Finding DOZ
Finding DOZ is an autobiographical graphic novel about my hometown, childhood, and an elusive novelist called DOZ. It explores my endeavour to harness the vast potential of memory through the medium of illustration, while simultaneously attempting to unpack larger questions of decolonizing narratives and the role of humour in art. This project expands on the research I have undertaken in the spheres of text, art, film and practice in order to venture towards the creation of an impactful visual memoir.
Background
Strung across a mountain ridge flanked by steep, pine-plastered slopes, Shimla is a town nestled in the Himalayan ranges of northern India. Formerly known as Simla at the time of British rule in the country, it harbours a character not dissimilar to that of a colonial time-capsule.
Shimla’s history has been the subject of many texts over the decades spanning multiple eras, authors and formats. None of these, however, come close to the significance of one particular book, titled Simla in Ragtime. Discovered by my father over forty years ago at a junk-sellers shop, it is an illustrated guidebook of the town written in a brilliant albeit scathingly irreverent style. Published in 1913, it describes the town in great detail, with several drawings scattered through the text. The author, who went simply by DOZ, was a seemingly American man who lived in Simla for several years, but little else was known of him. Unfortunately, no other prints of the book could be found, despite years of searching. DOZ’s identity, too, remained a mystery.
Eventually, my family and I moved out of Shimla, but on occasion, we still tried to look for DOZ. Although this search was always in vain, it became emblematic of my youth. DOZ came to life as a character silently existing in the background of our lives, serving as a permanent reminder to a life gone by.
It became inevitable, therefore, that DOZ would find his way into my practice as an adult. My past explorations of themes such as identity and decolonisation began to feel incomplete without addressing his crucial protagonist. My final piece, Finding DOZ, in many ways, is a lot like going back to the start.
Development
Documenting Memories
My initial experimentations for this unit began with simple, yet thorough documentation of personal memories associated with my home, childhood and DOZ. The exercise of spontaneously recording through the medium of drawing became a habit over time, allowing me to recall certain visual aspects that I had long forgotten. Further, these quick illustrations allowed me to identify a visual language which could be both fast paced as well as effective.
Through the documentation of my memories, I was left with an array of deeply intertwined and connected visual images. I knew that I wanted to bring them together somehow, but at this stage I was unaware of how exactly I would go about it. I began to create short and simple narratives, often limiting myself to a single page with little text. This allowed me to start creating small stories of my memories, and visualising these anecdotes through art.
Mapping Nostalgia
DOZ’s Simla in Ragtime begins with a mostly illegible, rather inaccurate map of the town. In ‘mapping’ my nostalgia, I decided to create my own version of this map, guided by the memories I had in each location. Instead of laying emphasis on what places were near or far from each other, I simply positioned them according to the anecdotes related to them. I also attempted to further test this concept, by creating a map which had no geographical understanding at all, but was purely led by which memory led me to the next. Although this map was unsuccessful, I remained fascinated by the concept and hope to further it in my later explorations.
This exercise also allowed me to recall several memories through DOZ’s map, allowing me to feel closer to him while simultaneously positioning these locations within the growing narrative of Finding DOZ.
Setting the Scene through Photograph
Finally, I began to create the final illustrations in accordance to the script I had been writing alongside my development. At this stage, it was necessary to create illustrations which familiarised the reader with Shimla, and the landmarks which I spoke about. As I would not be utilising any pictures within the book, I instead used them as a source for both accuracy and environment setting.
I therefore collecting relevant images, and recreated them using digital illustration. Depending on the context, I would stylise them to varying degrees or simplify them if it served the purpose of the narrative. At this stage, I focused mainly on architectural features and landscapes in order to set the scene for both the reader and myself, before I delved further into the story.
After this, I moved on to creating the actual characters for Finding DOZ. As most characters were autobiographical, I utilised photos from my childhood to recreate memories from my past. In doing so, I was able to not only represent my youth, but also accentuate it through illustration in order to serve the narrative.
In this stage, as I had a prepared script for my final work ready, I began to create illustrations not individually, but as spreads which functioned in specific ways to further the narrative. In order to do so, I relied on a back-and-forth editing process between my written script and visuals to achieve the desired emotive outcome.
In the script for Finding DOZ, three distinct voices can be identified– DOZ’s, my father’s, and mine. I order to distinguish between then, I decided to employ the use of colour and in the case of DOZ, font.
The foreword, which is written by my father and taken from the 2013 reprint of Simla in Ragtime, is illustrated in brown sepia tones, reminiscent of the past with a motive to transport the viewer to another time. By contrast, my personal narratives are coloured in brightly, and often become child-like in my attempt to position the reader in more modern, youthful era.
Finally, each chapter begins with an excerpt from Simla in Ragtime, introducing that area of Shimla through his words, and is therefore represented by illustration done in a style similar to DOZ’s illustrations, as well as a font reminiscent of the original text.
Final Work
‘Finding DOZ’ is an ongoing memoir about my childhood, my hometown, and an elusive novelist called DOZ. It is based on a book called Simla in Ragtime–an irreverent, illustrated guidebook about the town I grew up in, which was discovered by my father over forty years ago. It’s author, who simply went by DOZ, clearly took great pleasure in poking fun at our town, but was unfortunately never found. Although the book went on to become somewhat of a local treasure, its writer remains a mystery to this day.
Over time, the search for DOZ has become emblematic of something much larger. It has come to represent my youth, my identity, and a complicated relationship with my town’s colonial past. Through Finding DOZ, I attempt to use the medium of storytelling to both bring Shimla to the world and in doing so, finally resolving this mystery.
Medium: B5 size Printed Book
Conclusion
The journey of Finding DOZ has given me the opportunity to study, explore and create from deeply personal themes which have been fundamental to my life and practice. My explorations have been as challenging as they have been rewarding, and have emboldened me to take risks and move outside of my preconceived notions of image-making.
