Open to interpretation

I don't paint anything definite. I just paint.'' That's how Partho Guha, an industrial designer by profession describes the pursuits of h...

I don8217;t paint anything definite. I just paint.8221; That8217;s how Partho Guha, an industrial designer by profession describes the pursuits of his leisure time. The canvases that his brushes have brought to life over the past three years will be on display at the Balgandharva Kala Dalan from March 28 to 30. Titled Soul.Chutney, the exhibition includes about 30 paintings acrylic and oil on canvas and a few installations 8211; mostly three-dimensional collages.

Ask about the unusual name, and he muses that his paintings are an expression of what the soul feels 8211; they come from within. And they are the outcome of different moods, different thoughts and different tempers. Each of these has lent a shade of meaning to the final product, which again has its distinct identity. Much like the chutney.

While some of Guha8217;s paintings have been exhibited at the 39th and 41st National Exhibitions of Art organised by the Lalit Kala Akademi in 1996 and 1998 respectively, this is his first show in the city. A graduate of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, Guha says he waited till he had accumulated a decent number of paintings before exhibiting them.

8220;My paintings take a long time before I put them away. That8217;s because I do not work at a stretch,8221; he explains. In fact, his process of painting is interesting. Guha emphasises that he does not set out with a definite theme or even a vague idea about what he intends to paint. No sketches, no plans. His brush touches the canvas and finds its own way across. 8220;I may paint across one part of the canvas, keep it away for a while, and pick it up again later. Maybe I like what is already there, maybe I don8217;t.8221; So how does he know when his painting is done? It8217;s a gut feeling, he answers. 8220;Somehow I know that this is done.8221;

But though his brushes may not be at work, the painting, for Guha, is not complete till it has a spectator who sees it and interprets it. 8220;When I paint, it is for myself; a way of getting in touch with myself. But after it8217;s done, it8217;s not mine any longer. If you were to ask me what it means, I8217;ll have no answer. It8217;s up to you, as the spectator to find your own meaning,8221; he says.

That much he does ensure. As an artist, he is careful that his work has an entry point for the spectator, so he can find something to relate to and consequently interpret it according to his own frame of reference. In fact, his paintings almost look like optical images. And each of his works is perked up by vibrant colour.

With no norms to conform to, his hobby is a total reverse from his usual work of industrial design where every dot and line of an illustration has to have a definite meaning to be communicated to the client. 8220;But this is not intended as a therapy for work-stressed nerves!8221; he is quick to clarify. It8217;s just the way Partho Guha expresses his ideas and creativity after his work day is over, and the artist in him takes over.