Mutant Spaces
The myriad ways of image making entangles and weaves complex layers of the conscious, the unconscious, the real and the fictional. Artists-Ananda Krishnan, Midhun and Shahanshah each work with such layered concepts of space - albeit each in his own way. Through their artistic practices they try to articulate the vague, the constantly transmuting, the non-articulated emotions that lie deep and layered within the self
Ananda Krishnan uses the trope of mapping and cartography to formulate art works, which while appearing as maps - interestingly non-functional - actually come out as paintings. This very process of turning a map into a painting itself 'maps' the process of the creating of art. Thus the final work transforms the noun 'map' into its own verb: an articulated process needed to express the emotions that he wants to bring on to the canvas. It is this two dimensional medium which suggests the constant emotional changes and transformations that he wishes to explore and display.
Midhun diverges from this technique - he actually layers the works with a physicality whose immediacy cannot be denied. The surface of his work itself becomes the ground for expressions and contestations. One sees layers and layers of paper stuck onto the surface- the surface of struggle and interchanging depths. The individual layers bring in the parts and components of existence to represent social existence, existential angst, fragmentation and the complex ways in which we unify all these to create a life. Midhun thus explores the unity that is required to be created, so that both nature and art, consciousness and life can exist.
Shahanshah essentially sees the world as layers of disturbed, as well as, disturbing, spaces. To him collage is what best represents such a world. On the face of it, we are confronted by disturbed chaotic pictorial spaces when we stand before his works. Slowly Shahanshah's intervention into such a world emerges through his monochromatic palette, the sense of freedom he allows objects to move in and out of the spaces, subtly hiding what does not fit in, accentuating what does and is affirming and beautiful, and finally allowing the viewers freedom to interpret each aspect with his or her own experiences. His works thus move towards harmonising the found and existent chaos of this world.
Sincere Thanks - Dr. Anurag Kanoria
Curated by Gourmoni Das
Text By - Midhun Gopi