Between the Lines

These works of art are best enjoyed held in your lap -- in the seclusion of your living room. In the limited editions collectors' books p...

These works of art are best enjoyed held in your lap 8212; in the seclusion of your living room. In the limited editions collectors8217; books published by Gogi Saroj Pal and Ved Nayar, word and image marry to create an experience which speaks to the mind while seducing the eye.

Pal8217;s book blends two streams of her life: painter and mother. Letters she wrote to her young son Marish when he was in a hostel between 1983 and 1985, were kept by him for 13 years before she came across them. He had given them to Pal8217;s sister-in-law, Rini Dhumal, who showed her the package of yellowing paper. quot;First, I didn8217;t want to read them. Didn8217;t like the idea of going back. I am not that sort of a person,quot; she says. But when she finally unfolded those letters again, she realised several things. The scrawled writings weren8217;t just notes dashed off in a hurry by a duty-bound mother. An effort to instruct, to teach and to keep Marish updated with the art world of Garhi that he was intimate with, had resulted in a sort of art history ofthat period. The coming of acrylic and how that changed Indian art, the time when the tide changed in favour of ceramics in the country and the first art camp to be held are all noted down.

And in one letter written during Dassera she says, quot;Rams and Ravanas are born even now. In every human being, there is a Ram as well as a Ravana 8230; if we can win the Ravana in our inside, we can become our own Ram. Try to become your own Ram. I will also try to do the same.quot; Pieces of wisdom like this made a strong impression on Marish8217;s mind, enough for the 10 year old to want to save the letters.

Also, realising that receiving letters in a hostel was a community affair of sorts, where they were shared eagerly with friends, Pal wrote long notes often accompanied with beautiful etchings which Marish could show his class mates. So, when Rini and Purushotam Dhumal invited Pal and Nayar to work at the graphic studio to manually print two limited editions books, the letters accompanied by the etchings, which Palfaithfully re-did, seemed like a beautiful idea. Kept in a wooden box, the book is made of loose sheets with each letter reproduced along with a drawing.

In Nayar8217;s book, also in its wooden case, all 12 etchings are called Super model celebrity between the material earth and the planets 8212; a comment on the modern need for celebrities, particularly the supermodel whose reach is vast through the electronic media. Nayar says that he is the sum of his local, regional and global consciousness and so these works are not a satire against media monsters or the unbuttoned times that we live in. He reiterates that he is merely an observer, not a critic, and the etchings come from the images that his mind processes daily. In fact he gently draws an analogy between the paint that some tribals wore all over as clothing and the skin-tight attire today8217;s young people prefer, quot;It is somewhat like going back to that old custom,quot; he says with a rare insight. But at some point his etchings become repetitive and arecompletely overshadowed by his beautiful writing. Nayar writes with an originality and honesty that makes the eye rush back to reread the entire page again.

Each book, signed and numbered, is for Rs 80,000. And though both Pal and Nayar went through trying times to bring the 30 editions out, it is an effort they would like to repeat. quot;What has really made this work is the opportunity to take individuals through this exhibition personally sitting face to face. An interaction which is not possible in a regular show. It has been worth it,quot; says Nayar.

At Cymroza Art Gallery, Warden Road. Till Dec 11. Time: 10.00 am to 7.00 pm.