Graduate Studies

Interdisciplinary Master's in Art, Media and Design (MA, MDes and MFA)

Sheetal Prasad

Ration Book

I decided to create a ration book with food vouchers that were used by the citizens during this time. The AR is a video glitch of barely any information about South Asians during the Great Depression. This approach allowed for the bridging of both digital (AR and video) and analogue (bookbinding) practices.

“During the late 1920s, the stock market became a new way to make “easy money.” People would invest in stocks from notable companies such as Ford Canada and the CPR, in hopes of potentially earning money. However, on October 29, 1929, (Black Tuesday) people felt nervous about the idea of their stocks declining, so they all decided to convert their stocks into real money. The stock market crashed as well as the national economy and unemployment were at an all-time high. For South Asians and other minorities, discrimination intensified while immigration halted. South Asians mitigated the situation through extensive mutual-aid funding such as vouchers. Unfortunately, there is little information reflected in my work about South Asians during this time.”