The Anti-Darshan
This is a story about a Hindu Goddess who had, all her life been used to being worshipped by both men and women. She decides to descend to see how it is like to live as a human woman on earth. There, she experiences the turmoils of being a human woman, facing the wrath of men and the primacy of humankind.
Darshan is an act of devotion in the HIndu religion where when you gaze at the image of a God, they gaze back at you. This action rewards the devotee in the form of a blessing. Working around the themes of South Asian culture, this work was an assignment for a course taken at postgraduate level at the University College London, UK. It aimed to bring to light the realities of the 'real world' in spite of organised religions that are often thought of as moral compasses. This work specifically takes into account female brutality in India translated as a painting and a recited poem. The gazing element is important for this work and the lack of a face creates an anti-Darshan experience. The narrative is therefore predicated on the gaze of the viewer as s/he listens to the audio while staring at a seemingly still photo, not knowing whether the 'voice of God' is speaking to you out of frame.
Darshan is an act of devotion in the HIndu religion where when you gaze at the image of a God, they gaze back at you. This action rewards the devotee in the form of a blessing. Working around the themes of South Asian culture, this work was an assignment for a course taken at postgraduate level at the University College London, UK. It aimed to bring to light the realities of the 'real world' in spite of organised religions that are often thought of as moral compasses. This work specifically takes into account female brutality in India translated as a painting and a recited poem. The gazing element is important for this work and the lack of a face creates an anti-Darshan experience. The narrative is therefore predicated on the gaze of the viewer as s/he listens to the audio while staring at a seemingly still photo, not knowing whether the 'voice of God' is speaking to you out of frame.