08 January,2009 11:17 AM IST | | Anjana Vaswani
Painting inspired by Smita Patil done in acrylic and ink on a carrom board
Nothing is what it seems in New York artist Chitra Ganesh's works. Ahead of a solo exhibition in Mumbai, she tells Anjana Vaswani why she enjoys going into a world where beasts have eyelashes, and Hindi film stars find carrom coins flying across their faces
New York based artist of Indian origin, Chitra Ganesh doesn't recall creating spectacular sketches as a child, like most artists will tell you they did. "I enjoyed art like most children do. In college, I studied literature and art, but it wasn't necessarily to make a career as an artist," she says matter-of-factly. Chitra likes working in a variety of media including digital collages, drawing and installations, inspired by iconography of Hindu, Greek and Buddhist mythology, 19th century European portraiture and fairytales, song lyrics, and contemporary visual culture such as Bollywood posters, anime, and comic books.
The artist was a teacher
After graduating from college, Chitra worked as a teacher at a government-run-school, teaching students of class 7 and 8, English and Social Studies. When her teaching contract expired, she decided to consider other possibilities, and that's when she happened to cross paths with a group of young New York artists. "Engaging with them, discussing life... that's what inspired me to take up my art in a more serious way," she shares. Being involved with the New York art community pushed her to get her portfolio in order, says the Columbia
University alumnus.
The comics that found the adult
Chitra says her style is influenced by German expressionism, surrealist art and Indian paintings, and has an Amar Chitra Kathaesque feel to it. "I happened to re-visit the comics as an adult, at an artists' colony, when a friend sent me a hamper of fun things, in which she had included these books." But Chitra is not worried about previous associations that Indians may have with her style of art. In fact, she hopes it creates a way for people to "enter" the work. Since viewers will have a connection to the imagery from their own childhood, it might make it easier for them to engage with her art-works.
Where movies, prints and paintings come together
In addition to the eight works that are on display at this exhibition, a short film is also being screened, making this a film, animation, print and painting display. "The exhibition is an attempt to share stories that people may not be familiar with, stories from mythology or popular culture." She admits to have drawn inspiration from previous exhibitions and Alice in Wonderland, says she enjoys the idea of going into another world.
The film includes a short still of actor Zeenat Aman from Satyam Shivam Sundaram, which, Chitra says has been altered into a lenticular print, which is a kind of moving print. "If you look at one side, it has one image. If you look at the other, it's different. I was interested in working with that technology."
The Ocean Beneath is on from January 9 to February 3 at Chatterjee & Lal Gallery, 1/18, 1st floor, Kamal Mansion, Arthur Bunder Road, Colaba.
Call: 22023787
