Art & Craft Questions & Answers

Installation artist Catherine Bay obviously feels rather strongly about consumerism. In her recent work, the Snow White Project, currently on display in New York, she makes a grand statement against it by showcasing several avatars of the fairytale character Snow White. They are clad in various costumes and hold placards proclaiming ‘I Am An Everyday Consumer Product” and ‘My Life …

This phrase origins has several interpretations. Some popular ones are as follows: nine yards probably refers to the amount of cloth / material needed to make a wedding dress or bridal train, a man’s three piece suit or a burial shroud. Also, the term, perhaps, comes from from World War II pilots who wanted to be sure that they were …

The Merlin award is the highest award given, internationally, in the field of magic and illusion. The award is presented by the International Magician Society. The Merlin award is unusual in that the magician’s category and year of receiving the award are not published. Gopinath Muthukad of India was recently given the award. He is the second Indian after PC …

In the US, ketchup is prepared with tomatoes, sugar, vinegar / acetic acid and spices. It is used as a dressing or table condiment. Ketchup is cold and is never heated as a rule. Tomato sauce, on the other hand, is made from tomatoes, oil, meat or vegetable stock and spices. Vinegar is not usually used. Sauces are generally served …

Alfred Aquilizan and his wife Isabel specialize in installation art works comprising articles of day-to-day use and ownership. Their work ‘Address’ is made of articles such as books, clothes, bedsheets, blankets, CD / DVDs, PC keyboards, toys, printers, fake flowers, etc.

Silhouette photography is the technique of taking a photograph so the subject appears like a black outline against a bright background. The light should not be too bright or too dull and most of these photographs are taken with the rising or setting sun as the background.

It is art in a coffee cup – the patterns formed when milk and shots of espresso are poured into a cup of coffee. It could get a designer touch, depending on the expertise of the person serving it. This art could take the form of a creamy-looking heart, a flower, leaves, even cartoon faces, anything which can fit into …

Jabberwocky is a poem with the opening line ‘twas brilling, and the slithy toves’, written by Lewis Carroll in 1872. It first appeared as a part of Carroll’s novel Through the Looking-Glass. The poem is well known for its nonsensical words, and is supposed to be the best in its category. The poem is named after its main subjects, a …

Cloud Gate is the internationally renowned sculpture designed by British artist of Indian origin, Anish Kapoor. It is located at the centre of the AT&T Plaza in Chicago, Illinois, and was completed in 2006. The stainless steel sculpture is archshaped, and is about 12 feet long and weighs 110 tonnes. It is the result of a competition which Anish Kapoor …

Bas-relief is a French term meaning ‘low-raised work.’ A relief is a sculptured artwork where a modelled form is raised. There are three types of reliefs – ‘bas-relief ’ or low relief, ‘high relief ’ and ‘sunken relief.’ Bas-relief is suitable for scenes with many figures and other elements such as a landscape or architectural background. Stone carving and metal …