Gypsynan

Lazy Sunday morning! Husband man off on business and its just me and the net! Bliss!!! I found this little slide show on the snake charmers in India on the BBC website and particularly loved the "design elements" of this photo, the colours and the juxtaposition. Bold colour graphics that are so uniquely Indian. And also thought a little about how in middle class India there is an overwhelming demand to forget "exotic India". The BBC team trailing snake charmers, typical foreigners stereotyping India. Ignoring our boring middle class lives, the boxy apartment buildings, the stultifying suburban landscape, the relentlessly duplicating office cubes, the complete lack of consciousness of aesthetics in our urban design. There are many times when I too get annoyed at stereotypes in the media, but I also believe that rural India leads the world in innovative textile design, in treatment and appreciation of colours. By the way we also have rural "schools" of textile design that are a marvel of subtlety and sophistication.

Its time perhaps for us urbanites to take a fresh look at our exotic heritage and be proud of the creativity and diversity of our folk heritage! It would be sad if snake charmers disappeared along with the travelling acrobats and monkey shows! And entered the software industry, no?