Amethyst launched the CMYK Bookstore (an initiative of the general trade publishers Rolibooks) at Amethyst with the launch of ‘Dance with the Weave‘ – a dialogue between traditional textiles and dance in India, in conversation with author Briana Blasko, at Amethyst, Entrance Next to Corporation Bank, Whites Road, Royapettah, Chennai 600014. Last evening featured a discussion between the author and a panel of eminent personalities in the field of art and culture namely Sadanand Menon, V.R Devika and Priyadarshini Govind.
Briana Blasko is a San Francisco-born portrait photographer who studied at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Before moving to India in 2008, she lived in New York for twelve years photographing contemporary dance for the New York Times. Her love for the camera is deeply connected to the landscapes and dances of India, and her work across the Indian subcontinent captures the body’s intricate patterns of movement and its interplay with the myriad hues, textures and moods of woven cloth. Her photographs have appeared in numerous publications and have been exhibited in India at the Vadehra Art Gallery, Prince of Wales Museum, Kaladham and abroad. Her latest book, Dance of the Weave, published by Penguin Books India was released in December 2013.
The photographs in the book are the result of an extensive journey that the artist undertook across the length and breadth of India, over a period of five years for her latest book, Dance of the Weave. She visited dance schools and festivals—from the Uttar Kamalabari Satra monastery on the Majuli river-island in the Brahmaputra river in Assam, which teaches Sattriya dance, to the C.V.N. Kalari Gurukulam in Calicut, that instructs students in the martial art of Kalaripayattu—to research classical, folk and tribal dances. She also visited weaving villages, documenting costumes, textiles and the dancers’ interaction with fabric through movement. By highlighting the drapes that are used in dance, Briana Blasko shows us how even a single piece of cloth can hold a sacred position in India.
Roli Books is a general trade publisher covering a wide range of subjects. Founded by Pramod Kapoor in 1978, Roli began its journey with publishing childrens’ books and subsequently moved on to illustrated books. Today it remains a pioneer in this field, working with the best talent in India, having branched out into other areas of publishing.
A Roli Books initiative, CMYK is a first of its kind concept bookstore in the country. The focus is on books dedicated to art and design, from award winning publishers such as Phaidon, Thames and Hudson, Laurence King, Antique Collector¹s Club, Tate Museum, British Museum, Abrams, Skira, Braun, and many others. This is in addition to books from their parent concern, Roli Books, publishers of quality illustrated books for over three decades. Subjects covered in the 20,000+ titles available are art, design, photography, architecture, jewelry, travel, lifestyle, specialty cookbooks, fashion, gardening, and a select collection of fiction, non-fiction, biography etc.CMYK also stocks stylish design objects like chairs from Pantone Universe, and office stationery like pens, alarm clocks, radio cubes, giant calculators, mini binders, photo clips, book clocks and USB hubs. From the functional to the extravagant, there’s something for everyone.
Their in-house brand Designwallas is also available at CMYK. From high-design notebooks, to coasters, fridge magnets, posters and prints Designwallas has a vibrant range of gift products. It also provides design services and creates bespoke products and gifts for individuals as well as corporate clients.
The CMYK philosophy is to provide a space for a dialogue between like minded people. They seek to push the boundaries of a conventional bookstore and become a vibrant cultural space. To that end, several events covering the arts, from film screenings, design meetings, art exhibitions and book readings, are hosted at the store.
