Spending time with Haider Ali and Ali Salman Anchan has been really great. While I am certainly here to work on my puppet film "Risalo", there are a lot of interesting side excursions that are integral to my growth as well as the project at hand. I can't really do the work without immersing myself into being here and following these sort of side stories along the way. I'm still jet lagged and my sleep timings are all over the place, but I manage to stay awake through the day. As I write about things I am doing, there are a lot of other "Risalo" related developments that will be shared more so when something more substantial comes together.
I took a ride with Ali Salman Anchal and visited Haider Ali and the rest of the Phool Patti team at the Quaid-e-Azam International Truck Stand, Karachi. I got to see more of the process behind the work, which was really exciting for me. From purchasing paints and custom made brushes, to seeing a bit of the division of labor from undercoat to phool patti (which is the actual name of this art form people have termed truck art).
We're not far from Baluchistan here in Hawk's Bay, but still within Sindh. It has been really fascinating to meet Mumtaz Bhai, the creative director of Phool Patti (the company) and several other artists on the team. I was photographing one of their beautiful finished trucks from Baluchistan, when the proud owner of the vehicle came by and asked me to photograph him with it. I'm so glad that he did. People don't often realize the care and attention to detail that goes into this work. As an artist, it's quite clear to me, but often the general public thinks that like many "services", it is just a matter of throwing a bit of money at some people to get the job done for a pittance.
What they do not realize is the level of commitment, artistry and expertise that goes into creating these rich works of art. These are true masterpieces and I hope to do my part in getting the general public to see them as such. They are master artists, who rather than being hindered by some paltry college art education, live and breathe this stuff, and pour their souls into every piece they lay their brush upon.
Here's a little time-lapse of Haider Ali doing what he does. Note, this isn't a finished piece at the end of the clip.