John-Paul Pryor, Editor and Art Director of StART JOURNAL interviews Nandita Chaudhuri
John-Paul Pryor, Editor and Art Director of START JOURNAL scrutinises Nandita’s practice and what she is seeking to explore and transmit through her work at her Solo Booth, alongside artists Philip and Charlotte Colbert and Rick Guest.. The StART Jounal accompanies the StART Art Fair October 7-13, 2024 at the London town Hall by Bottaccio.
JP: What first drew you to the path of the artist as a child? How did it manifest in your upbringing?
NC: I grew up with the smell of paint and canvas. My mother was a poet, writer and artist. She painted incessantly and wrote soulful poetry. From an early age I was taught to question the universe and not follow any hand me down theories. To develop wings that would let me soar out of cultures, habitats, divisions, conventions or man-made rules. I was born a free spirit without shackles, to paint and conceptualise profound realities through multiple media. I write deeply profound poems and create paintings, sculptures, poetry and technology-led art, which are translated into metaphorical narratives.
JP: How would you describe yourself as an artist? What essentially are you seeking to explore and transmit, perhaps with specific regard to your latest work?
NC: The works comprise of complex patterns of sensuous states constructed by imagination. The outcome is a unified process guided by a combination of sensory input, memories, expectations and varied influences. The multiple disciplinary works, aim to convey and evoke a singular ethos. My art forms evolve continuously, as new technologies and media are introduced. They take a deep dive into unpeeling onion layers in human behaviour in a stark and vivid manner. The reflections are both intuitive and perceptive My works rely on graphic metaphors to convey a common thread. Metaphors used, serve as symbolic bridges allowing me to convey complex ideas and emotions in a relatable and vivid manner. They paint pictures in the mind’s eye, making abstract concepts tangible and emotionally resonant.
Some of my newer works engage with a deep perceptive analysis of how individualistic behaviour can be intertwined with societal norms and its impact on interpersonal relationships. In other instances, they satirically use the negative spaces between objects to appropriate the narrative. The subtleties conveyed by focussing on spaces between objects can be more potent than visualising the object itself; as it unfolds more heightened imagination in a potent manner, with possibilities for more abstract negotiation.
JP: Can you talk to us about the ideas behind the latest work, such as the MONKS series, and in particular the desire to work in the representation of energy fields and auras?
NC: Evidently, man is a miniscule dot in this huge interconnected reciprocity of the universe. Yet individualism and its microcosmic needs often supersedes collective awareness. The Monks series, have a spiritual underpinning with recurring usage of circles representing energy patterns and the open safety pin symbolising possibilities and eventualities that hang unanswered. My works have also been derived from a unique set of experiences that reflect gender prejudices and a limited scope of vision. The visual imagery often depicts the tension between Yin and Yang; or the duality in the present. The works endeavour to demarcate and illustrate the ultimate dissolving of all imaginary boundaries.
JP: What is your notion of the human soul? Do you believe in an afterlife?
NC: As a sceptic, I question everything and believe in nothing without a personal experience. Humans are the only living being in this planet who are intrinsically and biologically predisposed to believe in notions of destiny, religion, afterlife, karma, God, reincarnation etc. It’s not just because our brains are superior to other species, but we have other attributes of hope and faith, even entitlement. We believe there is a greater power out there and we want to manifest. Part of us want to live on. We are the only species who know we will die and yet deny that fact every day. The universe also accepts and embraces a natural occurrence like ‘Loss’ and ‘Regeneration’ which is not easily accepted by humans. Loss happens on a daily basis. I do believe that energy cannot be created or destroyed and that the living soul creates and emits continual energy patterns and vibrations that live on; and its only our individual and collective energies that can change the patterns. I would not have believed in afterlife till such time, I encountered it. But that’s another story I would love to tell.
JP: How does your Indian heritage play out in your work? How does the cycle of life play out in your work as an artist?
NC: There is a certain integrity in negotiating collective experiences and creating works that are rich in transnational references with multiple narratives. Works are unique, when the references sit astride timelines reflecting both fusion and displacement from a transnational context with multiple cultural perspectives. It even reflects globalisation and the history of art emerging on a larger global landscape. It would be vital for global art markets to tap on this important facet and recognise its relevance in emerging art today. Having been displaced from my earlier years in India and then finding home in the UK, where I have lived for three decades, the works have a distinct transnational context, a hybridity. I don’t see it as a displacement from any one point to another. I allow an instinctive flow of inspiration from my various influences guide my practice. I am convinced that the richness of the transnational ‘third space’ has a distinct and unique identity that a body of imitative mass media works cannot produce.
My works have also been derived from a unique set of experiences that reflect gender prejudices and other challenges in my personal journey. My lifecycle has led me to produce three distinctive phases of work. I painted nudes early in my career 25 years ago where the usage of paint was stark an aggressive. It was interpreted as immensely sensual, though I had done it at the phase where I was finding my freedom. Then came a calm spiritual phase of auras and vibrations that I truly felt. I am now on the third phase of translating profound and introspective thoughts through experimentation in metaphorical language.
JP: How would you describe your creative process? How do you approach a blank canvas? What sparks your inspiration?
NC: While doing my MA in Fine Art, my professor at Chelsea, UAL, London, asked me a question that was a turning point in my life. “Why are you using the canvas, why this medium of choice?” I would attribute my multidisciplinary career to this simple question. When I have a concept idea, it is too limiting to be bound by a single medium. You dip into your tool box and use 2D, 3D, poetry and digital film all at once like playing a tango or an orchestra with one single voice. Having said that, my approach to canvas as a medium is not too studied, deliberated or measured. My works rely more on exploration, experimentation, intuition, instinct and an emotional flow.
JP: In terms of energy, do you believe in a collective consciousness in the Jungian sense? Does the experience of making and experiencing art give us access to a deeper reality?
NC: Have you ever heard the ambient sound inside a seashell? It mimics the sound of the ocean perhaps even of the bygone air once trapped inside. In the Jungian sense, energy waves trapped in man also produce ingrained impressions. A lot of art interpretation or sensibilities come from an unconscious layer of subjective thought processes. And so, we are interconnected in a larger sense and yet disconnected by dogma, localised influences and conditioning creating dissonance. Its to be marvelled how various esoteric subjects, concepts or cultural leanings go down so deep as a universal theory. Is it conditioning or have we been coded by a deeper reality by our ancestors? If mind can indeed be over matter, cannot mind soar above or explore further possibilities to a given theory? As an artist, you are able to intercept and negotiate this plane and translate it into imagery.
JP: What is your definition of beauty? How does beauty play out in your work?
NC: A conceptual thought process translated in newer experimental and innovative ways is more soul satisfying than focussing on beauty and aesthetics. When aesthetics is a driving quality, you could be bogged down by either detail, colour, technical method or even repetitive iconography. It could get limiting. There is a danger of crossing the thin line separating craft from art. Art is usually centred around exploring concepts and abstract ideas. It is often a reflection of personal experience, values, and perspectives. Craft, on the other hand, is often centred around producing a functional object with aesthetic qualities. A satirical piece, with all its imperfections and drama is more thought provoking, and can achieve a sense of authenticity that beauty might lack. My preference is to probe this imperfection to evoke social commentary and initiate intense dialogue.
JP: How does painting help you psychologically? What is your inner journey as a painter? Would You describe your painting as a spiritual practice?
NC: Artists often possess a unique perspective on the world around them, seeing beyond what is visible to the eye. My works allow the viewer to see a different perspective, to perceive the world in a different way. I create art only because I am able to use imagination, intuition, and creativity to envision things differently, tapping into other dimensions of reality. This could mean perceiving hidden emotions, spiritual aspects, or symbolism that others may not notice. When that connection and dialogue is made with the viewer, it is soul satisfying. You paint because you must. It’s a release.
JP: Why is creative expression important to you? What do you hope a viewer will take from exposure to your paintings? Talk to me about the relationship between the viewer and the images you present.
NC: It is vital that the works elicit a strong dialogue with the viewer. The work is only half complete when created and would realise its full completion only when the viewer elicits thought provoking debate or intense dialogue. Art is not just a static object or a singular interpretation, but a living, evolving entity that can reveal new insights and meanings as the viewer engages. The viewer’s experience and interpretation of the art object is therefore not just a reflection of the viewer’s psyche, but also a response to the artist’s creative expression. However, the creator-viewer relationship can also be affected by other dynamics, particularly in cases where the artist holds a position of authority over the viewer or vice versa. Overall, the relationship between the creator and viewer in art interpretation is dynamic, and can be influenced by a range of complex factors.
JP: How do you think the advent of AI in art is going to change the human experience of art?
NC: AI is a medium that can be used to expand the palette, by using it as an additional tool to translate ideas. However, when AI conceptualises the artwork, it reduces the artists intervention. The absolute value of tapping into an artist’s sensibilities or perspectives cannot ever be replaced by an algorithm, however intuitive it may be. AI is increasingly being used in the creation, curation, and distribution of art. It may be proficient in reproducing patterns and formulas, but it may not have the ability to convey the emotional connection and resonance that humans bring to art.
JP: What for you is ultimately the purpose of art? What has been the most profound response to your work in your life so far?
NC: I am able to see the world in so many layers and dimensions and transfer those thoughts into vivid imagery. It’s not what everyone does. The urge to create is something inborn. Finding innovative experimental ways to project that imagery, comes instinctively. Connection is also the first word that comes to mind. I have had people tell me that they could see themselves mirrored in my poems and paintings. A profound experience would be a sense of connection with my inner self and the viewer.You are filled sometimes by a sense of wonder, transcendence or transformation. Or feel the sense of vulnerability of risk-taking, as you expose your innermost thoughts, emotions, and experiences to the world. It involves a deep sense of challenge and growth, as you confront obstacles and push yourself beyond perceived limits.
JP: What do you consider to be your greatest achievement as an artist so far?
NC: Apart from the various awards and participation in three Biennales, or even the permanent works hanging in museums, my most fulfilling achievement is; My Book titled UNMASKED published by Mapin this year. The book is richly illustrated with over 300 deeply introspective poems and paintings. The works take a deep dive into peeling away the onion layers of human behaviour in a stark and vivid manner. The poems and paintings rely on graphic metaphors to convey a common thread. Introspection coupled with profound, thought-provoking stories, explore and re- engage with deep impressions and stored images snatched from observing life. An interplay of narratives throughout the book enables a storyline that depicts the object and the crevices within. The book creates a unique multilayered sensory experience.
It is available on Amazon.co.uk- https://amzn.eu/d/0f85lu
