Finding art in waste

CHENNAI :  If you were one of those kids who grew up watching Pogo, you probably wouldn’t have missed M.A.D, an interactive art show hosted by Harun Robert aka Rob. For city-based fans of the artist, here’s some good news. Rob, one of the most popular kids’ influencer and icon, will be in the city for a one-of-a-kind live art show for children, Imaginarium, curated in association with Sony Music. The 90-minute show is aimed at teaching children on how to use discarded items to create art, and making them aware of the three Rs — re-use, reduce, recycle. We find out more about the concept, Rob’s artistic process, and his secret penchant for dance.

For Rob, who over the last several years has been working with children and creating exclusive content, Imaginarium is a dream project. “It was my dream to curate a show on this scale. I often feel that we don’t have enough interactive platforms for kids… like a live show, space where they can come, get their hands dirty and fuel their creativity,” shares the artist.

When most of the content curated by the artist reaches his prime audience through a virtual screen, Imaginarium will take the children on a journey beyond it. “There will be no barriers and it will be a real-life experience,” says Rob who has two YouTube channels — ‘Mad Stuff with Rob’ and ‘Rob in the Hood’.

While the intention of art varies from artist to artist, they all agree that it has several layers, and such first-hand experiences are the need of the hour for children to elevate their artistic process. Rob concurs. “Creativity is very important. We do need doctors and engineers but we also need creative thinkers. It would be ideal to shape it from the foundation and tell children that art is a very important tool. I try to do that through my shows,” he explains.

The three ‘green rules’ are elementary for most children, we ask Rob if he will be using specific techniques to spread the message further and he says, “Most of my content TV, YouTube or even in Imaginarium, I try to use as much waste materials, and try to promote the idea of the three Rs. But, the key is to do it in a fun and non-preachy way.  Children of today are very smart.”

Having worked with children for several years, we cannot but wonder if he has mastered the art of engaging children. “I can’t say that I have mastered the art, but I love working with them. They are the most honest audience one can have. They will tell you if they love what you’re doing, and will also tell you if you’re doing something wrong. This is great as it gives scope for you to improve. A child’s imagination has no restrictions. It pushes me to think beyond the norm as well,” he says.

His fervor to explore skills and abilities of children at a young age took us back to an interview where he said, “My kindergarten teachers often told my parents about how good a storyteller I was through the visual medium.”

Did finding recognition for his artistic flair push him to explore at an early age? “Although teachers did recognise my artistic ability, had they helped me channelise it, I could have done a lot more. The younger years lay the foundation for a child. We follow a system where every child has to study the same subjects, and achieve great scores. But instead, we should polish the concepts, and artistic ability of the individuals,” he emphasises.

For Rob, interspersing art, science and a generous amount of creativity have been his forte. Explaining the same process to a child might be a task, but he does it with ease. “They all go hand-in-hand. I don’t try any special technique. When I was studying science, and working on my projects, there was a lot of art involved. Similarly, there is a lot of science in art too. Since I work with children, every time I think of a new idea, I think of a ‘nix mix’ or blend of science, and art techniques to help them with school assignments,” he elucidates.

The last few years have been rather exciting for artists who create refreshingly original visual imagery, and Rob is thrilled that art is getting the attention it deserves. “During the nascent stages of my career, I noticed that almost everyone opted art as just a hobby. No one took it seriously. Now, because of the Internet, there is a lot more exposure. People are choosing alternate careers and want to become artists, photographers, and social media content creators. I am really happy that it has now become more socially acceptable to get into a field like this. But, we still have a long way to go,” he shares.

Currently, Rob’s hands are full with his Vlogs and his dream show. He recently fashioned doodles for one of Google’s campaign. “The plan would be to take Imaginarium to other cities like New Delhi, Mumbai etc., I am also working on a travel art show where I will feature art and travel in a stimulating way. It’ll be in a unique format,” he adds.

Quick 3
 

If you were a new addition to the paint box, what colour would you be?
I think I would be blue. Blue is a very soothing colour. I love blue because the sky and water bring calmness to a picture.
One thing we don’t know about you?
Only a few people would know this, but I had my own dance troupe. Not many people have seen me dance.
What would your alternate career be?
A dancer, choreographer, a magician, maybe? I love magic!