Art gets Rag Tagged

“One man’s trash is another man’s livelihood,so what we term as ‘waste’ is subjective,” says Dutta. His installation is a part of a movement in art that attempts to experiment with material that have,ostensibly,outlived their usefulness. The other artists who are participating in this exhibition are Rajesh Kumar Rajan and Debasish Das. The trio spent the last fortnight sifting through trash at Gallery NIV. “We want to educate people and create awareness about cleanliness and how junk can be utilised for creating a beautiful art piece,” says gallerist Aruna Mathew.

Mathew collected junk from garbage dealers from across the city for the artists to work on. Das chose to work with a wooden shoe pattern (the mould used to make shoes). He converted this into the neck of a horse,using metal rods to create the body and a wheel for the head. The Delhi-based artist has titled this work,Time Keeper,a reference to the threats faced by several endangered species. “A horse is an icon of speed,agility and movement. I wanted to make an animal because we hear about how tigers and other species are facing the danger of extinction,” says Das.

Patna-based Ranjan’s twin installations titled,The Place where God Lives,has innumerable objects such as toys,lamps,baskets and water cannisters piled one on top of the other. “God can live anywhere and not just in places of worship. Everything and everyone has some purpose. We should not discriminate against people,” he says about his artwork. Ranjan hopes the exhibition not just impresses but also inspires people to do their bit for the environment.

The exhibition is on at the IGNOU campus from June 15. Contact: 29535508