<script language='javascript' type='text/javascript'>function ReverseContentDisplay(d) {if(d.length < 1) { return; }if(document.getElementById(d).style.display == 'none') {  document.getElementById(d).style.display = 'block';   document.getElementById("uniquename1").style.display = 'none'; }  else {   document.getElementById(d).style.display = 'none';   document.getElementById("uniquename1").style.display = 'block';}}</script>
<style type="text/css">
h3.canvas  {
color:#333333;
font-size:11px
font-weight:normal;
margin-bottom:5px;
margin-left:7px;
margin-top:0;
padding:0;
text-transform:none;
}

h2.painting  {
color:#FFFFFF;
font-family:verdana,arial,tahoma,sans-serif;
font-size:11px;
font-weight:normal;
margin:0 0 10px 7px;
padding:0;
text-align:left;
text-transform:none;
}
</style>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="60%" align="left" valign="top">
<a href=""><img src="http://www.reenakallat.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Pollen-Patterns-gallery.jpg" alt="Subject-to-Change-Without-Notice" title="Subject-to-Change-Without-Notice" width="600" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-368" /></a>
</td><td width="200" align="left" valign="bottom" style="font-size:11px;"><span style="color: #888888;">Pollen Patterns
</span>2002
Produced with bamboo basket weavers at the Khoj International Artists Workshop, Bangalore
H.E.A.L. (Help Enjoy Amicable Living)
Workshop with the staff of Apollo Hospital, Bangalore
</td>
</tr></tbody></table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="200" align="left" valign="top"><a href="">
<img src="http://www.reenakallat.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Pollen-Patterns-1.jpg" width="600" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-366" /></a>
</td>
<td width="400" align="justify" valign="top" style="font-size:11px;">
<div id="uniquename1" style="display:block">
The work I conceived as part of the workshop has two segments to it. One is a floor piece titled “Pollen Patterns” made in collaboration with bamboo basket weavers, while the other is part of an interactive outreach programme that I conducted at Apollo Hospital, titled H.E.A.L. (Help Enjoy Amicable Living) <a onclick="javascript:ReverseContentDisplay('uniquename'); return false;" href="#" style="color:#888888;">...more</a>
</div>
<div id="uniquename"  style="display:none;">
The work I conceived as part of the workshop has two segments to it. One is a floor piece titled “Pollen Patterns” made in collaboration with bamboo basket weavers, while the other is part of an interactive outreach programme that I conducted at Apollo Hospital, titled H.E.A.L. (Help Enjoy Amicable Living)

Pollen Patterns
The floor piece comprises of a large mat (length 18ft woven in bamboo) in the shape of a uterus, using the colours of the Indian National flag. The work evokes notions of motherhood, nationhood and metaphorically attempts to try and interlace the colours (representative of the varied religious communities living in India) by weaving them closely. The center of the mat carries the Gandhian Charkha (the spinning wheel), which used to be part of the flag in the 20’s but later got replaced by the Ashoka Chakra. In a political environment that reflected a state of lawlessness (post Gujarat riots) I wanted to take away the Wheel of law, Ashoka Chakra and replace it with the Charkha as a reminder of the principles and values it stood for, of resistence, simplicity, self empowerment, economic independence and progress and view this against the current climate of religious intolerance, where various forms of violence have infiltrated the country. Moving out/towards the uterus were forms woven in bamboo that ranged from aquatic life to insect and bird life leading to religious symbols and those from political parties. Bamboo is used both for making cradles as well as to carry the dead-body on the stretcher and hence sort of represented a complete lifecycle. Contrasting the fragility of bamboo, metal implements both industrial as well as domestic were tied to each piece/object.

H.E.A.L. (Help Enjoy Amicable Living)
At the open day, vistors were invited to plait the three strings provided in the colours of the flag as a gesture of their commitment and solidarity towards the integration and peaceful co-existence of all communities. They were encouraged to contribute to the existing collection which was a result of an outreach programme conducted at the Apollo hospital where nurses, trainees, patients alike joined in the act of plaiting the strings and the individual contributions came together at the open day. The hospital being a place for healing and recovering, was seen as the appropriate site to initiate this exercise.

While on the one hand this works speaks of embalming an ailing nation state, on the other it is a critique of the many futile attempts being made to salvage it from complete loss. In a lighter vein, the accompanying drawings made of henna were derived from product manuals containing info about the herbs used in hair shampoos, conditioners and hair Oils for building, cleansing, strengthening and revitalizing purposes.
<a onclick="javascript:ReverseContentDisplay('uniquename'); return false;" href="#" style="color:#888888;">...hide</a>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="600">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="200" align="left" valign="top">
<a href="#">
<img src="http://www.reenakallat.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Pollen_pattern_2-3.jpg" width="600" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-366" /></a>
</td>
</tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="600">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="200" align="left" valign="top">
<a href=""><img src="http://www.reenakallat.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Pollen_pattern_4.jpg" width="600" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-366" /></a>
</td>
</tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="600">
<tbody>
<tr>

<td width="200" align="left" valign="top">
<a href=""><img src="http://www.reenakallat.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Pollen_pattern_5.jpg" width="600" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-366" /></a>
</td>

</tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="600">
<tbody>
<tr>

<td width="200" align="left" valign="top">
<a href="#">
<img src="http://www.reenakallat.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Pollen_pattern_6.jpg" width="600" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-366" /></a>
</td>

</tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="600">
<tbody>
<tr>

<td width="200" align="left" valign="top">
<a href="#"><img src="http://www.reenakallat.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Pollen_pattern_7.jpg" width="600" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-366" /></a>
</td>

</tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="600">
<tbody>
<tr>

<td width="200" align="left" valign="top">
<a href="#"><img src="http://www.reenakallat.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Pollen_pattern_8.jpg" width="600" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-366" /></a>
</td>

</tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="600">
<tbody>
<tr>

<td width="200" align="left" valign="top">
<a href="#"><img src="http://www.reenakallat.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Pollen_pattern_9.jpg" width="600" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-366" /></a>
</td>

</tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="600">
<tbody>
<tr>

<td width="200" align="left" valign="top">
<a href="#"><img src="http://www.reenakallat.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Pollen_pattern_10.jpg" width="600" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-366" /></a>
</td>

</tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" width="600">
<tbody>
<tr>

<td width="200" align="left" valign="top">
<a href="#"><img src="http://www.reenakallat.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Pollen_pattern_11.jpg" width="600" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-366" /></a>
</td>

</tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>