I created Goddesses while studying at the Surrey Institute of Art & Design, London. Goddesses is a hybrid work that combines digital and analog techniques. While in London, I became exposed to a different culture compared to where I grew up. Indian society is heavily conservative. Sex is one of the taboos. It is a kind of paradox - for our temples have sculptures that depict intimate scenes. Soho in central London was known for its nightlife and sex trade. I was staying in a small studio in Soho and used to walk around the area. Encountering these telephone call cards for prostitutes kept in the phone booths, I decided to do a series. I collected and scanned a few cards to make digital negatives. Using the negatives, I made analog silver bromide prints, on which I hand sequenced to create Goddesses. In South India, we have the tradition of adding hand sequences for images of gods and goddesses. Relating to this local Kitsch culture and subaltern practice, I did this on photographic prints. I have earlier created works that juxtaposed digital and analog techniques, but this was the first time I had amalgamated both in a single artwork.
