A splash of colour

But only for a moment,because if you let your eyes wander and take notice of French graffiti artist,Spedy Graphito at work,you are most likely to be taken in by his sharp,confident strokes. A bold blue stroke here ,another one there,and voila! We have a star. A red splash and a turban emerges out of a face which looks very much like the popular cartoon character,Popeye. “Yes,this is Popeye. I have made him wear turban,like the ones Indian fakirs sport,” smiles Graphito who is in Kolkata to participate in Bonjour India,the two-month art and culture festival of France. Meanwhile,around him,there is a flurry of activity. Rahul,the liaison representative appointed by the French Consulate,is at his wits end because he doesn’t know where to find the kind of colour spray cans Graphito needs for his art work. Graphito’s wife,Ariele Schweps (a photographer by profession) wants to know where they can find some nice “grilled sandwiches” (“we haven’t had any breakfast”),students of the college observe Graphito with an expression of curiosity and arrogance that only youth can afford (“eta ki banache? Cartoon?”). But Graphito is unperturbed. “Graffiti painters cannot be understood merely as practitioners of vandalism and social disorder. Graffiti art is a subculture which can also be seen as a legitimate career option nowadays,” he says. A few more strokes and Popeye is ready in full turbaned glory. The students seem unimpressed,but Graphito is yet to embellish the painting with his masterstroke. He takes out a few stencils and traces images of popular cartoon characters on the face of the iconic cartoon character. Sponge bob,Kitty and Japanese anime figures litter the face of Popeye. It’s a curious sight. Graphito explains. “Popeye,the sailor is a wanderer. He is a man of the world and I have painted figures of popular cartoon icons from different parts of the word on his face to highlight unity,” says Graphito. The sculptor,who so far seemed blissfully unaware of the hoopla around him,joins the crowd and applauds Graphito’s work.