Speak upWelcome to the Internet. The last frontier left for the artist, the poet, the melody man, the communicator. As we allow our socialised selves to get silenced by those that we share little with - save a common passport and geo-political identity - we find ourselves getting drawn into a cybershell where the waves of freedom still roars loud and the mind still roams free. All of last fortnight I found myself being challenged and invigorated by the dialogue I indulged in with several score faceless, nameless souls. Discussions that ranged from the nuke puke at Pokhran2 (a stodgy sequel if ever there was one) to the ill informed drivel by the moral police (shall we call it RoboCOPO), from the broadstrokes against a media-made painter to the slasher-style misogyny of decapitated chairs at Fashion Bistro. Where was I on the net? On an IRC chat site called Talkcity.com. With over 700 rooms to venture into it is the most popular chat site in India right now and has something for everyone. Fromcity-specific rooms (in fact there are five for Mumbai) to rooms dealing with topics ranging from the arts, crafts and sexuality issues this is an ideal mode for sharing your view on subjects close to your heart.What makes this site even more interesting is that it runs on an etiquette system that puts our parliament to shame and allows all age groups to participate intelligently. Recommended for those who want to improve their typing and brush up their ability to speak their minds. Something that seems to have become a lost art amongst the intelligentsia of late.Ad libbingMeghna Reddy is the new Levi's 501 girl! Now while that may be great news for all who love her, it is made even more special by the fact that talented Meghna was directed for an international ad film campaign by none other than the maestro of cinematography Darius Khondji. This genius will be instantly recognised by readers for his unusual and memorable work on the film Seven. La Reddy was all reverential when sherecounted her experience to me at the Baccardi Volleyball Competition, last weekend. "He knows how to draw the best out of talent. His patience and small gestures make you want to give him your all." The ad which is rumoured to be sizzling is to be released in India, as well as around Asia Pacific, in the coming weeks once again upping the craft and art of cinematic advertising.Pixel artAnother hot-to-trot bod in town is Rishi Khiani. This handsome 23-year-old Navajo Indian lookalike is a webpage design artist with merchandising ambitions. A computer junkie from childhood, Rishi galvanised his artistic abilities by exploring the infinite potential of computer-generated art. That led to him getting involved with designing web pages. A side interest in designing clothes for those of his generation led him to merge his talents and set up "Urban Eye". This branding found instant success with the fast-money youth of Delhi and Mumbai and his first solo exhibition in 1997 was a sell-out. "I did thisexhibition to test the waters and see if my convictions were based on sound reality. I selected clothes that were cutting edge and full of attitude. It worked!" And to take his trendy clothes to the right target audience, Rishi has set up his own website which allows kids to buy their clothes on-line! The site (urbaneye.net) inaugurates itself on June 1, 1998 and Rishi hopes to have thousands of hits before the day is through. "Web design is a passion for me. It's as complex in some ways as architecture but its a true art as there is only the artist and the canvas of pixels to fill." That's cyber attitude for you.AutomatixHe's the new kid on the block. The photographer to watch out for. Yes folks! Meet Jatin Kampani. At 25, Jatin has recently gone independent after a long and thorough training with master lensman Atul Kasbekar. Already to his credit are some of the hottest advertising campaigns and music album covers of this year and Jatin has no time to stop and take a bow. Sit in hisstudio in Chira Bazaar and don't complain if the phone keeps ringing every few minutes. For Kampani is in demand. "I guess, the work that brought me to the notice of ad bigwigs is my series of torsos that I did in the middle of last year. I chose to look at the human form not as a sculpted mass but as a series of lines, of expressions. What emerged was something more like a painting than a realistic portrayal." Indeed, Kampani's nudes rival those of other Indian clickmasters like Ashok Salian and Sumeet Chopra. "I am keen to be seen as experimental with my private work. I enjoy working with models and stylists to create images that live longer and tell more than the basic story,"says he.
