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Journalism of Courage
This is a very experimental workshop,quot; said Anupa Mehta, right in the beginning, laying all her expectations and fears on the ground about the first programme organised by her new company 8212; Artworks Inc. And Intimate Spaces, done in collaboration with Art India, a magazine which Anupa had edited till recently, was meant to do just that 8212; provide the participants 8212; only women 8212; an atmosphere where personal thought and experiences could be shared easily. Among those present were Sangita Kathiawada, president, Morarka Centre for Revival and Research on Crafts, Sangita Jindal, president Art India, Czaee Shah, art collector, Rani Raote, psychologist, Shanta Gokhale, art critic, Amrita Shah, Christie8217;s India representative, Suma Verghese, bureau chief Life Positive and Geetha Mehra, director, Sakshi Art Gallery. The focus of the workshop was two painters 8212; Anju Dodiya and Rekha Rodwittya. They used a slide show to discuss their work, and the visuals sparked off a discussion aboutthe artist, her motivations and even her demons.
What flowed out of Anju8217;s watercolours was her every day inner struggle. She said of one work, quot;I see the pillow as the enemy. It is hard to force myself into the studio every day to paint.quot; And this fear of self expression, of facing the world is new with each day. A sentiment which struck a chord with Amrita. quot;It is so tempting to just remain inside my room, sink into my pillow and not meet anybody,quot; she laughed.
While Anju paints the slow but insistent throbbing of every day pain, Rekha8217;s work, with plenty of red, almost shrieks her agenda. One of the texts on her paintings said that she had been a very wanted and treasured girl child. An experience which perhaps made her veryangry at the discrimination she saw outside. quot;I am an instinctive feminist,quot; she said. The repeated motif of red imprints of her own hands, found in almost every painting, the many eyes and the bold frontal red, made Sangita Kathiawada ask Rekha whether she saw herself as a devi as the motifs reminded her of some temples she had seen. This similarity was just a coincidence and Rekha8217;s answer was no.
Lunch, as Anupa had planned, was a getting-to-know-each-other session. One of the factors which contributed to the success of the workshop was the fact that it was conducted at the Sakshi gallery, an ideal ground for such exchanges. And, of course, the easy hospitality of Sangita Jindal and Anupa.
The afternoon session threw the floor open to every body. The intention was personal exchange and as Rani Raote, who facilitated it said, to let the ghost within talk. Initially the conversation hovered on the concept of beauty but soon it veered towards the fact that fine arts intimidate people.
Said SumaVerghese, quot;Till very recently I would go into a gallery with the pressure that I had to understand each painting.quot; And if she didn8217;t, it would make her feel inadequate. While Suma has sort of managed to break down barriers, for Shagorica Ghosh, programme co-ordinater, Jindal Arts Creative Interaction Centre, the fear is still very much there. The reason, as Rekha pointed out, might be because one is not exposed to fine art as a child.
quot;Though music, reading and films are a part of our lives, fine art is not,quot; she said. A fact that makes non-artists feel like an outsider to the world of fine arts 8212; hence the attempt to dismiss it before the insecurity arises. An observation which brought the workshop to a full circle. Said Shanta Gokhale, quot;Both expressing art, as Anju said, and relating to it, is frightening.quot;
