Minus 9 Design » & I

Note to Self

admin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 19:56:45 +0000

Rebecca Ross, a colleague I teach with on the BA [Hons] Graphic Design course at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London sent me an email recently which read:

Dear Rathna,
Could you please remind me of why exactly I need to have a personal web page?
Thank you.
Best,
Rebecca

This wasn’t just a random email. It comes from conversations that Rebecca and I have often – about the tension and nature of our practice, of being both designers and tutors. We also strongly encourage our students to have their work websites up and online by the end of their second year. Rebecca’s email was a reminder to myself about the nature of what I do, and the purpose of this site. Here’s what I said, in response:

Dear Rebecca,
I think its important to maintain an archive of our practice, our work. You and I have a similar approach to our practice. We have intense journeys where we dig deep, and travel far. And then move on to something else. It is important to maintain a log of this journey, and outcomes, if any. This provides reflection. Helps memory. Threads the many journeys together. For me, ‘making’ is an important aspect of my work and practice. The site helps retain a sense of that – that it is not all about thinking and contemplation, but also about doing.
A personal web page is not a broadcast. Its a place of work. For designers who are tutors, like we are, the site helps us commit to our selves and our practice.
Best,
Rathna

This site

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:00:39 +0000

This website goes ‘live’ today, 14 October 2009. Its looking rather empty at present, and this pleases me. Unlike most sites that go live filled with content, this is the opposite. It is a blank canvas (something I am more comfortable with now than when I had my portfolio stolen; read more) on which I must add the pieces and puzzles of my potted graphic design history. The catalogue provides an index to the existing pieces.

The intention of this website is that it functions as a living repository of my practice. I say living, because maintaining it causes a necessary act of reflection of my process, method and output as a creative practitioner.

At the moment, my nose is pushed to the glass and my breath is fogging the pane – I am too close to reflect. I can only do. But over the next few weeks and months, the intention is to ‘upload’ all my previous work, and let the strands and nodes connect themselves, leading to a re-engagement, again and again of thought and process.

Welcome to my world.

About

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:29:19 +0000

Rathna Ramanathan is a creative practitioner whose practice is situated around and inspired by the contexts of graphic design, typography and research. Based in London and in Chennai, India, Rathna creates, teaches and writes about graphic design and typography. Her work has a strong print focus though she has been known to dabble in the creation of projects such as roadshows and exhibitions when unique and interesting opportunities offer themselves. She runs her own studio minus9, has a PhD in the History and Theory of Typography and Graphic Communication from the University of Reading and teaches on the BA and MA courses at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. Her work with Tara Books has received a number of international awards.

For an informal summation of Rathna’s practice, make yourself a cup of coffee and listen to her Typeradio interviews.

Eye

admin — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 17:37:01 +0000

“This is a story about a happy collision of cultures; and the celebration, rather than exploitation, of native talent. It is, incidentally, an eye-opener for us in the UK, where we take the communications revolution for granted, and have entirely lost the ability to see the rooster in Big Ben.”

It’s not often that one gets a chance to discuss exciting and unusual projects created for rural communities in India in a top British design magazine. Many thanks to editor John Walter and writer Steve Hare for putting together a fine piece. Read an excerpt of the article ‘Roadshows and rickshaws’ and buy a copy of eye no 64.

Stolen Portfolio

admin — Sun, 22 Jun 2003 17:37:29 +0000

Late, one summer night, somewhere between London and Reading, I had my portfolio stolen while I was asleep on a First Great Western train. Successful interview with a publisher, followed by celebratory drinks with friends, happily hopped on a train… and as we pulled into Reading (where I lived during my PhD at the Department of Typography, University of Reading), I reached for my portfolio on the seat beside me – vanished!

Despite a police report, and a most helpful train manager, I had no luck in finding the culprit (or the battered portfolio). I spent several sleepless nights after, and would wake up in the middle of the night and open the front door imagining that some kind soul had returned it to me. I was shattered – I had no way of recovering many of the artifacts in there, lost to too many misbehaving hard drives.

As trite as it sounds, it is true – in case of my house burning down, my portfolio would have definitely have been one of my top 10 things to take with me. It’s a mystery. The case was of little value to anyone but me, but there you go. Someday I’ll do a project that imagines all the places my portfolio turned up. In the meanwhile, if you happen to find it, email me! I promise a fine reward!