Today we’d like to introduce you to Rajiv Raman.
Rajiv, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I’m a sculptor and a graphic designer. My graphic designs resemble subway maps. Through them I tell stories about people’s lives.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
Perhaps they’re a bit too familiar to the urban dweller, but I’ve always been fascinated by subway maps. The way that they distill complexity down to a simple bold geometry is mesmerizing. My artwork doesn’t appear to be artwork first glance. There’s an element of surprise in my pieces that I hope makes viewers laugh (or cry – I’ll take either) when they realize they aren’t just looking at a subway map.
Have things improved for artists? What should cities do to empower artists?
The Somerville scene is hurting. There are million-dollar condos being built on one side of me. There’s a 25-unit development planned right behind me. I can guarantee they’re not going to draw any artists. I’ve lived all over the East Coast and places like Somerville, that special mix of dense residential with mixed-use, are one-in-a-million.
Cities are rarely built this way anymore. The Boston area has long been transforming into a bio- and high-tech capital. Honestly, I don’t think these newcomers care enough about art …yet. But they do seem to care about local restaurants. We need to take what restaurants have done and apply it to other venues like galleries so that a true “locavore” supports all things local. And if the newcomers don’t become art advocates, well, then “Somerville” (the artist community, not the city) will move elsewhere and hopefully spring up anew. Maybe Medford’s next. (I was recently joking that my new Medford subway map is an ode to all of the artists moving there.) I hope not though. I design maps, so a sense of place is obviously important to me. Somerville is my home and I love this place to death.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
www.mapuccino.com and various shops/gift galleries in the Boston area.
Contact Info:
- Address: 14 Clyde St.
Somerville, MA 02145 - Website: www.mapuccino.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rajivpraman/
Image Credit:
Rajiv Raman
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