Turmoil through the eyes of the beholder
Artist Akshay Raj Singh Rathore opens up about his latest work, through which he showcases societal unrest across Europe.
Art and artists are reflection of society. Whatever they purse, it is not only their view of society but a new way to look at it, New light on puddles that were unseen.
An exhibition ‘Unpracticed frugality’ was organised at the Capital’s Gallery Espace. The exhibition showcased around 20 works by Akshay Raj Singh Rathore. These are accounts of his personal journey over the last four years when he moved to France and witnessed a lot of societal turmoil both in Europe and back in India. The exhibition displays a varied yet coherent body of works, unfolding a narrative, defining the artist's thought process and practice.
Defining his work, Rathore aptly says “The vision of the show is political. It will take the visitor towards a new kind of aesthetics which, being rooted in the past and surpasses present sense of contemporary contemplation.”
He explains there was no particular inspiration behind the exhibition but certainly there has been a sense of ecology and awareness of what’s happening in the politics of contemporary societies.
“I have been under a transition of sorts for over six years now, it began spontaneously with a research project which brought me back to my village after a long period,” he says adding, “What I witnessed there in the form of rural distress was echoed a little later in Paris, where some mass shootings and subsequent hysteria showed an uglier form of urban chaos.” The present body of works builds upon the two and calls for a more simpler approach to current problems and issues.
He details that economy is the first challenge any artist or thinker faces when he or she has to talk seriously. “Economy not just in terms of monetary exchange but even in thoughts, in ideas, in forms and in materials. When truth needs to be presented in its pure form it is to be done most minimal and most efficiently,” he adds. He feels an extreme control of self is required which brings oneself on to the verge of denouncing all comforts life demands.
When asked on Indian art, he says he was away from India for over five years so it would be wrong on his part to do a commentary.
Still he has been coming regularly and showed continuously at various venues until 2016.
“So what I can say is that these are exciting times for art to re-emerge world over and do critical discourse on what is important in life and how should man resolve impending crisis of global repercussions,” he feels.
He believes becoming an artist is the easiest thing, but to maintain the path one sets upon is the most difficult one.
So whatever said and done, “It’s an inner calling and students should only choose what they really feel for,” he says adding, “To be an independent artist one has to be versatile and super flexible. Learning never stops that’s why one should be flexible.”
In most recent times, art has come under scanner with political affiliations. Rathore says, “Politics is an art and art too is a form of politics, they are two sides of the same coin. It’s on the individual how he wants to present it to public.”
For himself, he decided to separate the two and keep them clearly aside. However, having said that he does keep the two sides engaged and informed, which is where the field of culture takes prominence in his kind of discourse.He suggests too much indulgence of politics in art leads to a degenerative form of aesthetics, which neither does justice to art nor read by the layman as desired by the artist.
When asked on how can artists give back to the society, he feels artists are constantly giving to the society and there is no need for an compulsion.
“Whatever they do is a product of what they have felt and observed within the society they have lived. The more one is informed, the more rich is the output,” he says adding, “Society however does need to take note of these outputs and create response and receptive sites for more possible turnovers.”
Despite uncertainties he feels it is important that artists live freely expressing their ideas. “Live frugal and make most efficient use of your time and opportunity.
Live fully and enjoy what you do, that’s the key to any kind of success. Live for others, this will change the entire vision of your art and its practice,” he concludes.
The exhibition is currently on till April 13 At Gallery Escape, New Friends Colony