Eye Spy Indian Art

OVERVIEW

Eye Spy Indian Art introduces teens to Indian Modern Art in a fun and engaging manner. It is imaginatively presented with an "Eye Spy" game as its basis and engages children from the beginning. The visual book traces the development of modern art history from just before Independence and features prominent artists under the various art movements. Children become familiar with the artists and learn about their influences and inspirations. They have fun exploring vibrant art by these artists which is delightfully treated through die cuts, flaps and foldouts. There are immediate activities that children can attempt in the book such as illustrating, tracing, cutting or creatively writing dialogue. For a yet deeper level of engagement, there are projects which encourage conceptual thinking, research and creative expression. Finally as a reward for successfully identifying the art movements, children get to display their art inspired by the book on the online Art1st Museum.

DESIGN
As designers it is not only important to understand the content of the book one is designing — but when possible, to also become co-authors — and create new content which makes the design and the overall communication more effective and impactful. The process of design was very fluid and we had many discussions with the authors who were forthcoming in including some of our ideas.

For instance, we introduced Josef Albers' concept of the Interaction of Color via an artwork of Tyeb Mehta and, Jamini Roy's painting, Untitled (Hanuman & Jatayu) — was made into a mosaic puzzle for children to fill in.

The teen of today lives in a highly interactive world. To create a book that can not only keep their interest but also educate them on Indian art was a challenge. We used the idea of "gamification" to make learning fun and interactive — through both the design and illustrations as well as through various elements such as die-cuts, perforations, stickers, folds, translucency — to create surprise and joy.

*This book was the winner of the Kyoorius Design Awards for Best Book Design 2016

Book Title: Eye Spy Indian Art
Authors: Khoda & Pai
Designer: Ishan Khosla Design
Publisher: Takshila Publication
ISBN: 978-93-84375-17-1
Date of Publication: May 2016
Language: English
Book Specs: Paperback, 142 Pages, 23 x 23 x 1.5cm
Category: Non-Fiction/Art/Activity : Leisure/Educational
Age/Audience: 12+
Price: Rs. 950