, we explore the world through its Cities! ____________________________________________ Backstage Pass The Essence of Udantya Megaphone A Word from the Editors Spotlight Freestylin’ - Aparna Vidyasagar Darkroom Unspoken - A Silent Film - Namita Azad Armchair Critic Through the Eyes of Maquoketa - Portaits by Rose Frantzen - Aparna Vidyasagar Jam Session Tophographie Des Terrors - Namita Azad Warmth of That Night - Namita Azad Beat Box Cameo Foodpressions – Sruthi Swaminathan Cameo II Expression-less – Shoruba Dinakaran Caps and Gowns – Kwadwo Owusu-Ofori

©Namita Azad

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BACKSTAGE PASS

The very essence of artistic expression is that, it is captured in many different ways.

A picture, a word or a tune. Your rebellion, your journey and your destination. Here, we aim to capture it all. Join us or explore with us. Welcome to Udantya. Welcome to our creative space!

Udantya aims to be a collaborative effort. If you have any articles, photos or music you would like to share, please email us at udantya@gmail.com. Future themed issues will be announced a month in advance.

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MEGAPHONE

From the Editors Expressionour own, our words, art, poetry, cinema.

In the Armchair critic, Aparna shares the work of American artist Rose Frantzen. She describes her experience upon encountering, the ‘Portrait of Maquoketa’- a wonderful work filled with humanity and expression! Headlining Jam Session this month, is a piece by Namita highlighting her visual experience at the former site of the Berlin Wall in Berlin, Germany. Namita also writes a poem for this month’s Poetry Jam plus a sweet little Beat Box!

Each unique and personal. This month on Udantya, we explore the different forms of expression through a variety of mediums. In Spotlight this month, Aparna is ‘Freestylin’ with a piece that explores the many different ways to express oneself, drawing from life around her. When film began, it was silent. And, the players were left to communicate a wide range and depths of emotion, using their expressions and their bodies. For Darkroom this issue, Namita decided to experiment with silent film, shot by Lake Mendota in Madison, WI. A story of a boy and a girl and a small journey.

This month marks the debut of Cameo contributors Sruthi Swaminathan, Shoruba Dinakaran and Kwadwo Owusu-Ofori. Sruthi is a passionate food blogger who shares the story of how she uses her recipes to express herself. Shoruba’s poem, ‘Expression-less’ follows a young man on a short walk through the night, where nothing appears to be expressed, but so much of a story is told. And, Kwadwo writes about rediscovering yourself by rediscovering the expressive aspects of childhood.

SPOTLIGHT

these thoughts, to think.

Freestylin’

Moments of clarity-

by Namita Azad

rare honesty. I look out the window and it’s a gloomy day. The pitter-patter of raindrops is soothing on occasion but not after a straight week. One week in, the pitter patter feels quite a bit like elephants marching. There is an escape from this dreary reality; where myth and memory mingle, and words emerge. The world of my making is a world of infinite possibilities. A world to challenge perceptions or explore personalities. Most importantly it is where bits of an alternate self can emerge cloaked under the guise of many different characters.

Words abound; some profound; yet nothing meets paper, neither pen nor ink. ***

* Words are integral to my existence but the written word especially so. Words of friendship and gratitude, love and humility are easily expressed in a note or a letter. The written word is tangible and permanent. * ButIn moments of pain or sorrow within, words come together-

©Aparna Vidyasagar

Sometimes there is much that can be said without saying anything at all. Comfort- a pat on the shoulder. Compassion- holding one’s hand. Love- a tight squeeze. Understanding- a firm nod. Take a moment; look around you. Body language is a beautiful reflection of human nature. *** _ Art as a gesture is wonderful. When we were children, would we not make paintings or cards for our parents, teachers and friends? Unique gifts, showing them we care, by putting in care. In doing so, we tell them, here is a little bit of me- for you. Even today, the gifts I cherish the most are little handcrafted presents; and I only make something for those most special to me.

The act of creating art, now that’s something else! They say a picture conveys what words cannot. But when I paint or sketch, it is not to communicate an unspoken thought or unexpressed feeling. The moment a splash of color hits a page, or soft graphite settles in the fine grooves of the paper- a positive, creative energy is expressed. This energy fuels a state of openness, with no agenda for what the end result must look like. It drives me- never resting till I am finished. I work almost as if in a trance. This form of expression is innate and uninhibited- a freeing journey.

©Aparna Vidyasagar

***

DARKROOM

Unspoken by Namita Azad When film began, it was silent.

And, the players were left to communicate a wide range and depths of emotion, using their

expressions and their bodies. This month Udantya decided to experiment with silent film, shot by Lake Mendota in Madison, WI. A story of a boy and a girl and their small journey.

https://vimeo.com/39799555

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ARMCHAIR CRITIC

Through the Eyes of Maquoketa - Portraits by Rose Frantzen by Aparna Vidyasagar We happened upon the small town of Maquoketa, Iowa on a warm, sunny, Saturday afternoon. It was charming, but quiet; reverberating solitude. There were hardly any people walking about. No denizens to serve as unwitting ambassadors to their hometown. We were looking especially at the older buildings in Maquoketa; these markers of history, telling us the town’s story. The old City Hall caught our eye straight away. Closer inspection revealed that the building was now an art gallery. Just as we were lamenting the late hour and the fact that the gallery was now closed, the door opened the sweetest-looking, white haired lady urged us to come in. But wasn’t she closed? Yes, but it didn’t matter, she would love to show us around!

(L) A sign on the front door of an electronics store. (R) The historic Decker Hotel in down-town Maquoketa. ©Aparna Vidyasagar

As soon as we entered, I was greeted by the most magnificent painting of my experience. Behind (realistically painted) chipping wall-paper, was the visage of an elderly gentleman holding out a single white rose. I was mesmerized; I wanted to reach out to him. The gallery was dark, but the painting was luminous. In the old man’s face was a mixture of hope and sorrow; tempered by the light; and to me, the single rose was an extension of that hope. Our host, Ellen Frantzen*, told us that the elderly man holding out the rose was a citizen of the county. Ah! The first unwitting ambassador! The painting, titled ‘Remembrance’ is one of the many works by the artist Rose Frantzen, whose work is exclusively housed and shown at the Old City Hall Gallery. Most of the paintings that we saw that day, were portraits, in a variety of styles- each with the same luminous quality- painted with light. Further inside the gallery, was another wonderful revelation. Rose Frantzen’s masterpiece, the ‘Portrait of Maquoketa’. Through the course of a year, Frantzen painted 180 subjects, all residents of Maquoketa. Anyone who was interested, from all walks of life and all age groups. These people were the town. Their faces told their stories- the town’s stories. The paintings had been shown at the Smithsonian National Portrait gallery for a period of eight months and just made their way back home. Of course only a small part of the collection was up on display with the all the paintings chronicled in a book. What a riveting collection it was! So much depth in every face; every gaze. I stood there trying to conjure up a story for each face that I saw. And, I couldn’t help but wonder, if I would ever pay such close attention to their expressions had I simply met them on the street. All afternoon, we had explored the town and wondered after its denizens. And here they were in all their glory, showing us their home-town. Its history was emblazoned in every furrowed brow and hidden in each shadowed face. We only had to look a while, to hear the story of Maquoketa! * The artist’s mother as it turns out!

*** For those who cannot make it out to Maquoketa, IA, all 180 portraits are published in a single volume entitled ‘Portrait of Maquoketa’ and the book is available for purchase through the Old City Hall press. ***

JAM SESSION

Topographie Des Terrors

Poetry Jam

by Namita Azad

Warmth of That Night by Namita Azad

Certain events in history are caught best in the eyes of those who remain; in the expressions of triumph and visuals of

Just one of those nights,

the aftermath. This is the feeling that was impressed upon me during my visit to Berlin, Germany, in the summer of 2011.

The feeling of your presence running through me.

The city carried the scent of pain and a hollow feeling loomed

A warmth so familiar these days,

strongly in even the narrowest allies.

This feeling was

Like a part of my existence.-

furthered on the day that I visited the Berlin Wall Memorial,

I like the feeling of saying ‘us’ without thought.

where I visually experienced the ‘Topographie Des

But does it really matter?

Terrors’ (The Topography of Terror).

I’m starting to feel, not anymore.The Berlin Wall Memorial is built around a small portion of the original Berlin wall that still stands. It is a chronological, visual, depiction of the time before and during World War II1933 to 1945. Each picture portrays the atmosphere of the city in a during this time with visuals of abandoned streets and mothers pushing strollers wearing gas masks. To my eyes, the photographs captures an incredible emotion of grief, anger and sympathy. Every picture wrenched my heart to the point where I often had to stop reading the description halfway through. The power of expression in these photographs was simply incredible and etched this encounter deep in my mind.

Life seems real and moments surreal, Like I can mould it any which way. Because I have you to lean on. You said once that I’m your every minute of every passing dayWhat happens when you become every moment of every passing breath? That is when you and me happen During just one of those nights.

Beat Box Yumeji’s Theme from ‘In the Mood for Love’ By Aparna Vidyasagar _ ‘In the Mood for Love’ is a 2000 film by Hong Kong film director, Wong Kar-wai. The film is a moody, love story- quiet in its romance. Much is expressed without being said. Glances; and glances averted. And the music! The music is pivotal in setting the mood of the film. It sets the tune for the yearning, the loneliness, the guilt,the romance, the passion, the innuendo and the end. Here is a famous scene from the film, with Yumeji’s Theme playing in the background.

CAMEO

Foodpressions By Sruthi Swaminathan

I’ve always been an expressive person. I’m liberal with my words, and usually say what I’m thinking in great detail. If you wanted to dig deeper and know more about me- the information I didn’t volunteer- you couldn’t look at my secret stash of self-made artwork, because I don’t paint; you couldn’t sift through cupboards of beautifully made scarves, because I don’t knit. I do, however, love to write, and if you page through my writing archives (in paper and blog form) you’ll see how my thinking and my writing has changed over the last several years. Lately, I’ve found a way to combine my love for writing with a new passion- cooking. My kitchen has changed tremendously over the last year. So much so, that I found a way to be expressive without, well, expressions. My kitchen started off as nothing more than an empty space. It had the standard built-in appliances, haphazardly arranged dishes in the cabinets, and a few pieces of rotting vegetables hiding in the corners of my refrigerator. That changed drastically after my husband and I visited Europe for our honeymoon last summer. I was amazed that the food in Spain, France and Italy, prepared so simply, could taste so delicious. When we returned, I had a new hobby: cooking. I tried out some easier recipes at first, then moved on to more advanced ones. Soon, dinner menus were based not on cookbooks, but based on which ingredients I had in the refrigerator and what I wanted to do with them.

This is where my creativity came in. I experimented with different vegetables, proteins, and flavor combinations. I concocted sauces, marinated meats, and tested techniques on a nightly basis. I got a sense for what amount of salt was ‘just right’, and how much spice was too much for a particular dish. Nowadays, my kitchen is well stocked. It has plenty of pantry items, fresh produce, and cheeses; so whether I’m in the mood for sandwiches or chicken curry, cooking is a breeze. I’ve also purchased a few extra kitchen items such as a toaster oven, a mixer, and a set of quality knives which all make cooking enjoyable instead of exhausting. I chronicle my recipes on my food blog. This allows me to combine an old hobby, writing, with my new hobby, cooking. My blog is my personal space where I can write about anything in any way I chose – and I choose to write about cooking. I’ve been told by friends who read my blog that they can hear me talking as they read the short introduction to each post. That’s not something I planned, but I love that it turned out that way. Cooking is therapeutic for me, and it’s my favorite form of self-expression. I love making sandwiches on weekends when I’m relaxed, refreshed, and ready to spend time doing something other than slog away in the kitchen. I make soups and stews when it’s snowing outside, because even though I’m indoors, it’s relaxing to stare at the snow through my window with a steaming bowl of soup in hand. I marinate and bake chicken and fish when I want a simple, delicious feast that lets my refrigerator and my oven do all the work. I throw together salads when I’m itching to go grocery shopping to replenish my produce and pantry, but still have the odd vegetable or condiment begging to be used up before its expiration date. I

cook with what I have available, and I look to create meals that are hearty, healthy, tasty, and easy to prepare.

1 package extra lean ground beef (substitute with seitan or ground tofu to make this vegetarian!)

It’s rare that I can turn my mind ‘off’ and relax for extended periods of time- except when I’m cooking. All I need is a palette of ingredients and the desire to create something unique. I’ve never felt more at ease than when I’m in the kitchen, cooking delicious meals for my family and friends.

2 eggs

Here is one of my favorite recipes:

2 medium yellow onions, diced 1 jalapeno, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 inch piece of ginger, minced

Beef Kheema Sliders with Poached eggs

3 cloves 1 pod cardamom 2 green onions, chopped 1/2 tsp coriander powder 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 2 tsp red chili powder 1/2 tsp garam masala 2 tbsp chopped cilantro 2 tbsp red pepper hummus

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Olive oil

Ciabatta bread/rolls

Salt

Preparation: Heat oil in a pan and add cloves and cardamom. Next, cook onions with salt for 4-5 minutes. Add jalapeno, garlic, and ginger and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add ground beef and season with coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, and red chili powder. Cook until beef browns all the way. Remove from heat and add cilantro and green onions. Keep covered until ready to serve. Heat sandwich maker or grill. While grill heats up, poach an egg. Grill sliced ciabatta bread on sandwich maker. Transfer bread to a plate and spread a thin layer of red pepper hummus on one side. Top other side with beef kheema, the poached egg, and a little salt and pepper. The egg oozes into the kheema as you eat it. Messy, but so yummy and so worth it. ___________________________________________________ For more delicious recipes check out Sruthiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blog at http:// kitcheningaround.blogspot.com.

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*-______*

CAMEO II

Expression-less by Shoruba Dinakaran_ He walks down the road face unreadable; unless you really looked. How often do we, ever?He nods at hernicotine stained teeth; a smile perhaps? One couldn’t be sure.Refusing to meet His eye, she nods back holds out the paper bagHe hasn’t yet asked for.Her hardened old fingers. His perfect hands. Not a word passes; as none had ever.The half-starved mongrel; He stops; bendsface unreadable. What would’ve been dinner…Nicotine keeps the pangs away. So they say. He wants to do that thing, they call ‘laugh’.

He’s forgotten howcontinues to watchthe mutt stronger now; his comical, canine strut.He wipes his glasses. ‘Progressive’? Did it really matter? He saw just the same!Would she have waited? Had she known? In not answering He answers himself.He then notices him Face hard to read As he colon- stars her, till his texting fingers hurt!Sees Himself in the kid. Ten years younger, lighter? Now He just digs deeper, feels cold metal.Pulls out His car keys But it’s a night to walk; face unreadable, He wishes for dark!

Caps and Gowns

fascinated with what her son finds amazing. He is currently in awe of water. He finds water absolutely amazing.

by Kwadwo Owusu-Ofori

In school, playful children are taught how to become productive adults. But does being an adult mean not being a child anymore?

Re-connect with your emotions. Once in a while, allow yourself to be wildly emotional. Laugh too loud at a joke which is that funny. Watch a sappy movie by yourself and cry unapologetically. Get on that emotional rollercoaster and enjoy the ride! You will be surprised at how refreshing it can be. I recommend Toy Story 3.

During college, I was so engrossed in trying to please professors and start a career that I stopped valuing the need to express myself. But what I found interesting about my peers in the biomedical sciences, was their creative personal lives. It then occurred to me, that expressing our emotions is necessary for our mental health. It can come out productively- as in the case of Einstein’s violin; or destructively- like annoying post-it notes stuck on every wall in a typical science lab.

Re-express your emotions. A 1970’s psychological study asked three year old children to draw a car. The three year olds immediately grabbed some crayons and paper and drew whatever car they imagined. When they asked twelve year olds to do the same thing, the students started by asking a series of questions; what kind of car should I draw? What color is it? How many windows should it have?

In my opinion, we always see ourselves as two peoplean emotional (lower self) and a rational (higher self). But what’s funny to me, is that for any major mistakes I’ve made in my life I always say, “I knew I should have gone with my gut”. Very rarely do I make a bad decision and say, “I wish I would have reasoned through that decision process”. Those words are typically reserved for final exams!

Somewhere during our formal education, drawing for doodle’s sake became unacceptable. I remember that I used to doodle all of the time. Now that part of my brain has been reawakened. How did you express yourself when you were a child? Did you write poetry? Did you write music? Remember what you used to do and do it! No matter how bad it may be at first, you’ll get better at it- because you’re passionate about it. That’s the trick.

Here are three suggestions, from my experience that can help you rediscover yourself. Re-engage with the world. Children are a great example of this. I recently spoke with a mother who said that she is

Follow your true heart and become a whole person instead of the sum of two halves. Don’t just have experiences, be an experience. Life is an amazing phenomenon and we are instructed to ignore it in order to ‘stay on task’- don’t.

FAQ

Yes, of course! We will try to find a place for it. You may even give us ideas for more themes! Might I make a suggestion?

We’ve had a few questions over the past few months, so we thought it would be a good idea to chart out our very own FAQ page.

Yes! Questions, comments, suggestions and ideas are all welcome. Just email us at udantya@gmail.com

Do you have specific requirements to submit to Udantya? Absolutely not! We love it all; the quirky, the unexpected and the conventional. Share your ideas with us. We want to highlight creativity and artistic expression in all forms. Since we are a web-magazine, we have not yet felt the need to set any page limits or length restrictions. If that changes, we will let you know! How much time do I get to submit a piece? We usually announce the following month’s theme when we release an issue. Our rough editing scheme is as follows. (When you email us to contribute to a particular issue, you will get a set dates for that month). -We usually ask for a short summary of your idea for the intended piece by the end of the first week of the month. -The first draft follows roughly a week to ten days later. You can submit a first draft even if you didn’t tell us your overall summary. Partial drafts are also accepted, so that we get an idea of the direction of your piece. -We like to work closely with you and reserve a week thereafter to finalize a draft. Our goal is to facilitate your vision for your piece and we view this portion of the process as a team effort. Can I send you stuff even if it doesn’t fit a theme?