Surface Forms

The module explored the fascinating world of paper, examining its types, properties, and creative possibilities through discussions and hands-on assignments. Participants studied renowned paper artists like Franz Zeier and Masahiro Chatani, completing three projects—Properties of Paper, Textured Tile, and Origamic Architecture—that encouraged exploration of paper’s structural potential and limitations through practical experimentation.

Analog and Digital

Developing an integral understanding about differences between analog and digital phenomena, methods and technologies. Starting with discussions over various analog and digital phenomena in and around us, students were encouraged to think, identify and understand the different natures of the Analog and the Digital.

The assignments involved following steps that were digital in essence but were done manually. The exploration included a range of assignments such as visual presentation of continuous tone B&W and colour images through digital means with increasing resolution, closed shapes and forms and interpolating that data into other shapes, as dots or as pixels, across multiple densities/ resolutions.

Joy of Drawing

Everyone draws like an artist as a child; later inhibitions build up and most of us forget natural and spontaneous expression. The focus of this module was on exploring art- what hands can do with different art media, getting messy/free and drawing fearlessly. The module was conducted by renowned artist Pradnya More. The module was part of building the visual expression capability of the students, involving both form and meaning creation. The class created their own portraits expressive of their personality.

Typography

In the age of perfection of digitally produced typographic matter, exploring creative typography with rubber stamps reveals how this technique produces unique text effects and textures that digital methods cannot replicate. The hands-on approach enables experimentation with light and dark effects as ink spreads, creating distinctive patterns and fades. Assignments focus on conveying importance and hierarchy without altering font characteristics. Emphasis is placed on mastering visual hierarchy and effective design through the strategic use of grid rules, highlighting creativity and flexibility within defined constraints. The assignment leads to a discussion of letterpress printing and its unique character.

Linear Forms

The properties of different types of metal wires were explored using basic tools such as nose-pliers and wire cutters, as well as shaping with hand. A hands-on approach was taken to understand the material’s essence and its potential for creating intricate three-dimensional structures. The challenge involved crafting these structures using only wires, without the aid of adhesives or additional support materials. This method encouraged a deep engagement with the unique characteristics of 3D linear forms.

Parametric Variation

After a basic discussion about parameters, parametric variables and range of possibilities using parametric variation, the class investigated the flexibility of parameters by engaging in an analog exploration of parametric variation using grid paper, inspired by artist Anant Kulkarni, as well as a digital exploration with tools ToolKids. These assignments were designed to challenge conventional thinking and uncover the potential and possibilities of generating diverse ideas rapidly through parametric variation.

Paper Lamps

Timed just before the Diwali break, the module celebrated the festival’s themes of light and wisdom. The task was to design paper lamps, using LED lights, specifically to avoid the bright glare that LED lights have. The project emphasized the creative challenge of light shapes, a concept typically seen as a phenomenon. Paper served as a tool to guide, shape, and diffuse light, creating beautiful patterns and reflections on the lamp’s surface, thus transforming light into a form of visual art. A range of pedant lamps were created.

3D Forms

The 3D forms module introduced traditional clay and terracotta art, beginning with basic clay handling techniques. Participants experimented with the material, allowing forms to emerge naturally rather than imposing shapes. Guided by renowned artist Prakash Patidar, who favored a flexible teaching approach, students explored their creativity beyond mere replication. The course also highlighted the importance of safe storage, careful handling, and proper firing of creations as key learning aspects.

Elements of design

The fundamentals of design, emphasizing both theory and hands-on practice, with a special focus on Optical Art (Op Art). It examined how design elements are perceived in nature and human-made objects. Through engaging activities, the transformative nature of design elements and their visual effects were explored. The course also encouraged digital experimentation, demonstrating how these elements can be creatively applied in both physical and digital formats. Overall, the module aimed to merge creative exploration with a solid understanding of design principles, providing a comprehensive approach to visual art.

Shadowgrams

The module explored the concept of shadows by measuring and analyzing them as units of weight. It involved connecting pixel data numerically and programmatically to estimate shadow weights, leading to the creation of a “shadowgram”.

Emphasis was placed on understanding how pixels convey information through their blackness and density, highlighting the significance of visual phenomena in both numerical and digital contexts. The module examined how each pixel’s color and density information could be used to craft tangible forms that respond dynamically to the direction and intensity of light sources.

Digital colors

The module explored color theory’s psychological aspects, influential artists, and the Bauhaus movement’s impact.

Students learned the Processing coding language, focusing on functions like stroke, fill, and 2D shapes. They created generative art by modifying code snippets and incorporating randomness and interactivity with mouse events. Highlighting the vast possibilities of digital color combinations, the course integrated theory with practical skills, empowering students to produce diverse generative digital artworks, including images and animations.