Meet Gaurav Ogale, who uses Apple iPad Pro to narrate stories of ordinary people using illustrations and sounds.
Indian artists are trying new and creative ways to bring out refreshing ideas. The newest edition is the use of Apple iPad Pro to create artworks. Pune-born artist Gaurav Ogale created a series of six audio visual immersive works using the same technique. He titled them as 'Best Sellers'. His works were showcased at the recently-concluded India Art Fair.
Explaining his work, he says, “I wanted to relook the idea of how we perceive bestsellers in a book store. Normally when we see bestsellers, we look at biographies of famous people. But I brought out the stories of ordinary people. This is because the theme of this year’s art fair was to look out for extraordinary in the ordinary.”
Ogale combined drawing, videos and photographs to narrate stories within a short span of 15 seconds. He used Photoshop, ProCreate and Adobe Premier Pro (video software) on iPad Pro. He juxtaposed ordinary sounds on the stories to allow viewers to be a part of the featured individuals' lives.
How it all began?
Ogale started the process by writing the stories. He then added several design elements to them and played around with its layering and composition. He finally added sound to the images, which is a representation of the daily chores these people did in their lives.
Ogale was a part of the two and a half month-long ‘Digital artists in residence’ programme organised by Apple. The programme allowed him to work remotely. When asked how Apple's team helped him, he says, “Everything we brainstormed together – right from the concept to its production. We also did software workshops with the Apple team."
He explains the format of making his works similar to that used in animated films. However, he calls it as a completely self-evolved medium.
“The best thing about these works is that you can flip pages like a book and hear their voices. I did not refer to anything. It's a genre that I am still exploring. I like how visual, sound and drawing can come together,” he says.
Ogale was formally trained as a filmmaker. However, he never made commercial films. He always had an inclination towards drawing and illustration. This led him to explore the world of advertising, where he combined his practice of making illustrations and converting them into moving images. In his recent showcase as well, he has used illustrations and converted them into moving images.
Who can explore this medium?
Though the technique is relatively new in nature, Ogale feels that anyone who has an inclination in art can create art using an iPad.
“With Apple iPad Pro, it’s so easy. It has the Apple pencil. You can put your subject on the canvas and start creating. You can cut objects, copy them, draw on them and even use animation. It's everything that you can carry with you in your bag and walk around,” he shares.
Though the process is simple, the technique of audio-visual storytelling is a time-consuming task. For a 10-15 seconds film, Ogale dedicated four to five weeks on a story.
“It's time consuming because it is too immersive. A lot of thought goes into brainstorming (the ideas), production and layering,” he clarifies.