An
Explorer
of the arts of Architecture, Dance, Drawing, Film,
Music, Poetry, and Theatre
BOMBED: A Moonlight Sonata – Exhibition by Saranjit Birdi. Herbert
Gallery & Museum Coventry England 18 June to 3 July 2011. The show
explores the Coventry Blitz (code named ‘Moonlight Sonata’ by the
Germans), code breaking and puzzles of war. It is a dynamic and thought
provoking synthesis of sound, paint and improvised dance which reflects
both past and present experiences of war in the light of current global
politics.
Saranjit Birdi in his own words
I was born in village Shankar near Jalandhar
Punjab in 1960 and came to Britain with my parents in 1965.
My ‘adventure’ began at the age of thirteen, when I read an article on
Kandinsky and the word ‘synthesis’. The word held a fascination for me
and sounded scientific as well as artistic. I fell in love with geometry,
woodwork and metalwork. Early inspiration also came from elder siblings of
my primary school friends. These were exceptional artists and illustrators
whose work had a tremendous influence on me every time I visited their
houses. I began to enjoy drawing, which, I discovered, was also a very
good way of making friends.
In 1979 I set a vocational goal to explore the arts of Architecture,
Poetry, Music, Dance, and Drawing to discover the central ‘thread’ of
creativity that links them. I embarked on an architectural qualification
from Bristol University where I found a holistic view of art and design
was encouraged and this formed a springboard for my instincts. Also, I
elected to explore building types for music and performance arts. I joined
the Bristol University Dance Society attending jazz, tap, ballet and
Modern dance – and in the evenings and weekends dancing in Bristol
nightclubs! I began performing and teaching my own class without formal
dance qualifications.
I qualified as an Architect in 1984 and worked in central London practices
for two years. However, I was mostly engaged in designing social housing
and consequently looked elsewhere for a more intensive creative outlet. I
joined a jazz-Latin fusion band, based in Berkshire, as dancer and
percussionist and took Contemporary and Jazz dance classes at London
Contemporary Dance (The Place) and Urdang Dance Academy in Covent Garden.
Saranjit
Birdi
photograph
by Devon Edwards
I returned to settle in Birmingham
in 1986 finding jobs in Community and Commercial Architecture practices. I
also gained a formal dance qualification ‘Dance Leaders in the
Community’ and taught a weekly Jazz-Funk dance class at the Birmingham
Dance Centre (now the DanceXchange). In 1994 I qualified as a professional
fitness. The course gave one an in-depth knowledge of human anatomy and
physiology. I became aware of how the body can be sculpted, through
exercise, and moulded like clay.
In 1995 I stepped into the arena of multimedia technology and gained
experience in 2D imaging, video, animation and computer aided drafting.
This was used to focus and elevate my experiences into the conceptual
realm of art, in 1996, through an MA in Interior Design with Information
Technology at the University of Central England, Birmingham. The MA
research paper, “Synthesis as a Conceptual Basis for Design”, received
a Distinction and involved exploring the connections between dance, music
and architectural form using digital imaging, video and computer animation
as the tools. The research was inspired by and utilised the teachings of
Vasily Kandinsky and artists/theorists of the Modern movement. I wanted to
go beyond theory and in to a physical and psychological experience of this
notion of synthesis.
It was at this point, in 1997 I made a commitment to traditional skills of
drawing and painting, working in parallel with use of multimedia.
1n 1999 I embarked on the ‘Gallery in the Trees’ Public Artist
training course through Birmingham City Council and established an arts
practice in 2000 after a local MP had shown interest in a sculpture
proposal ‘Midland
Beat’. Also that year, I gained my first public art commission, the
‘Highley Sculpture
Trail’, which won the Shropshire Pride Award 2002.
In 2002 I had the good fortune to be invited to work with RSC (Royal
Shakespeare Company) actor Patrice Naiambana and produce animations for
the backdrop of his one-man, multimedia theatre production ‘The
Tao of Exile’. This was a collaborative work with technical support
from Coventry based Talking Birds and was commissioned by The COLLIDE
Commissioning Programme for Black Artists.
Under the same commissioning programme as above, in 2003, I produced ‘SURGE’.
This was my first attempt at a real synthesis of forms and involved
expressing the energies of live Jazz music and dance fused with a screen
projected backdrop of architectural forms of contemporary buildings in
Birmingham. The performance was held in the ‘Living Room’, a popular
bar in Birmingham City Centre, and featured Jazz-Latin band ‘Effusion’
with whom I have been playing since 1984 and Birmingham based Jazz
dancers.
My second, dedicated application of synthesis was a short dance on digital
video titled ‘Follow’
which fused percussion, poetry, architecture and dance.
My first solo Exhibition ‘Follow’
(supported by the Arts Council of England, West Midlands) was held at the
RBSA Gallery in Birmingham in May 2004 which brought together the various
strands into a real world setting, juxtaposing drawings, dance, film,
poetry and sculpture into one space. Actors, dancers, opera singers and
musicians were encouraged to enter the space and interact with the works
through spontaneous improvisation.
I have an expanding portfolio of public art commissions, drawings,
paintings and digital work including dance on film and live performance.
My collaborations with other artists have included gallery installations,
light and buildings, theatre and film production.
•
On
‘Punjabiness’ in his work
I
think the visual art works to date are outside of particular Punjabi
references except for one proposed work for New Cross Hospital
Wolverhampton, which alluded to Sikhism but was not realised. I see myself
as a British Asian of Indian/Punjabi origin with an intercultural
existence and it probably is not that clear cut where the transitions lie
between the cultural realms, no doubt they are there.
I
have not explored many Punjabi themes except for the above and also a
proposed screenplay that is still in development, regarding Sikh war
veterans and allegiances.
•
http://www.saranjitbirdi.com
