Pixels for posterity
CHENNAI: What’s common between the Madras High Court, Madras Literary Society, College of Engineering and the Senate House? Besides holding a prominent space in the evolving landscape of Madras, the red-bricked, Indo-Saracenic architectural marvels have contributed to the city’s rich heritage and stood the test of time. While the historical landmarks have been documented on different mediums over the years, here’s an art series that portrays and celebrates them in pixels.
In their 15-part art series, Pixels of Madras, artists Sai Sudharshan R and Reshika RS are commemorating the city’s heritage. Decoding the philosophy behind using pixels as a medium, Sai explains, “What better time to pay a tribute to Madras than its birthday month? Pixels tend to have a blurry effect on the eyes and brain. We’ve used this form of digital art to place emphasis on the importance of maintaining and preserving these age-old properties in a good condition for the future.
Because, by failing to do so, we would lose important parts of our city and they will become a blurry memory like the artform itself.” Both Sai and Reshika have a background in architecture. While Sai is an alumnus of the School of Architecture and Planning, Anna University, Reshika is pursuing her course from the same college. “Our first pixel artwork was for College of Engineering, Guindy when it turned 226. The idea to explore the medium popped up when I was playing the Pokemon FireRed game. Pixels are associated with older games but they are relevant and respected to date.
I wanted to illustrate our college building in the format because it has survived through tough times and adapted to modern technology. The artwork garnered appreciation from the alumni and faculty,” shares Sai, a freelance graphic designer. Cut to their latest project, some of the other prominent buildings featured in their work-in-progress series are Anna Nagar Tower, Directorate of Public Instruction Campus, the second lighthouse of Madras (located inside the premises of Madras High Court), Royapuram Fire Temple, Armenian Church and Doveton Building - Women’s Christian College.
Bringing the best of Reshika’s live landscape sketching skills and Sai’s graphic designing capabilities, the duo’s series stands out in its distinct visual elements. Highlighting some of the challenges of working with the medium, they say, “Pixel art is often in a condensed format and the canvas is limited. While you’d want to incorporate all the vital design elements, there are space constraints. Colour combination is crucial. The background colour has to synchronise with the building.
If you notice, the skyscape for each building is different. Having said that, the medium is here to stay and there’s a lot of potential in improvising it.” After completion, they hope to design the different communities residing in Madras and their livelihood through the pixel series. They also plan to develop these art series into a game themed around the city. Posters, postcards and customisable merchandise are also to be expected. “Pixel of Madras series is a way to evoke memories and also spread awareness on some of the underrated buildings in the city. It’s high time we pay attention to them!” sums up Sai. For details, visit Instagram @the.saiborg and @rays.from. beyond