Mirroring a perception

One fine day, when going through a difficult phase in life, he flipped a mirror to see how it looked from the back. Out of sheer curiosit...

One fine day, when going through a difficult phase in life, he flipped a mirror to see how it looked from the back. Out of sheer curiosity. And as he worked on finding out what makes the insides of a mirror, Rusi Rutnagar realised he had discovered a new surface to create his art on. That was Rutnagar8217;s tryst with the mirror; an art form he developed to ideally reflect his visions, his creativity, his thought processes.

Putting up his work on display for the 11th time the first time outside Mumbai, Rutnagar8217;s mirror and glass paintings shall be exhibited at Le Meredien. To be inaugurated by Shobha De today, the exhibition titled Reflections will be open for the audience on April 22 and 23.

Spanning two years of 8220;intensive creative catharsis,8221; the 100-odd exhibits depict a variety of themes 8211; portraits, abstract, sea and sand scapes, graphics and animals. His celebrity portraits include Rajiv Gandhi, His Highness the Aga Khan, Shobha De, M.S. Oberoi, Rai Bahadur, and silver screen idols like Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe and Rekha.

Rutnagar8217;s introduction to mirror painting goes back over a decade. Working as an interior designer then, the job accorded him little satisfaction. Exploring avenues for the future, wanting to do something that his own hands would create from beginning to end, the bathroom provided him with the answer!

8220;In there is a poster, screen-printed on silver foil with little fluorescent balls on it. I liked the effect so much, and the foil gave it the semblance of a mirror. I wanted to re-create that effect, but in another medium. And the mirror came to mind,8221; says Rutnagar.

But just painting on the straight side of the mirror did not hold any challenge. It was working on the reverse that seemed interesting. 8220;And through trial and error, I mastered a technique which gave me satisfying results.8221;

The very nature of the surface, coupled with the fact that its reverse side needs to be used, painting becomes quite a tricky and elaborate affair. And he needs to visualise right in the beginning what his end product will look like, so accordingly he can decide how to go about it.

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In fact, as he explains, the entire process gets reversed when painting on mirror. And unlike a canvas, one cannot rely on the next coat of paint to hide any blemishes or cover any error. 8220;The rough sketch of the image is put onto the back of the mirror, and then the areas which I plan to paint, I etch out with a self-devised instrument.8221; The next step is an acid bath using diluted acid on a cotton bud, which removes the mercury film. After washing the mirror, and letting it dry, Rutnagar paints in the exposed parts. And the effect is there for all to see.

8220;I work with colours,8221; exclaims the artist, and that is evident by the striking paintings. The patience and concentration that goes in is reflected in each frame 8211; be it a few inches or over eight feet in size.

8220;At the end of the day, I am happy. Every bit has been created by my own two hands, and I can proudly say that yes, this is mine8221;.