Frame by frame

A tribute to a city that has inspired a thousand visions, even in times of terror

A tribute to a city that has inspired a thousand visions, even in times of terror
Mumbai never ceases to fuel an artist8217;s creativity. Be it the tragedies of communal riots and bomb blasts, or the contrasting grandeur of high-rises and slums8212;-the city has always been a stimulus to the artist.

Yet, after the smoke that billowed endlessly for three days from the historic Taj hotel has disappeared, artists are struggling to comment on the incident. 8220;Art has to move beyond a child-like response, where one draws out feelings and achieves catharsis. It has to be more complex,8221; says Ranjana Steinruecke. No wonder works related to sensitive issues surface much later and are subtle, thought-provoking and engaging.

8220;Mumbai is an amplified experience, whether it8217;s the joy of a festival or the terror of the riots. I have always been inspired by it,8221; says artist Jitish Kallat, who has been working constantly with images of the metropolis, including those of manmade disasters in the city. His Plat Du Jour the dish of the day has captured distorted images of people exiting railway stations. 8220;These were not conceived with political undertones, but they began to speak another narrative, post Godhra,8221; says Kallat.

Artist Archana Hande, whose replica of the CST station traveled to Amsterdam in 2007 and was shown at Chemould subsequently, is sad that the tragedy at the terminal was overshadowed by the bloodbath at the Taj. 8220;It was very ironic when people did not talk enough of the 50 people who died there. When the news flashed, my art didn8217;t matter to me, I could not associate the terror with my work8212;these issues are of a different dimension,8221; says Hande, who loves the architecture of the Taj but believes people are more important. She is more disgusted though by the blatant politicization of the attacks. 8220;What scared me more was the terror of Modi and Advani coming to Mumbai to reap votes,8221; she says.

Artist Atul Dodiya has lived and breathed the city through his tongue-in-cheek art. Using Bollywood to make serious statements, Dodiya has commented on communal violence and challenges to the Gandhian dream of Ahimsa. 8220;With October 2, I draw on Mumbai8217;s landmarks and politics, both of which I have been engaged with through my career,8221; he says.

Another artist who has evoked the harsh reality of this city is Sudhir Patwardhan. His works treat violence with subtlety and nuance. 8220;I have always been aware of Mumbai8217;s underbelly but the recent spurt in violence not just in the city but around the world motivated me to talk about it,8221; he says. Each of his canvases explores the various forces at work in the city, from the increasing pressure on land to the underlying air of violence about to erupt.