Journal of Creative Arts and Minds Published by
Margie Labadie, President John Antoine Labadie, Senior Editor & Chief Graphic Designer Larry Arnold, Board Member
Electronic Links https://www.facebook.com/JournalofCreativeArtsandMinds http://www.jumboartsinternational.org jcam.jal@gmail.com
Jumbo Arts International Contact Information 217 South Edinborough St. Red Springs, North Carolina 28377-1233 01.910.734.3223 Editorial – John Antoine Labadie & Margie Labadie Design – The JCAM Team of Jumbo Arts International
The Journal of Creative Arts and Minds is a publication of Jumbo Arts International. This electronic publication is free. The views and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the publisher.
April 2018 – Vol. 4, No.2 An Original Publication of Jumbo Arts International Red Springs, North Carolina, USA
ISBN: 978-0-9965432-7-9 / ISSN: Pending Jumbo Arts International 2018
April 2018 – Vol. 4, No. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Jumbo Arts International President’s Message – 6 JCAM Editor’s Message – 8 VISUAL ARTISTS Khushal Sadashiv Khairnar – 14 Bernice Locklear – 24 Rekha Rana – 40 Holger Neeresh Debek – 54 Seema Kadam Sutaar – 72 Samir Sarcar – 86 Shubho Saha – 100 Shirish Deshpande – 114 CREATIVE WRITERS Medha Singh – 128 FINAL WORD – 144 INFORMATION FOR SUBMITTERS – 145
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President's Message It’s been a rainy Spring here in North Carolina. We’ve already harvested fresh herbs from the gardens and the vibrant colors of nasturtiums, marigolds and squash blossoms are brightening the days. Likewise, the incredible colors of the April JCAM are just amazing! From Germany, Mr. Holger Debek brings us electric, fractal and photographic inspired images. From the USA, Mr. Bernice Locklear turns wood into art forms from an array of combined, natural colors. Mr. Shubho Saha of Bangladesh shares his contemporary creativity, computer based imagery and performance art from all over the world. And Ms. Medha Singh brings us into her world of writing and poetry through her honest discussion on life and art. She and other wonderful artists of India are contained in this April/May issue of the Journal of Creative Arts and Minds. We offer our readers a full spectrum of creativity with each issue of the JCAM. But we always continue to let artists speak for themselves about their media, their craftsmanship, and their passion to make art. In these pages, creative individuals are not defined by a single poem or painting. But their many and various art forms are given more pages to allow readers a greater viewing experience. The number of excellent artists and writers who have submitted their work continues to grow. Over 100 artists and writers, from a total of 28 countries have now been published. Through the JCAM you can experience what life is like for artists from Argentina to the Czech Republic, from Holland to Pakistan, from Poland to Taiwan, or from the United Arab Emirates to the United States. Through these articles, the JCAM is crossing time zones and bridging cultures, all for the sake of Creative Arts. Art makes the world a better place. The JCAM helps artists communicate better with the world!
Margie Labadie JCAM Publisher & President, Jumbo Arts International
Red Springs, North Carolina, USA jumboartsinternational@gmail.com
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Margie Labadie “Reptilian Spring” / Digital Artwork / May 2017
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April 2018 A Message from the Senior Editor With every issue of the JCAM we learn new things. Some of these learnings are much more interesting than others. Some bear sharing. First, over the past two years (2016 & 2017) we have, surprisingly, learned that our journal could not be seen and/or read online in certain countries. What? Yes. These are the kinds of reports we all read about. But how truly amazing it is when this situation becomes more personal, and involves your own creative work, and the works of others who have entrusted their ideas and artwork to you to be made available to the online public. How did we come to know about this censorship situation? The first reports came to us from artists whose work we have published. We received one report, then another, and then another, either in social media or as emails. All of this first round of reports came from artists who lived in disparate parts of Russia. We certainly did not doubt the reports, but we also wanted some verification. So, we asked other persons we knew in these same geographical locations if they could access the JCAM through their web browsers. Again, reports confirmed that our content was inaccessible. Hmmmmm? It now appears that, for whatever reason, the JCAM is not currently widely available in locations under the control of the Russian government. This
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is particularly fascinating as our 2015 publications were able to be read by artists in these same locations. We now wonder about the experiences of readers who might wish to access the JCAM online in 2018. We have yet to hear anything about this – to date. A second learning was about the ways people make assumptions about the intentions of publishers, or perhaps it’s more about trust – or lack thereof. Let me set up the scenario. Between January of 2015 and January of 2018 the JCAM corresponded with literally hundreds of artists and writers. During this time we also published more than 100 creatives in our first three years online. For the most part our interactions with JCAM submitters have been wonderful. We’ve met some truly great people; some very interesting folks indeed! We’ve also run into people who just do not seem capable of having a conversation without finding fault with something that is said by the other party. We all know people like this of course. But with the JCAM we are, almost exclusively, dealing with creative professionals who have been out in the public for some time. Even the youngest of the artists we have published are remarkably well accomplished and generally quite worldly. This being the case, it seems all the more surprising to be in correspondence with persons who assume our motives are other than what we suggest. Rather than understanding that our parent organization, Jumbo Arts International, is a USA federally recognized non-profit, several persons with whom we have had correspondence have assumed that we are in some sort of bait and switch business to take advantage of artists and then steal their work. The JCAM has had only three such cases to date. Perhaps we are fortunate that these suspicious people are in such a small minority! So, we at the JCAM have learned that we must be more careful, and even more strategic, about how we present ourselves to the online public. What have we done? The number and type of documents we share with interested submitters has been increased, and carefully re-worded. Our documents have been improved. We’ve also offered more opportunities for real-time interactions on social media, and we’ve scheduled even more phone calls for those who wish to hear a voice rather than see text. We more clearly understand that we can learn from the things that are the least desirable interactions. And so it goes! May the force be with you.
Best, John Antoine Labadie
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John Antoine Labadie “The Ghost of William Morris, v.72” / Tradigital image / 2017
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Khushal Sadashiv Khairnar JCAM: The JCAM is pleased to be able to feature the art work of Khushal S. Khairnar. Mr. Khairnar has kindly provided information about himself and his art practice which we gladly publish below. KSK: My Name is Khushal Sadashiv Khairnar. I am Indian. My birth place is Pimplner in the state of Maharashtra. My birthdate is 25 September 1982. My residential place is Patne, which is small village where I took my primary and secondary education. One day in my early years in school, I was reading a Soviet Magazine in which I saw drawing, illustrations and paintings. They deeply impressed me. From that time I started copying those images. Slowly my interest in drawing and painting increased. After 12th class, I took admission in A.T.D. (Art teacher diploma) and then completed a B.F.A. in painting from “Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy School of Art” in Mumbai. When I was in college I painted social issues such as rescuing girls, and environmental and global issues like saving water. Since then, I have turned from my outer world to my inner world. I have started to make meditative paintings whose subjects are the spiritual world. My primary process of painting is essentially the same as that of meditation. Meditation is the search of self and one’s soul. So I search myself in my painting. I search in the process of painting, in my color application. In painting my thoughts, I found my soul. What I feel is expressed in my art.
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My medium is enamel paint on canvas. I apply color in my own way. My working process: First, I apply of thin layer of enamel paint on a prepared canvas. Next, I do a layer by layer process. This is almost like a watercolor technique except that I am using enamel paint. During this process I am involved in an internal dialog with myself where I discuss my painting-in-progress. Mentally I play in my painting space and decide how to proceed. I then consider how to create drama in color and forms, perhaps even working with images. At the stage when I am satisfied, I stop the work. I complete a work in perhaps two, but not more than three months. This is the process with each work. I use primary shapes and natural elements in my paintings. For example: symbols like a triangle for Shiva, a square for Vishnu, and a circle for Brahma. All of these primary shapes and images are symbols of Soul in my painting. I also use the images of a fish and a tortoise because both go opposite to the flow of water. Same process in meditation. My inspirations are my uncle Pandit Bhila Khairnar who is a contemporary artist in India; the great abstract artist Vassudev Gaitonde; S.H. Raza, and also the American artist Mark Rothko. I find my ideas for painting from my surroundings and what I observe, as well as what I feel deep in my soul. In my paintings I am attempting to express the kinds of space and time I experience in my mind.
Khushal Sadashiv Khairnar “Untitled” / Enamel on canvas
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Khushal Sadashiv Khairnar “Untitled” / Acrylic on paper
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Khushal Sadashiv Khairnar “Untitled” / Enamel on canvas
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Khushal Sadashiv Khairnar “Untitled” / Acrylic on paper
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Khushal Sadashiv Khairnar “Untitled” / Enamel on canvas
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Khushal Sadashiv Khairnar “Untitled” Enamel on canvas
Khushal Sadashiv Khairnar “Untitled” Enamel on canvas
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Khushal Sadashiv Khairnar “Untitled” / Enamel on canvas
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Khushal Sadashiv Khairnar “Untitled” / Enamel on canvas
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Khushal Sadashiv Khairnar “Untitled” / Enamel on canvas
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Bernice Locklear
The JCAM had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Bernice Locklear in his family home in Pembroke, North Carolina. Mr. Locklear is a member of the Lumbee Tribe. His art form is turning and carving wood. We sought him out after seeing his work at the Museum of the Southeast American Indian on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. We hope you enjoy this article based on our conversations with him and the questions we ask all artists who submit to the journal. JCAM: What is your professional name? Where were you born and does that place still influence you? Do you have family, friends, or fellow artists who support you in your work, life and art making and how do they make a difference in your life? BL: My name is Bernice Locklear. I was born in a sharecropper’s home about a half a mile from here in Prospect, NC. I grew up in a time when you had to be very resourceful, as they say, you don’t reach in your pocket. Mother was a quilt maker, father was a farmer. Father cut down an oak tree and made a water trough. This was a chore, he had no chainsaw, he used an axe.
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Growing up this way had its positives and negatives for me. The negatives were fewer for me. Conditions. As a child, I didn’t like cold weather and we only heated with wood. Winter was uncomfortable. I wished we’d moved to Florida. But I am stronger because of it. I have more drive. “Can not” is not something you ever say or think. My wife and I built this house and paid for it in 3 years. I was an old man before I ever had a new vehicle. On the positive side. This is not a tourist area, but the weather is comfortable. I have deep community relationships and lots of cousins. I’m related to the Bullards, Locklears, Grahams and Dials. Only my immediate family knows or cares about my wood work. There are no artists in the family. Most family members are professionals, working in other professions. My daughter and son are my champions. They will preserve what I have made into the future. JCAM: When and how did you start making art? Can you describe the time when you first realized that creating was something you absolutely had to do? How does the place you live now influence you? What materials do you use? BL: I wanted to be a painter but it didn’t happen. I started in my 30s and 40s as a carpenter. I bought a lathe, and I had a local machinist modify it for me because I had other dreams. I wanted variable speeds, bigger dimensions and control for cutting and sanding. I like discipline and I’m interested in Perfection. I’m a gardener, wine maker. Sometimes you walk by something everyday, and suddenly you see effects in the wood that you’ve never seen before. For me, I want to create something that you didn’t see before. I want the wood to be attractive. [Mr. Locklear refers to a ‘salad bowl’ in which he used walnut, persimmon and maple woods.] Curiosity drove me to make this. I like to make things with controlled experimentation. I don’t write anything down or draw it. I work from memory and remember how to make stuff. I’ve got three or four procedures to show how the wood will be assembled and how it will look when it’s finished. I like to turn the wood. I want to see the wood, not burn it. I use local woods - Red Tip is extremely hard. Crepe Myrtle is strong and light. I use it for making gavels. JCAM: On making work, why do you make art now? How has your work changed or developed over time? What are you trying to communicate with your art? BL: It was like a disease, it’s all I wanted to do when I was young. I had a tree cut up at a mill. They wanted to throw away pieces and I said, “no, everything stays.” The tree made the form and you took it out. But I see more now than when I was young. I always want to see a new piece. I don’t want to be bored. Over time, my work has improved with looks and quality. [Mr. Locklear holds 2 works.] These two pieces show great change and improvement. Once I got into this, God allowed me to take my process further. I like to make it beautiful. No seams. Perfect. Creating allows you to get close to the Creator. Like in the Bible, Jeremiah 33.3, God said, Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee
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great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. So I understand things. I’m still just a person, but I think in those terms. JCAM: What about your artistic processes? Do you have any creative patterns, routines or rituals associated with your art making? What is your most important artist tool(s) and why? What are the art making tools you use now? What element(s) of art making do you enjoy the most and why? BL: I make sure my tools are sharp - even if the tools look crude. I use vice grips. My carving tools are mostly purchased, standard made. Sometimes I use a rasp. I use a razor knife, sand paper, cooking oil. I like hog lard. Hog lard is more potent and creates a glass finish. I can use it on steel wool or sand paper and it won't splash. My most important tool is a big stainless piece - made from a wood plane. Blades from a wood plane work best. They’re tempered, pure steel. There is no one thing I like doing better than another. I like all of it. I’m still learning. JCAM: How do you know when a work is finished? BL: Truthfully, I’m never satisfied. If I looked at a piece, I’d never be finished. Sand paper and steel wool make it finished. There’s never a perfect piece. It’s impossible to make anything perfect. JCAM: What new creative medium would you love to pursue? BL: Persimmon [wood]. I want to make a bowl out of persimmon. But I don’t yet have a big enough piece. Also, I have three walnut trees, curing. They’re 14 inches wide. I smelled it going to St. Pauls. Someone was burning walnut wood. So I stopped to get it. JCAM: About working as an artist, what’s the first artwork you ever sold? Do you make a living from your art? What strategies would you share with other artists on how to become successful professionally? BL: One of the pieces I sold was back in the 1990s. It was bought by the Robeson County History Museum. From the wood, I made a pregnant woman on one side, and a man on the other. I called it, Mother and Father of Nature. I’d like to get a picture of that from the museum if I could. I don’t sell anything. I give away most of my work, mostly to my relatives. I put an “X” out of the money side. It’s a distraction. Money is not the issue. JCAM: What are your goals for the future, for both work and life? What interesting project are you working on at the moment? BL: I make up my mind each day on what each day holds. I don’t stay in the same rut. That’s why I made a gavel after lunch yesterday. Right now, I’m working on birdhouses.
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I use stainless steel screws and give them tin roofs, and about a 1-1/2” hole. It’s small so they don’t have to spend too much on building the nest. JCAM: What or who inspires you? Do you have a favorite – or influential – artist? What work of art do you wish you owned and why? BL: It would have to be my parents. They were creative. My mother could make a quilt and go from one thing to another instantly. She could quilt, then cook, then make what she wanted. She had a drive. She was very particular about her quilting. She quilted with her sisters. They did it in her home, in the winter, along with conversation. There are two artists who I envy. Michelangelo and Leonardo. The marble. How do you chop a piece of marble. They didn’t have electricity these tricksters. This had to be to me, God given. When you make what looks like cloth in stone - it took years to do. I wished I owned any piece of Michelangelo’s. But I’m not going to lose sleep over it. JCAM: About creativity, where do you find ideas for your creative work? What does “being creative” mean to you? What is the best advice you ever had about how to be more creative? BL: Probably daydreaming and I’ll tell you what I do. I might go from the shop to the garden. I have calluses from a hoe. You can hoe to exercise. Then I go to the kitchen. I do these things to keep myself maintained in normal activities. My mother said learn all the skills possible. I don’t really have any advice about being creative. Not really. Just determination. I don’t like to hear can not. Creativity means curing my curiosity. What’s around the next corner? What’s tomorrow got to offer?
Contact information: Mr. Bernice Locklear PO Box 267 Pembroke NC 28372 United States Bernice Locklear in his wood shop
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Bernice Locklear / Turned wood bowl, 2 views
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Bernice Locklear / Turned wood bowl & detail
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Bernice Locklear / Turned wood bowl & detail
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Bernice Locklear / Turned wood bowl & detail
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Bernice Locklear / Turned wood bowl & detail
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Bernice Locklear / Turned wood bowl & detail
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Bernice Locklear / Turned wood bowl & detail
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Bernice Locklear / Turned wood bowl & detail
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Bernice Locklear / The artist’s and and signature
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Bernice Locklear / Turned wood bowl details
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Bernice Locklear / The artist with a large plank of planed & sanded walnut wood
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Rekha Rana JCAM: Could you please share with us some of your personal history as it relates to your artistic development? RR: I must start my answer with the humble statement that colors, play of light and shades have fascinated me since my childhood. I have obscure memories about my love for surface texture, and for drawing and design. To be more specific, I can recall once I was trekking in the forest (not very far from my village) at the age of seven or eight, when I witnessed movements of several objects: colorful leaves of huge trees, sun struggling to pierce into dense shades, numerous fruits, children playing with each other. The songs of birds perched on the branches captivated my attention, leaving deep indelible impressions on my mind even until now. Additionally, the colors of certain flowers I have unknowingly painted into my compositions every now and then since that time. In those woods there was a rivulet creating the sound of an orchestra with swinging grass flowers and then it disappeared into the always mysterious gorge beyond. I have always loved a bit of mystery in my works, perhaps directly or indirectly linked thereto. I also still have the image of tribal people returning from the deep forest with the wood and the food they carried on their head and shoulders, living another day, in an uncertain life. My home of Jharkhand has, since my youth, suffered from biting poverty, hunger, underdevelopment and serious health issues. It took a political shape in the form of
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Naxal movement in the later years which changed many things for the people who live there. Such things stay with me as influences on my work. Let me also mention here that I have been immensely influenced with the folk painting on the mud walls, singing, dancing, craftsmanship of my state, particularly with reference to Hazaribagh district, Jharkhand, India my birth place. I also remember the craftsmen in my village designing the furniture, cutting the wood pieces to fit to the final product. I used to collect many such scrapes of wood generated in the process; these ultimately were used by me to shape up toys, chairs, tables, so on and so forth. In these ways I have been fortunate to have that background which cannot propel you to any space of life but Art. My initial training begins at home itself where my mother and maternal grandmother were my guides and teachers. Both were themselves masters in the field of embroidery, weaving, knitting and cutting the clothes. Here I must mention that my mother's classical singing skill was a great driving force for my creative works. Later my gurus, Mrs. Poornima Vishwas, Mrs. Shobha Sinha, Mr. R.P. Mandal and Mr. l.N. Nayak taught me the intricacies of handling the brush and pencil fearlessly on the plain surface. As I would never claim to become a master of art, I would love to be a student throughout my life, yet a little bit of boldness in my works is indebted to the gurus mentioned here. Subsequently, in the process of pursuing my higher education I migrated to Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi. The city always offered me the bounty of landscapes, not purely in the plinth of religious ambience. I always sensed something beyond, something I am unable to express in words. Every artist would tell you the serenity of ghats and temples, bulls, cows and monkeys and of course, the sacred chanting of shlokas. I don't know where to place myself, it was neither the religion nor the architecture, the aroma I inhaled has become an everlasting inspiration for my life. I tribute all these feelings to my series “Banaras - The Element”.
I also feel that my studies give a deeper sense of appreciation of the works already done by our predecessors. It also opens our eyes to the worlds and horizons unwitnessed so far. Reading of history of Art books also introduces us to the multidimensional thinking and develop analytical capacity which directly enriches the works. The academics are not confined to the viewing of arts but also knowledge of History, Psychology, Philosophy and other subjects of humanities as well as Science.
JCAM: Could you please provide us some insight into the inspiration for your latest exhibition in Mumbai? RR: I would like to emphasize that I am the painter of sensitivity and sensibility of the people of Jharkhand and the vast landscape of Indian demography. But now let me provide the details of my new series “Indus Streams & Delphi Hills: lndo-Greek Reminiscences”. These works are based on the Indo-Greek ancient era and are on exhibition in May 2018 at Jahangir Art Gallery,Mumbai.
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While reading the history of western art and viewing the creativity, I often tend to pause to understand the elements and influences in these works. Some of the similarities between European and Indian paintings arouse hunger in my mind to go deep into cultural exchanges in different times. Industrial revolution in Europe brought revolutionary changes in medium, style and content, distancing from the original style, yet nothing can be absolutely new and suddenly spring forth in the field of art. The thread of influences runs through the history lanes taking us to ancient Greek art. Here we find a vibrant interaction between the then contemporary Indian works. In these years when I had occasion to meet several artists, philosophers, and art historians of Greece, my curiosity about the origin of Western art increased manifold having special context to cultural lives and mythology. Here I must mention that from 1997 to 2004, my works were greatly influenced by German and American Abstract Expressionism. The series of paintings called “Banaras, the Element” was the result of this influence. At the same time, post 2001, I was also involved with the lives and culture of Indian tribes and village folks, who are living in the remote areas and forests. So for almost 17 years I was busy with searching my roots and tracing the elements of contemporary Indian art, replete with social and political disturbances. But my interest was more in the field of cultural effluences and arts with new initiative to paint Greek origin. I strive to build a bridge between Indian and European art. Contemporary art forms are indebted to the great ancient cultures of India and Greece. The gradual experimentations in the West and the East carry the streams of cultural characteristics of the olden era. Howsoever we may try to disassociate ourselves from the advancements of these two great heritages, that is not possible for several reasons as we can't change our DNA. This particular aspect has always challenged me to trace the ancient elements in the art forms through the ages. We also know that there were continuous exchanges between India and Greece including blood relations. The philosophers, artists and historians used to visit each others’ countries to develop appreciation of their contemporary works. To a great time of history, the political boundaries were also changing due to the ambition of warriors. To understand the common constituents of paintings, sculptures etc. in the European and Asian art, the art historians have shown their interests in the journey of evolution and changes in these two spheres. Being a Painter, the inspiration of appreciation of common elements has influenced my creative world differently which can be seen in my paintings exhibited under the title “Indus Streams & Delphi Hills: lndo-Greek Reminiscences”. My endeavor here is to reconstruct the history of the visual arts and cultural grandeur of two great civilizations. I hope with these works I have somewhat succeeded in this effort. Contact information for Dr. Rekha K. Rana www.rekhakrana.com / e-mail-rekhakrana@gmail.com
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Rekha Rana “Unknown Ancient Era” / Mixed media on canvas
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Rekha Rana “Silent Vocabularies” / Mixed media on canvas
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Rekha Rana “Athena & Himalaya,” / Mixed media on canvas
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Rekha Rana “Indus and Greek” / Mixed media on canvas
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Rekha Rana “Ethnic Customs” / Mixed media on canvas
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Rekha Rana “Hippolyta with Athena's Snake,” / Mixed media on canvas
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Rekha Rana “Not Far From My Home / Mixed media on canvas
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Rekha Rana “Exposure” / Mixed media on canvas
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Rekha Rana “Interpretation” / Mixed media on canvas
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Rekha Rana “Marzo & Black Crow,” / Mixed media on canvas
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Holger Neeresh Debek JCAM: What is your professional name? HND: My professional name is Holger Debek, like my legal name. Sometimes I mix it with my spiritual l name "Swami Antar Neeresh", like "Holger Neeresh Debek". JCAM: Where were you born and does that place still influence you? HND: I was born in 1964 in West Berlin, Germany. After the Second World War, Berlin became a melting pot, because many people were driven out after the war and looking for a new place to live. In my youth, the cultural influences of our American, English and French liberators dominated. So I grew up with American soft drinks, English music, French charm and English humor. To put it in a nutshell: Berlin was (and is) a place full of versatility and diversity, so I learned early not to view otherness as a threat, but as an enrichment. And yes, that still affects me today. I love Berlin, the city of my roots and my family, but I do not want to live there at the moment, because it has changed a lot in the last 30 years. JCAM: Where do you live now and how does that place influence you?
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HND: I live now in a small town called Wasserburg am Inn, in the state of Bavaria, in Germany. It is completely different than Berlin.
Sure, a little sleepy, but beautiful. When I walk out of the house, I do not see dirty streets and rundown tenements, but beautiful nature, with rivers, mountains and valleys. The air is good and the people are mostly friendly. There is no trash on the street and in the old town even neon light advertisements are forbidden. I find that all very relaxing. This place gives me the peace and security that my creativity needs to be permanent.
JCAM: Do you have family, friends, or fellow artists who support you in your work, life and art making and how do they make a difference in your life?
HND: My wonderful girl-friend Christine, by the way the reason I chose to relocate to Wasserburg, supports me in all aspects of life very much. Some 35 years ago I met her in Berlin and two years ago we fell in love. It was like a miracle, but I do not believe in miracles. She gives me a lot of strength and now and then she gives me the belief in myself back again if I am in a phase where I find my pictures unbearably bungling. My family has no special affinity for the arts, but they give me feedback, if I want it. They may wonder sometimes, what I'm doing and what it's supposed to do, but they always find a word of encouragement when I think my works are all abhorrent. And I have a few great photographer friends with whom I, now and then, engage in a lively exchange about photography. As far as my digital works are concerned, I mostly only receive feedback in the sense of "like it" or "do not like it”. Basically, I can also say that I feel my consciously changed living conditions, overall, as being very supportive of who I am and how I work. I can only see this holistically. JCAM: When and how did you start making art?
HND: As a teenager, I began to paint T-shirts for my classmates, because drawing made me happy as a child. Later, I even took drawing lessons for a while. And at the age of 16, I saved so much that I could buy a Canon AE-1. A friend could even afford a photo enlarger and so we spent a lot of time in the photo lab and just tried out a lot. We were also able to use a developer for the Cibachrome process. Ilfochrome (formerly Cibachrome) is a photo paper from Ilford for the production of positive images of slides. We photographed haircut models at hairdressers in black and white, colorized these images later using a variety of techniques.
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So we put powder or other materials on the photos and photographed them again. It was sewn on the pictures, cut and punched. Everything was allowed as long as the result was "appealing". Sometimes we made slides from the edited photos, which were then taken with the help of the canvas alienated and distorted, then re-scanned. At that time, I was involved mostly in the second level of the creative process. At that time my main task was showing and selling our edited works to the Hairdressers. We both could make a living that way for about 6 months, but then gave it up, because the expense was too big and it also turned out that our lives were moving in different directions. JCAM: Can you describe the time when you first realized that creating was something you absolutely had to do? HND: It was in art class at school. We should paint any animal and it should be an ink drawing. I chose a parrot because I was able to use many different colors on this motif. The parrot was a great success and I got rated with the best mark. It took a long time until I was satisfied with my creation. Unfortunately, I do not have this picture anymore. Nevertheless, I still remember the feeling of satisfaction and relief, after the (provisional) completion of this picture. Yes, I still feel an urge to create something yet today. JCAM: Why do you make art now? HND: I do not know if I'm doing "art". But it does not matter to me what anyone calls it. I know that I take pictures and create pictures, because I have the inner urge to express myself. It's like a force, a fixed idea, it has to get out of me, out of my head, out of my feelings and thoughts. I cannot help it. Creating something I like, that gives me a feeling of satisfaction. This sense of satisfaction compensates that constant inner pressure to create. But only for a short time. JCAM: How has your work changed or developed over time? HND: When I started to take pictures, everything was still analog. It also meant waiting for the photos to develop, to see what had been photographed and if it had turned out well.ß? Of course, that one cannot forget the cost factor, which was relatively large for all those physical materials. So I always tried to be very focused and result-oriented, which was sometimes more, sometimes less successful. A photo film had a maximum of 36 exposures. Since I always made a contact sheet first, in order to see which photos were
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"good", I just got these pictures enlarged or did this myself in my own little photo laboratory. I also tried different kinds of photomanipulation in my "lab" ( which was my darkened bathroom). Everything has changed completely. I still have the Canon AE-1, my first camera, but hardly use it anymore. Probably for reasons of nostalgia, I always keep it ready for action. In the meantime it even had landed at the pawnbroker for a year, because I urgently needed money to travel the world as a backpacker. Nowadays, I almost only shoot digitally. I stayed with Canon and use a 70D today. Sorting and editing the photos has become much easier. A lot of things which I had to pay attention to in analog photography, in order to achieve a certain effect, can be relatively easily done today with image editing programs I was absolutely fascinated by the new possibilities of image editing and image creation on the computer and at first I spent many nights trying to figure out, what is possible. "Trial and error" was my motto at the beginning of the digital image editing until I, as part of training to be a "certified webmaster", had the opportunity to take part in a Photoshop course. It was like a great revelation for me. Since I was self-educated in Photoshop for 2 years and the teacher was good, the circle was closing and my understanding for Photoshop grew tremendously. I think it is a gigantic tool whose possibilities I have probably not even realized halfway. JCAM: What are you trying to communicate with your art? HND: That is quite different. My curse and my blessing is my diversity. I like landscape, floral photography as much as architecture and/or street photography. I don't set myself any limits or want to have a distinctive style. It would restrict my creativity to make my pictures stylistically distinctive (although it has been recommended to me often in terms of marketing). Nevertheless I have always had very specific ideas about what should be communicated in the different genres. After all, I can say that I want to show something special about the trivial with my photographs. In the best case, I manage to depict some magic in everyday life. And I love absurdities, anachronisms and contrasts. In my digital works I want my imagination and all associations to flow freely. As a big fan of our vast universe, I imagine other distant places and try to visualize them. In other words: Hey guys, look at what a wonderful (everyday) world we live in, if we take a closer look. 

And I would like to say that there is no "everyday life". Every day is new and everything
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is possible, we just have to look closely and if there is an opportunity for whatever, we should take it. JCAM: Do you have any creative patterns, routines or rituals associated with your art making? What element(s) of art making do you enjoy the most and why? HND: When I started with photography, my camera was always with me, even when I was just shopping at the bakery. I didn't wanna miss anything. Nowadays I do not do that anymore and usually take the camera with a concrete idea or intention with me. During my project "Spreeblicke" I photographed almost nothing else than water reflections of the Berlin river "Spree" from 2011 to 2013. It was important to be in the right place at the right time, because the location and the time of day, are crucial for shadows and reflections. In contrast to photography where I only change existing image properties, e.g. such as change of tonal, saturation or dynamics, to optimize a photograph, I submit myself in the field the "digital arts" no rules. In the digital works, two ways of working have become established. The one way of working is very result-oriented, because I have a very specific idea and would like to implement it as accurately as possible. The other way of working is very associative. True to the motto "The appetite comes while eating". I sometimes start with a line and see what I can do with it. Another time, I start with one of my photographs, on which I work on until I get an idea. Often comes with the first idea, that I like, a little idea fireworks and one leads to the other. Many ideas will be followed, and the ones, who lead into a dead end, discarded again. But once I know exactly what I want, I can hardly stop working on it. Over the years, many objects and image sequences have accumulated, which I had created for certain images, but then rejected, because I got another (better) idea for the image. But often time comes for these fragments at some point. Not infrequently I work on a picture and I think of an object that I had created years before. And often it is exactly what I or the new picture had missed. In a creative phase, I also often work on several pictures at the same time. Then usually only "rendering objects" can slow me down, which is always very time intensive and I always only start it when I go to sleep. So I can work on the next morning with the rendered object immediately. JCAM: What is your most important artist tool(s) and why? HND: My most important tool is my eyes. Even when I write a song, I need my eyes to mix the soundtracks on the computer. But that almost does not happen anymore, because I use the time available, mostly for photography and Digital Arts. Only after the
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eyes, my camera and the computer come as an indispensable tool. Without them, I would not be able to show "my world" to anyone. JCAM: How do you know when a work is finished? HND: Exactly, I rarely know that. It is a feeling that it is complete, nothing is missing and nothing is too much. JCAM: What are the art making tools you use now? HND: Of course my eyes and, as already mentioned, my camera and the subsequent data processing on the computer. For some years I work with Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop, occasionally I use the Nik Collection. For drawing or painting, I use brushes and paints of all kinds. On canvas I average one to two pictures per year, which I usually do not publish, but hang it on the wall, until me or my sweetheart need the space for a new picture. It is a ritual at our home every spring and summer, to sit on the terrace, while painting stones and pebbles. With this we want to "beautify" our garden. It's a very meditative process that keeps throwing me back on myself. Due to the total attention to the process of painting or creation, it is inescapable, that one meets oneself. This is very helpful in assessing how I really feel. JCAM: What new creative medium would you love to pursue? HND: I find 3D printing quite exciting. What can be realized with it? And I'm thinking of buying an interactive pen display, which would expand my possibilities. JCAM: What's the first artwork you ever sold? It was a T-shirt, with a painted Mr. Spock on it, saying "Beam me up, Scotty". I sold it to classmates 5 times at school :) JCAM: Do you make a living from your art? HND: Yes, but not financially. The "being creative", the creative in me, wants, indeed must, be lived. It is completely independent of artistic or financial success. Nobody could "market" me worse than myself. When I got an offer from a newspaper to introduce me and my works three years ago, my joy was great. But unfortunately only briefly, because I realized, that I was in a phase in which I could not communicate with words. At this time I could only create, create and invent.
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The whole thing burst, because I could not hold the time-line to submit my texts and pictures. In this phase, however, many new pictures and ideas emerged. Again, I realize, that I have to overcome many resistances, so that the story does not repeat itself. I am currently full of pictures and almost bursting and now I'm writing here. That is hard ;) . JCAM: What strategies can you share with other artists on how to become successful professionally? HND: None. What is, in the artistic field, to be successful professionally? Is it to live on it financially? is it to become famous? Or is it both together? I am not successful in the artistic field. It would be presumptuous of me, to give tips in this direction. I could need some tips by myself. But probably I would not even manage it to implement them alone. I would rather need someone like an agent to take care of everything, so that I can concentrate only on “doing". Since I have only been self-taught from the beginning and have no art studies, I lack the indispensable, artistic ego and the self-confidence, that is needed for a successful marketing. But I have accepted, that I am like that. It is OK. For the money, I have a job in the IT industry. JCAM: What are your goals for the future, for both work and life? HND: To lead a happy and content life with great attention and love for existence is my plan. At the moment it's going well! As far as my work as an artist is concerned, it is the process of creation, the work on the art-work, which gives me the greatest satisfaction. Immersion in the activity of creating and, if things go well, to become one with doing. The dissolution of the ego, the self merges with doing or being, that is a goal which really turns me on. JCAM: What interesting project are you working on at the moment? HND: At the moment I am working on several digital pictures. Winter is a good season for it. Presumably, in spring and summer, photography will become more of a focus. For 2 years I already have an idea, which I hope to be finally realized this summer. In black and white photography, I would like to implement some phrases or proverbs photographically. I have already very concrete ideas and asked a friend, if he would assist me in the realization. He promised me his support. This year I would also like to reorganize and re-present my project "Spreeblicke" (water reflections on the Berlin river Spree). Maybe even publish a book about it. Also a book
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about black and white photography is planned. I started doing that five months ago, but then other things took over my attention. Nevertheless, I am sure that it will continue this year. JCAM: What or who inspires you? HND: Music is a huge source of inspiration for me. Music has always meant a lot to me. Therefore, it was only logical that I also worked as a DJ, when I was a tween. From 1990-1994 I ran two dance clubs in Hamburg with four partners.
I became interested in painting as an early teenager. On my first travels I started collecting art postcards of the old European (painting) masters, ran into every medieval church and visited the relevant art-museums of European cities. My greatest loves during this time were Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and later René Magritte, to whom I am still especially attached today.
And then came the photography. Here, for example, Man Ray inspired me. He was the only photographer (except me) who made it to the wall in my apartment. I'm also fascinated by the photographs by William Eugene Smith, whose work I admire until today very much. But I also find the experimental poetry of Ernst Jandl absolutely inspiring.
JCAM: Do you have a favorite – or influential – living artist? HND: Honestly, since Zappa's death, not anymore. But I appreciate so many artists, that it would go beyond the scope of trying to list all of them here.
JCAM: What work of art do you wish you owned and why? HND: Works of art should always be accessible to all, in public areas. In that sense, I do not wish for a special work of art, just to look at it for myself. Here I want to answer pragmatic and selfish. I would like a valuable piece of art to sell it. Then I would be able to improve my hardware and work much better and faster.
And I would buy a new camera, too. An EOS 5D Mark III from Canon would really warm my heart. A dream. For that I have to sell a few more pictures. JCAM: Where do you find ideas for your creative work? HND: Everywhere I find ideas in abundance. This world in itself, whether showing itself with an ugly grimace or a lovely smile, is a never-ending source of inspiration. I experience the input absolutely holistic and do not want to exclude anything. Social areas such as politics and culture can lead me to ideas, but also interpersonal experiences or a hike in nature or through a city, always bring new perspectives, which can become ideas.
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And for me phases of nothingness are very important. What many people see as boredom. That's the real elixir of creativity for me. I try to stop the explanation of the world in my head. In these phases I only try to observe my thoughts and let them pass without evaluating them. That requires a lot of practice. And should a thought want to get bigger than I would like it to be? I stay "the gentleman in the house" and throw him (it?) out. JCAM: What does “being creative� mean to you? HND: To be creative means to me, to follow my nature and express myself accordingly. To be creative means to me, to merge with the activity. Being creative means to me, relaxation, creating, inventing and imagining. To be creative means to me, to find some peace and satisfaction. To be creative means to me, to live. JCAM: What is the best advice you ever had about how to be more creative? HND: I never got such advice. JCAM: Is there anything else you would like to share about your work here? HND: Yes, I wish to share some thoughts about photography as I understand the medium. For me a picture says more than a thousand words. A good photograph does more than just freeze a situation in a moment at a certain place. It will create a mood in the viewer, cause rejection or approval, and initiate chains of association. Images also have a stronger activation effect than texts as the contact between the image and the viewer quickly develops. There is also the sequencing effect, which leaves the image in the chain of information recording in the first place. Due to the stronger activation, one will remember pictures better than text. This is called memory effect. Finally, images also create a more powerful experience, meaning that they are better suited to convey emotional content. An image is generally perceived in two steps. First, without a closer look at the peripheral stimulus, a first impression of the picture emerges, which can be described as an emotional entry into the process of perception. In doing so, colors and shapes are recorded extremely fast. Then follows the first understanding of the image, comparing the image with an inner schema image. In each viewer's memory are stored visual schemas that relate to the typical visual characteristics of a subject matter. When
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viewing the image, an unconscious pattern comparison takes place. The inner schema image now influences the further perception and mental processing in connection with the evaluation of the image. In addition, our own experiences, knowledge of art historical symbolism, as well as painting technique or photographic composition and editing significantly influence our understanding of a picture.
Thus, if the viewer of a picture has no useful schemes for comparison and/or a relevant lack of knowledge regarding the symbolism of the sitter, he remains with incomprehension with the unknown to him.
In the last few years I've been busy with it. "What do I not see in a picture?" I think that's very exciting. Knowing this, I always try to capture something fundamental or essential with my pictures and to show what I hope everyone can understand, without being a knower, or insider of an art historical secret code, or an initiate of a largely unknown symbolism.
Holger Neeresh Debek “Under the Surface” / Digital media
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Holger Neeresh Debek “Satellite of love” / Digital media
Holger Neeresh Debek “The beyond was informed” / Digital media
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Holger Neeresh Debek “Nepenthes injection” / Digital media
Holger Neeresh Debek “No time for infinity” / Digital media
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Holger Neeresh Debek “The source” / Digital media
Holger Neeresh Debek “Visiting my favorite anesthetist” / Digital media
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Holger Neeresh Debek “It was time for a break” / Digital media
Holger Neeresh Debek “Major Tom interstellar memorial station” / Digital media
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Holger Neeresh Debek “Two million lightyears from now” / Digital media
Holger Neeresh Debek “Applied gravitation” / Digital media
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Holger Neeresh Debek “Initial ignition” / Digital media
Holger Neeresh Debek “Invasion” / Digital media
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Holger Neeresh Debek “Out of the track” / Digital media
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Seema Kadam Sutaar Seema Kadam Sutaar is a formally trained artist with BFA and MFA degrees from the University of Kheragarh in India. Since graduating she has participated in numerous art camps and exhibitions in many locations in India. We are fortunate that Seema Kadam Sutaar has taken the time to be interviewed by JCAM. What follows is our interview with her. JCAM: Where were you born? SKS: I was born in Gwalior a small town in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India . JCAM: Where do you live now and how does that place influence you?
started to live here in the year 2013; after that I got married.
SKS: Presently I live in Mumbai which is in Maharashtra state in India. Yes, Mumbai city inspires me day by day. I
Mumbai is a metropolitan city. As I have mentioned I am from a small town so the life style and daily routine is very different in Mumbai. Life in Mumbai is faster than any other city in India. And, as per my nature, I like to be active, alert and vigilant. My family is a great support factor for me in my career as I move ahead. My spouse Manish Sutaar, and my father-in-law Parasharam V. Sutaar. Both are artists. They support and inspire me. The atmosphere in my house is different from other families as we all speak one language, and that is art.
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My photography and the poems that I write consciously and unconsciously inspire me. This is also reflected in my work. Every child has some creativity I was not an exception. Creativity is in my blood because of my mother. She also painted during her college days but due to some circumstance she could not continue despite of her being so creative. I started my art as a career when I was 17. I took fine arts as my main subject and completed my graduation and post graduation in visual art. JCAM: Can you describe the time when you first realized that creating was something you absolutely had to do? SKS: I remember, when I was in 2nd year of my Bachelors degree. A group of students went to New Delhi with our college professor to visit the International Triennial Exhibition in 2004. That was the time when I first visited a few art galleries. After seeing the art work by different artists from various cultures and their lifestyles this made me more inclined to become an artist and continue my work in this field. JCAM: How has your work changed or developed over time? SKS: After my M.F.A. degree. I started working with Bharat Bhavan graphic studio in Bhopal. I worked there for 5 years. Bhopal is a beautiful city which is very close to nature. My studio was near the lake. It was here that I observed how nature works and how the beauty of nature can be portrayed in very different forms and ways. During my art college study I used to work on semi nude figures in my own style. Those forms were then simplified over the years. 
 

In my work now I like to see rhythmic waves of water and the movements of worms. Those curves and rhythms are depicted in my drawings and paintings. My belief is this: To be a good painter your drawing skills should be strong. Also an artist should know where to start and where to end their art work. I also discuss my work with the senior artist Yusuf Sir as I developed my work under his guidance. JCAM: What are you trying to communicate with your art? SKS: Life is hard, then you die. Then they throw dirt in your face. Then the worms eat you. Be grateful it happens in that order. But, also, I believe that everyone is special in their own way(s). After visiting so many places and observing the current scenario I found that some people are yet so simple, down to earth and some are so smart. Irony is that no one pays attention to simple people who are like worms, even though they look very soft and small they are strong in so many ways. What I mean is this: They know to protect themselves and they dig the soil to make the soil fertile thereby making it useful for us; and thus my work. I want to communicate to
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the world to give respect to each and every person. Usually I don’t give any titles to my art work because what I feel is when any title is given to the art work, viewers search for those things in the art. I don’t want to restrict my viewers. If I give any title to my art work the title is vast like force of energy, movements, rhythm, world around us, etc. Painting is a visual art. People have to see and enjoy the art forms and colors. Only simplified forms are reflected in my art work. Mostly I work in black, because black is not just a color. It creates strong forms in my painting as well as in my life. I feel that I strongly convey my thought through black color. JCAM: Please tell us about your artistic process SKS: I look at the artistic process as life experiencing the world, challenging it through your personality and sending it back out there. That’s the process. JCAM: What media do you use in making your art? SKS: In my art, I mostly work with charcoal and soft pastels. My art work is a specialty. I don’t use any tools but I apply colors with the help of my hand and fingertips to create three dimensional forms. Currently the process of my art has some colors in it. JCAM: What elements of art making do you enjoy the most and why? SKS: I enjoy rhythmic line drawings with charcoal on a big surface. JCAM: What new creative medium would you love to pursue? SKS: I would love to use my photography skills in my painting and introduce new medium by my art work. I keep on experimenting to create something new to give my contribution to the art work. JCAM: What’s the first art work you ever sold? SKS: My first art work was sold in a group exhibition “Rupabha 40” at Bharat Bhavan in 2009. The topic of my painting was “Gossip with pot”, the size was 48” X 36” acrylic on canvas. JCAM: What interesting project are you working on at the moment? SKS: I am working on a Mumbai series in mixed media on paper. To explore the world around me. JCAM: What or Who inspires you? Do you have a favorite or influential living artist? SKS: Rhythmic lines from nature inspire me a lot. Senior artist Yusuf sir from Bhopal under whose excellent guidance I have done my scholarship. He inspired me the most. Artist Rameshwar Baroota also inspired me. I like their thought processes.
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JCAM: What are your goals for the future and life? SKS: My goal for the future and life is I wish that people know me by my art work. I want to be a well known artist and represent my country on international levels. I want to explore my work and knowledge with the new generation of those who want to pursue their career in this field. I do lots of social work for needy people. I want to contribute my success towards my country. JCAM: What does being creative mean to you? SKS: My perception in life is to make things different from others. Being creative means you are thinking. It also means searching for inspiration in the most mundane places. It’s like breaking the routine and doing something new in your own way. JCAM: How does photography fit into your art work? SKS: Photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place. I have found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them. When I visited the tribal villages a couple of years ago I was stunned by the crowds of people gathering around me when I clicked my images.
Contact information for Seema Kadam Sutaar: seemart08@gmail.com
“Untitled Painting 1” / Painting - soft pastels & acrylic
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Seema Kadam Sutaar “Insect Painting 10” / Painting - soft pastels & acrylic
Seema Kadam Sutaar “Untitled Drawing 8” / Drawing - charcoal on paper
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Seema Kadam Sutaar “Enjoying the Moment” / Photograph
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Seema Kadam Sutaar “Innocent” / Photograph
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Seema Kadam Sutaar “Snake Drawing 14” / Drawing - soft pastels
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Seema Kadam Sutaar “Meditation Painting 5” / Painting - soft pastels & acrylic
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Seema Kadam Sutaar “Reflection Painting 2” / Painting - soft pastels & acrylic
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Seema Kadam Sutaar “Untitled Drawing 13” / Drawing - soft pastels
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Seema Kadam Sutaar “Movements of Insect Drawing 7” / Drawing - charcoal on paper
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Seema Kadam Sutaar “Untitled Drawing 6” / Drawing - charcoal on paper
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Seema Kadam Sutaar “Untitled Painting 4” / Painting - soft pastels & acrylic
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Samir Sarcar
JCAM: The art works of Indian artist Samir Sarcar have been exhibited in more than 150 national and international venues between 1990 and 2017. The international venues were in the countries of Hungary, France, Dubai, Italy, Germany and also the USA. Mr. Sarcar shared the the following thoughts with JCAM when asked about his life and artistic practice. SS: For the past 25 years, acrylic color has been the main medium for my paintings. This is how I work: After doing the line drawing on paper or canvas, a layer of acrylic is used like tempera on it. Then slowly the subjects and people are given shape using more layers of color. This gives a definite brightness to the figures. My figures have a definite inspiration from Egyptian paintings, thus the figures are drawn in the same form, the clothes that they wear have long lines making them look taller and in a way Egyptian. Many of my paintings are on 36” x 72” in size and take about 100 hours each to complete. About my paintings: All my paintings have people wearing some headgear that has a face painted on them. This depicts the double-faced nature of people. Like we see in
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most professions where one wears a uniform, like a policeman, a nurse, an army personnel or the Pope. One wears headgear to go with it as well. To me this is the depiction of the fact that we always wear a face that is different from the real one we have. It is like a face we have to put up to suit the personality we want to project which is always different from the real one. My paintings, in a way are people I live with. They give me inspiration to produce more, to experiment more and thus to create my own world with them. It’s my world that I want the world to see.
Traveling like a dreamer: With my dad being in the army, I remember having to change cities time and again during my childhood. While most teenagers might have hated this kind of relocation, I did not. Being a dreamer since a young age, the pleasure of traveling and seeing new cities was too strong to regret leaving the old ones behind.
Relocating from one army base to another, allowed me to explore many cities and cultures, while feeding the young artist inside me. Each city helped me expand my vocabulary of visual experiences by picking up bits and pieces as we moved along. Traveling so much as a kid forced me to get better at communication and understanding human behavior. This exposure to different cities and its culture has paid me good dividends over time because it has allowed me to connect with the many different people and reflect on the societies they lived in.
Where it all started for me as an artist when I was in 8th standard. There I had a classmate called Raju who was brilliant at art. His work fascinated me. It made me wonder how he could use simple strokes to make beautiful artwork that brimmed with life. He inspired me to become more curious about finding a medium to tell my own stories. I started learning by myself while living in Kolkata, West Bengal. There we happened to reside in the vicinity of some leading Indian artists. As a teenagerI was persistent to learn and improve my work, so sometimes I would simply go to artists’ houses and ask for advice and suggestions to improve my work. This dedication paid off as later I joined a diploma of visual art program at the Academy of Fine Arts (Kolkata). Soon after that I was doing solo shows and exhibitions and building my own signature style.
Then another significant event happened in my life. In 1996 I met Mother Teresa. I was so moved by what she was doing, that I began working with her NGO, Tomorrows Foundation. Tomorrows Foundation is committed to all-round development of children from underprivileged backgrounds to help them become self-reliant and enjoy their right to a dignified life. This project was instrumental in development of the TF Card Project, which was a way to bring about economic independence for the children from Kalighat brothels (a red light district in Kolkata, India), streets and slums. Working with the organization for many years helped me a great deal as an artist. It allowed me to better understand human emotions and the power of bringing a smile on someone’s face. I never before understood humans could have such humility and simplicity. When you work with these children, they would tell you stories, which are often filled with pain. It makes you appreciate life a lot more. Experiences like these give you the strength to wake up everyday and want to bring a positive change in the world you live in, and for
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me, the medium for change was my canvas. A big hat equals big responsibility. Besides the story and the bright colors, one of the most consistent things about my artwork is the hat. When you look at my work, it makes you wonder, why are all the protagonists in these works adorned with something on their head. I believe that the hat is a symbol of power. It helps an individual stand out. But it’s more than just a fashion statement. It puts an additional responsibility on the bearer, sending out a message to the world, giving hope to people from different walks of life. You can still see the hat everywhere around you in our society. In the old days, the kings wore the crown, now we have the pope and the police wearing it. It’s a symbol of power and in most of my paintings, these hats bring the characters to center-stage and help me be the catalyst for a positive change as an artist. A face for every emotion: Like any story, my paintings have a lot of themes and messages, but the all revolve around strong emotions and relationships. Many of my paintings also show two faces. This depicts the multiple characteristics that each individual shows when interacting with different people. We are not the same when we deal with different people. Humans have learned to react depending on who they are engaging with. Importance of music and family bonding: Music brings harmony of life and helps connect our senses. I have seen so many broken families, that I try to show family bonding, affection and love, hoping that maybe my painting would bring about a positive change. Contact information for Samir Sarkar: email: samir_painter@rediffmail.com Phone: 9831042423 WhatsApp: 08335881771
Samir Sarcar “My Car” / Acrylic painting
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Samir Sarcar “The Face” / Acrylic painting
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Samir Sarcar “The Sound - Part 1” / Acrylic painting
Samir Sarcar “The Sound - Part 2” / Acrylic painting
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Samir Sarcar “The Hole” / Acrylic painting
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Samir Sarcar “The Society” / Acrylic painting
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Samir Sarcar “The Head” / Acrylic painting
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Samir Sarcar “Sisters” / Acrylic painting
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Samir Sarcar “The Kiss” / Acrylic painting
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Samir Sarcar “The Mirror” / Acrylic painting
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Samir Sarcar “Revelation” / Acrylic painting
Samir Sarcar “The Sound of Music” / Acrylic painting
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Samir Sarcar “Meditation” / Acrylic painting
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Shubho Saha
JCAM: Interdisciplinary artist Shubho Saha is from Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is a founding member of the artist collective Back ART Foundation, and the Director of the Dhaka Live Art Biennale (D’LAB). Saha recently received an Asian Cultural Council (ACC) fellowship award to research contemporary art practice in the USA. The aim of his work is to discover the secret relationship of nature with its inner self. His artistic practice engages with architectural and mythological histories and the effect of emergent consumerism upon urban landscapes. He believes in combining sustainable art practices with a deep commitment to long-term involvement and interaction within the community where he is work generates a greater impact for the artistic project. Shubho Saha works in a variety of media, such as, printmaking, performance, sculpture, installation and video. His works were featured in solo shows in Bangladesh, China and USA and he has participated in group exhibitions internationally. His artworks are held in private and corporate collections.
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JCAM: Where were you born and does that place still influence you?
SS: I was born in Chittagong City, Southwest of Bangladesh. In that place there is natural beauty, the life style of indigenous and rural peoples in the hill track areas, waves in the sea beaches. Traditional life ways and local dialects still influence me. JCAM: Where do you live now and how does that place influence you?
SS: Presently, I live in Dhaka. I had to move to Dhaka, firstly, for higher education and secondly, for the opportunities. It is a densely populated city, which is 400 years old and has a rich culture and tradition. It also inspires me.
JCAM: Do you have family, friends, or fellow artists who support you in your work, life and art making and how do they make a difference in your life?
SS: My family gives me unbelievable support in my work, as we live together. I don’t have to think about the daily family stuff, I can focus only on my work. In the work sector, I am really blessed with many friends who help me, support me, and inspire me. JCAM: When and how did you start making art?
SS: I have made art from childhood. When I was a child used to draw on the reading table, on the books, every wall and every corner of the house. My mother took that seriously, and supported and inspired me spontaneously to be an artist. JCAM: Can you describe the time when you first realized that creating was something you absolutely had to do?
SS: I was at the age of 17. And I was seriously preparing my 12th grade exam, for which I left making art for more than 2 years. I really wanted to draw, make art, but couldn’t get time to do that because of tremendous pressure of regular exams, study, classes, teaching sessions, home works, and so on. However, I couldn’t score an expected result in the final exam. And then I realized that I wasn’t following my heart, was not listening to it. I only kept listening to people around me, and that’s why I gave my best to the study of memorizing. I should have given my best to my art, which I really loved to do. So, that was the period when I realized that creating Art is something that I love to do, and that I should continue. JCAM: Why do you make art now?
SS: I make art because I love to do it. And presently, I make art for my own living as well. I also make art for society and community because I am socially responsible and need to focus on social needs or contemporary life.
JCAM: How has your work changed or developed over time?
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SS: It is really hard to say how it is changed over time, however, I can say that the more I learned the way to see, the more I mature, and so my art develops or changes. JCAM: What are you trying to communicate with your art? SS: I try to express and communicate fantasy in life with my art. I try to pass through a message that whatever the situation is, life is beautiful and full of fantasy; there is nothing to worry about and be so serious about. JCAM: Do you have any creative patterns, routines or rituals associated with your art making? SS: Simply, I have none of these. I cannot actually maintain any routine for a long period of time. I am generally a calm person. I plan the work inside my mind, shape the ideas in a very slow process, but implement the plan and execute the idea very fast. While working physically to develop an artwork, I cannot take a long time. What I do always is, as soon as I start a work; I try my best to finish it as fast as I can. If I slow down my work tempo, I might never be able to finish the work in my whole life. I have tons of undone works, which are yet to be finished. JCAM: What element(s) of art making do you enjoy the most and why? SS: There is no specific boundary of choice, I prefer the medium or materials depending on the context, site or the idea, however, I really enjoy the process-based work, which includes a combination of mediums and elements. It could be a long process of work with hundreds of sketches, that could finally be executed with a very simple outcome. JCAM: What is your most important artist tool(s) and why? SS: It is the pen. I love very much to draw and the pen is my favorite tool to do it. Though most of my final artwork doesn’t include the pen, I use it a lot while sketching layouts. JCAM: How do you know when a work is finished? SS: HA! HA! This is a very tricky part and I have suffered a lot, because sometimes I cannot satisfy myself that the work is finished. I work over and over, and finally ruin everything. This is why I do a lot of sketches before I start any work. Series or project works are less tricky to me because I do lots of sketches in the beginning, so that, I can realize the output and that’s it. JCAM: What are the art making tools you use now? SS: Torch lights, larger lights and camera.
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JCAM: What new creative medium would you love to pursue?
SS: I would love to pursue 4D animation and scientific experiments.
JCAM: What's the first artwork you ever sold?
SS: A black and white etching, a landscape work done in 2006. JCAM: Do you make a living from your art? SS: I am a fully independent and freelance artist, so, I have to make my living from art.
JCAM: What strategies will you share with other artists on how to become successful professionally? SS: To be honest with creating artworks. To be sincere and passionate with your own work. Presenting truth. There is no shortcut way to success. JCAM: What are your goals for the future, for both work and life? SS: I don’t have any specific goal for my own future. In this case I am open minded and I keep following my heart. However, I envision being able to establish an alternative and interdisciplinary academy in my home of Bangladesh. Perhaps that is the goal.
JCAM: What interesting project are you working on at the moment? SS: I am working on Climate art at present, developing an art project in 10 different cities of 10 different countries, which are vulnerable to the climate change, natural disasters, sea level rising, global warming, etc. JCAM: What or who inspires you? SS: My parents inspire me a lot.
JCAM: What work of art do you wish you owned and why?
SS: I Love to collect endangered traditional craft works from indigenous artisans to support them. And also I like to own students’ artworks to inspire and promote them. JCAM: Where do you find ideas for your creative work? SS: From my community and its variety life styles.
JCAM: What does being creative mean to you?
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SS: Smart innovation. Being capable to transform an innovative idea and to create a new era. JCAM: What is the best advice you ever had about how to be more creative? SS: From my parents, both of them usually say, watch, and follow your heart slowly and steadily.
JCAM: Below please find Mr. Saha’s artist statement. This makes for an appropriate closing for this article. “I am an artist and researcher, live and work in Dhaka, Bangladesh. I am sometimes mentioned as Art Activist, because I generally work for the advancement of art community in Bangladesh. I expose myself to celebrate life, live simply and, travel light in my journey. I refuse to engage in consumerist lifestyle and create artwork to represent the community and to enhance my self-realization. My artistic practice was engaged with the architectural and mythological history, researching anthropology, and history of human race. My early works represented the myth of first human beings, surrealistic idea of knowledge, tradition of rural people and region. Later the effect of consumerism on urban landscapes drew my attention and I have produced many site-specific artworks that examine and deconstruct the relationship between spaces. The aim of my artwork is always to discover the secret relationship of nature with its inner self. Community and Cultural engagement is one of the most important parts in my plan of Art Creation. My recent works represent the history and story of my community, culture and the region, sometime where I use myself as an object. The natural and cultural aspects my artworks are emotional and carry logical views: The abstraction of the relational exchanges beyond the collaboration of energy sources. The form of object, which I use in my artworks, plays its energy based on its vibration level. These forms are able to convert to other forms of energy, which shows the imitation of energy conversion. I believe an artist is a student of his surroundings. So I used to collect art food from my daily life leading steps. Social issues touch me, I feel responsible for this. I am confident to accept challenges in my way of art making and always open to experience a new era.” Contact information for Shubho Saha: +88 01972509905 / artist.shubho@gmail.com / www.shubhosaha.com
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Shubho Saha “A Shape of Knowledge” / Relief print on paper
Shubho Saha “Surreal Identity” / Digital image manipulation
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Shubho Saha “I Am Imprisoned in My Own Land” / Mixed media installation
Shubho Saha “Liquor versus Emotion?” / Mixed media installation
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Shubho Saha “Finding the Forest in the Urban Hour” / Digital photography & manipulated light source
Shubho Saha “How Does and Identity Work?” / Digital image manipulation
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Shubho Saha “Brick on Brick - A Site Specific Installation” / Bricks and mixed media
Shubho Saha “Finding the MYTH of Existence” / Digital photography and manipulated light source
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Shubho Saha “A 100 Years Tree Installation” / Wood on interior wall
Shubho Saha “Art in a Suitcase” / Mixed media
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Shubho Saha “Pyramid Shades” / Mixed media
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Shubho Saha “No Mans Land 2” / Still image from a performance piece
Shubho Saha “Silver Waves” / Site specific installation
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Shubho Saha “Impression of Inexpressive Actions” / Mixed media installation & detail
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Shubho Saha “Spiritual Timeline” / Mixed media installation
Shubho Saha “Trash Eater” / Site specific installation
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Shirish Deshpande JCAM: Shirish Despande is an experienced artist with many creative accomplishments to his credit. JCAM asked Mr. Despande to describe his artistic practice. Below is his response to our inquiry. 
 SD: Art for me is food for the soul. It encompasses my whole being, saturates the soul. Art inspires, illuminates, encourages, surprises, excites, provokes, calms, elevates emotionally as well as spiritually and connects soul to soul. On seeing my art, if the viewer experiences even one of these emotions, then we connect soul to soul. As an artist the process of creating the artwork is important to me but I refuse to accept the limitations imposed by rules. I want to work in all styles, mediums and delve through many subjects and then draw conclusions at my own pace. I started to “paint� with the ball point pen. I have found that the simple ball point pen with its fine line has a huge potential in allowing the artist to express his or her thoughts and emotions. Unlike painting with brush, where a single stroke can cover a large area with color, pen lines are very thin and there is a sense of creation at every stroke. It is very challenging to create innumerable tones by combining the limited available colors in ball point pens. I need to draw millions of lines to make my painting come alive! Due to long hours of standing in a bad posture to make my ballpoint pen drawings, I started developing severe backache. The pain only worsened over time due to traveling and the heavy lifting of my painting inventory. Complete bed rest with some pain killers
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didn't help. In search for a permanent cure, I came across a healing program based on Yoga and meditation that required me to focus my attention on the pain by going deep inside to the area where I felt the actual pain and soon I started having some visualizations filled with vibrant energy. The feeling of the immense activity going on inside the body was so overwhelming that the urge to look outside for inspiration became meaningless for me. This made me paint a few canvases just in my imagination. When the back pain reduced and I restarted my work, my very first work was an abstract of a new style. I did not plan or draw anything to begin with. When I painted, I was just a third person watching it happen. I enjoyed the process of creation. As of now, I feel that I have just found something amazing and I feel an urgency to explore it further. The various pictorial elements in my paintings are energetic strokes of color transition, circular textures, patterns, lines, dots and drips. They depict the vital flow of energy in action. A variety of textures and color overlays speak a language of their own. The creation of each of my painting is a unique journey in itself. Each painting has enriched my inner world of existence. I hope that the viewers take pleasure to pause for the meaning to be revealed. I also work with acrylic and oil colors. In oils, I love the dry brush technique. It allows me to create expressive textures with so much ease. My subject matter deals with landscapes, portraits, abstracts as well as stylizations. Light plays a very important role in creating the required drama to draw the viewer into my world. It could be a rustic village home or then dancing crops against a dramatic skyline. Towering boulders take my breath away. I paint with the motive that I finally achieve the result I initially have in my mind. Simple subject matter, good composition, boldness of forms, delicate line work and a little dramatization, play a key role in the impact my art has on the viewer. In 1979 I passed out with a G.D. Art in Applied Arts from Abhinav Kala Vidyalay, Pune, India. For about 27 years I worked in the field of Communication Design and applied my creative talent in rendering a variety of art works for a number of clients which included Graphic design in all its variety, Architectural delineations, 3D models etc. I was also involved in creating some of the world's best software user interfaces at Deltra Software. The common theme in all that I have stood out so far is ‘precision’. After years of designing for various people I came to the conclusion that I needed an outlet that would help me realize my creative potential in a more satisfying way. Art for me like for many other people became the most meaningful part of life and a source of much fun and relaxation.
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I hope that my paintings serve as a channel of expression and help the viewer understand my inner conflicts, fears, and tensions as well as my aspirations, hopes, and ideals. In the coming years I hope to venture in to every aspect of art and explore all its dimensions. I have just made a small beginning and I’m hoping that the average viewer in the gallery comes out feeling that he has seen something that provokes a reaction. I see a lot of beauty in the mundane things of life and I hope to make people see that as well. Contact information for Shirish Deshpande 199, Shivbasav Nagar, Sector-2, M.M.Extension., Belgaum 590010, INDIA. Cell.: +91 94481 37724, 77604 19848 Email: askshirish@gmail.com
Shirish Deshpande - Mixed media on paper
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Shirish Deshpande “Untitled” / Acrylic on canvas
Shirish Deshpande “Escape Urbano” / Acrylic on canvas
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Shirish Deshpande “Transcendental Hues” / Acrylic on canvas
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Shirish Deshpande “Objective Reality” / Acrylic on canvas
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Shirish Deshpande “Grey Matter 1” / Acrylic on canvas
Shirish Deshpande “Grey Matter 2” / Acrylic on canvas
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Shirish Deshpande “Grey Matter 5” / Acrylic on canvas
Shirish Deshpande “Grey Matter 6” / Acrylic on canvas
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Shirish Deshpande “Grey Matter 3” / Acrylic on canvas
Shirish Deshpande “Grey Matter 4” / Acrylic on canvas
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Shirish Deshpande “Mirage” / Acrylic on paper
Shirish Deshpande “Harvest Moon” / Acrylic on canvas
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Shirish Deshpande “Grey Matter 1” / Acrylic on canvas
Shirish Deshpande “Grey Matter 2” / Acrylic on canvas
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Shirish Deshpande “Harmony of Colors” / Acrylic on paper
Shirish Deshpande “Harmony in Blue” / Acrylic on canvas
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Shirish Deshpande “Urbanscape” / Acrylic on canvas
Shirish Deshpande “Untitled” / Acrylic on canvas
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Medha Singh JCAM: What is your professional name? Where were you born and does that place still influence you? MS: My name is Medha Singh. I was born in New Delhi, India. It’s hard to say if it does. One never consciously chooses to be influenced. It’s a confident movement of human subjectivity in contact with the surrounding culture, that creates the frictions and fissures, leading to the materialization of human spirit in art (and anti art, ie war) mediums. In that sense, of course. Do I choose it? No. I do have a sense of possessiveness about the city, however. JCAM: Where do you live now and how does that place influence you? MS: I still live in Delhi, but I’ve been traveling a fair bit. Again, influence, at least to my view, is not a matter of agency. There is no choice. Or rather, there is no such thing as choice. One already knows, either subconsciously or not, what they are going to do. The choice presents itself to you as a cosmic giggle (‘the earth laughs in flowers’ ~Ralph Waldo Emerson). Choice is that flower. You either pluck it or you don’t and both of those decisions reveal the extent of your humanity, and so, you recognize yourself better in doing what you already would have. I am influenced by every flower on every tree here. I don’t touch them. I find out their names. I talk to them, often ignoring people, to that end.
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JCAM: Do you have family, friends, or fellow artists who support you in your work, life and art making and how do they make a difference in your life? MS: Family. I don’t think my friends understand me, as much as they tolerate me. I’ve grown on them, like an exotic cabbage. They love me despite it all. I am grateful for it. If they have helped me in any way, it’s by being honest. I don’t ask anything else of them. JCAM: When and how did you start writing? MS: I don’t remember. I was always painting, but I chose poetry. The visual mediums, or a visual language arrived naturally. It also baffled me when I was young. I thought I saw things in the world no one else did (not knowing how common that experience is), thinking I would lose my mind one day, maybe even go mute, justifying everything was enormously fatiguing, an excess of language enlarged anxiety. Every word seemed like a lie, or a half betrayal. My sister is a painter, and I’m glad for it. It was a decision we made among ourselves as pre teens. She wanted to paint, and I took poetry. It’s strange how that has come to define us so distinctly now. JCAM: Can you describe the time when you first realized that writing was something you absolutely had to do? MS: Very early on. The time one learnt to speak. Language seemed to fulfill its functions fairly well, I sought something other than that, I was angry. I’d even say one was addicted to rage, inheriting it from the father (he made it seem so noble, to be outraged, a sense of indignation made him a hero, to me). Rage was the failure of language, I realized (the world didn’t need heroes, it didn’t need saving. It needed tenderness) and its functionality did nothing to help the anger, it was a shortage in communication. Poetry extended the function of language in a way language itself did not apprehend. It was a moment of profound realization. Poetry endowed language with angelic wings, a devilish seduction. There are polarities and multitudes, in poetry, what makes it the truest reflection of the human self, the highest expression of human virtue. Can you say that of all art, regardless of the medium? You tell me that. JCAM: Why do you write now? MS: I can be alone for as long as I want with it. I meet ghosts, or similar entities, sometimes. Then I come back to the world and smile, despite its harshness, as though nothing happened (or happens). It’s a strange thing, to be engrossed in the making of something. Most of the time, it’s as though one has left their body, possessed by a force from elsewhere. A speaking voice. It takes your brain on rent, and moves out when it’s done using your intellect for its personal ends. When you come back to yourself, there is a poem on the page, sitting there. It is the gift of (choosing) solitude.
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JCAM: How has your work changed or developed over time? MS: I can’t be certain yet. I’m a tad young. JCAM: What are you trying to communicate with your art? MS: I’m not trying to communicate in that quotidian sense. To some this will seem rather solipsistic. Creativity is an assertion of balance, between thought, feeling, action and what Mary Oliver has called the Third Self. It is an aspiration toward absorbing an eternity, to tear a hole in the fabric of common perception. I have undertaken this journey with tremendous effort, it has led to several sacrifices, especially in love. It’s a union I seek, and first, with that yearning self. JCAM: Do you have any creative patterns, routines or rituals associated with your writing? MS: Yes. I get up very early in the morning, finish writing, and return to bed. Sometimes I stay awake entire nights. The necessity for uninterrupted silence, for long hours, is quite pressing; as soon as the quiet turns acrimonious, it’s equally important to hear music when editing. Whether it’s Bach, Bowie, Tool, Oasis, Jeff Buckley, Oudh music, Coltrane or Ravi Shankar. There is a compelling need for music. It’s what I perceive as the flesh of ether, of spirit, constantly incommunicable, yet that which urges us toward that imponderably impossible pursuit. It is the easiest thing to allow it entry, and it can shake you up in the best way possible: make you a resident in that constant state of rapture. JCAM: What element(s) of writing do you enjoy the most and why? MS: The ‘process’, which one assumes you are referring to, is really an unburdening of existential dross. Collaborative work then becomes beautiful, there is a lightness, a luminescence in the confluence of bodies and minds. I understand writing, unlike theatre or dance is a non collaborative form. The writing is being done perennially. Even when it’s not on the page, it is out in the world, and that is really just the mind perceiving the world, with what Keats’ termed Negative Capability. Everything is a text. That collaborative lightness is true for filmmaking, or even the love between The Beatles in their heyday. Warmth. That’s it, that’s all. JCAM: What is your most important writing tool(s) and why? MS: Books. They make up 85% of how you see your world, they teach you how to resist the cultural penetration of ugly ideas, fostered and furthered by hetero-capitalistpatriarchy. They teach you to discern. A discerning poet, artist, actor, musician is always
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more desirable than any other kind of human being. It matters little what the materiality of the art object leads to, or seems like in the end; it is also a thing besides artistic representation, a ‘mere thing’ besides itself, to echo Heidegger. Artists must not lose sight of this.
Though I’m not anti-materiality and pro transcendence in that typical sense. There must always be a return to form, and practice, and above all, mastery. The earth, the flowers, it’s all a manifestation of the invisible seed (what is called prana, in Hinduism; qi/chi in Chinese philosophy, spirit in Western metaphysics, and so on). To deny it, is a denial of the feminine. A rather pernicious (and I daresay, fashionable) tendency among a lot of today’s artists, this. To be one or the other is a denial of equilibrium, of necessary synthesis. Finally, all that emerges out of that absence is (unknowingly, unconsciously) acknowledging a certain presence. That presence must be asserted. One must read books across disciplines: literature, philosophy, history, film and art theory, political science/philosophy. Since I write poetry, I read books of poetry too.
JCAM: How do you know when a work is finished? MS: No such thing.
JCAM: What are the writing tools you use now? MS: I am rather specific about my stationary. I use my father’s pens, an A3, square ruled notebook. A book is an aesthetic object in its final definition, it is both technology and art, yet it resists that dichotomy too. ‘The work of art’ as Benjamin understands it, must arise from what we know to be beauty (despite the denial and denigration of romance and beauty in contemporary art discourse – I think it’s almost impossible to revive it there, but it’s entirely possible in poetry, I feel. And a necessity. Ugliness is ontological. Why replicate it? Use beautiful stationary, write disturbing things).
JCAM: What new creative medium would you love to pursue? MS: Nothing. Or (maybe) everything. I don’t know. I might know one day. I don’t today.
JCAM: What's the first creative work you ever sold?
MS: It was an oil pastel crayon depiction of a fish, flopping about on grass, suffering. I was between six and eight. They ran it in a national newspaper called Jansatta. They had a small section where they featured children’s artwork. I sent them several of those. The other kids made houses and trees, almost each time. I made something sad. My first poem was published in 2011. I was seventeen. JCAM: What are your goals for the future, for both work and life?
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MS: I am a writer. I want to keep writing, in order to continue being a writer. I hope to keep breathing this silence, the air heavy with all perceivable emotions, human and animal. Life? To hold this intensity till the last. To never acquiesce. JCAM: What interesting project are you working on at the moment? MS: My second book of poems. I can’t talk about it. There are paintings in it, mine and my sister, Divya’s. I shall say that much. The poems, as intended, are mine. The book, on the whole, is about absences. It may be seen as a sequel to my first book Ecdysis (Poetrywala/Paperwall, Mumbai, 2017) JCAM: What or who inspires you? MS: Just being. Here. Now. The awareness that I’m here, and this constant experience of our eternal now. JCAM: Do you have a favorite – or influential – living artist? MS: Favorites, yes. Alejandro Jodorowsky, Terence Mallick, Daniel Day Lewis, and I love Leonora Carrington, but she died in 2011. Though as I mentioned earlier, the telos is to resist influence. To unconsciously incorporate is more interesting. To see it in retrospect. To know we are weak, despite our strengths, our resistance to that which we consider beneath our integrity. That there is an insurmountable invincibility in total (often unconscious) vulnerability. JCAM: What work of art do you wish you owned and why? MS: All of Frieda Harris’ original paintings for the Thoth Tarot Deck by Aleister Crowley. There are answers there, and no real key to them. Not even for / through Crowley. Similarly, all of Bosch’s work. He was utterly mysterious. I want to sit in front of those paintings all my life, and occasionally look out the window into a garden. Additionally, Hilma Af Klint’s spiritual representations. Kandinsky. Robert and Sonia Delauney’s painting-poems. Amrita Shergill’s ‘Three Girls’. Ansel Adams’ landscapes. Blossfeldt’s plants. Eugene Atget’s empty city scapes. Frankie Horvat. Nan Goldin. Diane Arbus. Sylvia Plath’s sketches. I love mystery, rhythm, dancing with uncertainty. JCAM: Where do you find ideas for your creative work? MS: It’s in ordinariness that the work persists. There are eternal paradoxes sitting next to you, in conversations, in people, in nature (even the anti-natural, man made is natural, for it is the expression of nature, which is us, human beings) meant to be recognized and stomached. JCAM: What does “being creative” mean to you?
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MS: Finding ways to spend as much time in solitude without going mad. Everything will sprout like a sapling thence. Even madness weaves itself with sane, rational, egoic existence.
JCAM: What is the best advice you ever had about how to be more creative?
MS: “Tomorrow belongs to those who can see it coming.” ~ David Bowie
Contact information for Medha Singh Position: Writer, Editor Dob: 22nd October 1992 (24 Years) Phone: +91 9910379741 Email: medha.singh.mail@gmail.com In addition to writing poetry, Ms. Singh also does literary and cultural journalism, and currently serve as Editor-at-large for Asia's largest literary periodical, www.coldnoon.com. Here is a selected list of Ms. Singh’s recent writing: Creative writing: http://coldnoon.com/author/medha-singh/ http://indianculturalforum.in/category/contributor/medha-singh/ Journalism: https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2017/10/my-metoo-does-not-include-me/ http://theladiescompartment.co/2017/10/21/3000-stitches-an-easy-breezy-preachy-readand-a-true-tale-of-triumph/ http://theladiescompartment.co/2017/09/04/love-sex-and-wrestling-feminist-countdown/
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Six Original Poems by Medha Singh _______________________________________________________ On Clytemnestra, Dying – Clytemnestra, Dying takes from the myth in The Odyssey. Husband and wife, Clytemnestra and Agamemnon had sons named Orestes and Chrisothemis, daughters Electra and Iphigenia. Agamemnon was the brother of Menelaus, whose wife Helen had run away with Paris, and to win her back, the war had to be fought at Troy. Agamemnon was cursed by Goddess Artemis (having angered her), that to win at Troy, he must sacrifice their daughter, Iphigenia. He lied to his wife, and fabricated a story about how Iphigenia is betrothed to Achilles. Clytemnestra proffered their daughter to him, for she thought Iphigenia, also kept in the dark, would be taken to the wedding altar, whereas she was actually being taken to her death. Meanwhile, Achilles heard the rumor and came over to Argos/Mycenae (the Kingdom of Agamemnon, son of Atreus). He revealed to Clytemnestra, in an encounter that no such wedding was taking place. Clytemnestra quickly finds out what happened, and reaches the gallows. Iphigenia stands there, facing her kingdom, waiting for her death, and ready for war. She turns to Achilles and says, to be a Princess is be ready to die for my kingdom, to which Achilles responds with remorse, that had he known her, seeing her bravery, he would have married her. She is hung. In some accounts, Iphigenia is rescued by Artemis, and later becomes Goddess Hecate. Clytemnestra, Dying (After John Collier) (To Agamemnon) The sun is crumbling away in purple and gold, powder like you, powerful soul, it is ageing as it settles, heals our clumsy scabs, perhaps slower than they should. ~ I said, stay. I said. Don’t go fighting someone else’s war. ~ The menace, our Orestes draws death nearer to me, than you, than your words yet farther still than one can endure. ~
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Why did you leave? What good was it to die without the love that makes it worth anticipating the end? ~ Your concubine, Trojan Cassandra didn’t rouse hatred in our middle born (who inherited your middling wit) as did Aegisthus. You won that war. How much more blood for Artemis? ~ How dare you leave me in your wake, how dare you let your words die with you. And without me, how dare you, walk into the sun. ~ Here comes Orestes pursued by The Furies, and to them, I submit. ~ Now I roam in Hades slow towards Iphigenia who died for you and waits for me. (First appeared in Coldnoon: Travel Poetics, November 13, 2017) _______________________________________________________ On Mannequin – St, Paul-de-Vence is a place in southern France, where an art gallery called Fondation Maght houses several Giacometti, Miro and Braque works. All Tomorrow's Parties is a song by The Velvet Underground, from their album with Nico.
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Mannequin We don’t deserve immortality.
take a photograph commit an act of sheer folly rubbing against the earth’s inveterate currents, forcing a pause, in this hyper-real time flow towards death.
It’s truth in potentia. Put a person in the middle of it: yourself. ~ A subject in the photo is a subjectivity in the image.
It’s made of language, and perhaps memories that have spurned its excesses.
Language is not a good conduit
for the transmission of soul habits.
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I like to look at my reflection rippling in uneven shop windows against the wordless silhouette of a made up person.
I spill out at the hips and breasts, and once, it was against Giacometti’s limbs at St-Paul de Vence, next to Miro’s eyelashes.
Strange energy. Pink and blue. Smooth clothes on your back and in photographs, don’t soften the excesses of either, disturbing common rhythms of the glottis amid chambers of gossip at All Tomorrow’s Parties. I don’t like them for this reason.
In the topography of the human heart, portraits are dark plateaus, shrouding a self no one likes in the end.
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______________________________________________________ On Murder – It is common to find Arab men doing working class jobs such as taxi drivers and construction workers in Western Europe. Unlike most native Europeans, however, their social habits are different. The author of the poem is an Indian person, and that makes the dynamic a bit interesting, since the level of social interaction is very high in the west Asian (known to the West as the 'Middle East') and south Asian countries as a matter of culture, in comparison to European countries such as Holland, or France. Though, culturally the two (India and Afghanistan) are quite distinct, the driver feels at liberty to tell his passenger, that he has been charged with murder back home, and he is here having fled his country, not taking into account her fear, naively believing that she trusts him and his attempts at saying that he is, in fact, not a murderer. She is afraid for her life, but he hasn't had a soul to speak to in so long, he is completely oblivious to her fear. He feels she is on his side, she knows she has to at least pretend to be, so she gets out alive. Ophelia is a fictional character from Shakespeare's Hamlet. She drowns herself. Virginia Woolf was a British writer, and a founding member of the Bloomsbury Group, who committed suicide by putting stones in her pockets and walking into a river. Murder For all that’s buried in the sea, I doubt it’s ever a scream.
People like to die quietly, and whisper to the water when they can’t speak.
Look at Ophelia. Woolf isn’t far behind.
One drowns quietly too, you can’t see a drowning person struggle: the lungs
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filling with water, eyes rolling back no scope for word-sounds, no one to hear you.
The soul unraveling from fibres of muscle and bone, submits to the maw of tumultuous, flowing blues.
Blue is a good colour to see as you die.
Good for old people’s rooms to live their last years in.
Murders are really best near the water.
I once met an Afghan in Holland, as he drove my cab from Rotterdam to The Hague, he told me many things– demanded my attention for a discount, firstly.
Said he ran away from home, so he’s here, hasn’t seen his kids in years.
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They got him for double murder, and paused.
Things would have been different, he feels, if he had the luxury of the Rhine and Oude if they’d confluence ten feet away from his house like the inhabitants of Leiden.
‘People take everything for granted’, I muttered. (First appeared at Hakara.in, January 2018) _______________________________________________________ On Altar – Hinduism is the majority religion in India, and it encompasses over 300 Gods and Goddesses that are worshipped across the various cultures within the subcontinent. It is rather common to find worshipping altars at hospitals. Hinduism does not account for life after death, but reincarnation and rebirth. Marigold flowers are the most common offering, the man waiting for his daughter at the foot of the Goddess, among the several mentioned, fears that in reincarnation she will forget him. Altar A redolent pall of incense crawls through rooms, fed by the dead and dying at the hospital. One large altar, at the entrance, adorned with tall statues: A Lakshmi, A Saraswati, A Durga, A Kali A Parvati, some Kamakhya, Bhavani-Bhuvaneshwari. All our hopes pile up in a queue at their feet, for answers that none bring. We're absorbing quiet pauses, amid the sounds of hurried stretchers, and screaming mothers
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regret and sacrifice and pain and nothing. Save for one old man, who fears– having slept outside for five years– that his daughter's ghost resides at the feet of Kali. Every morning, a prayer It is, he places a marigold there before swallowing any food. _______________________________________________________ On One Eyed Ghost – Beggars pepper the railway lines and shopping complexes in Indian metropolitan cities such as Delhi and Mumbai. They might as well be ghosts, you don't know when he will die, when she will be raped, how they lost their limbs and eyes, what history is heavy on them, in their gaze. One Eyed Ghost One eyed beggar raises his head from the depth between his knees at the train station, as though he wants to sleep a tad more comfortably, in my gaze. A wraith, I see, he fades out, in the ether. I ride the bus alone my heart stammering. I cannot name the fear that says you're losing your mind, for real. I cannot name it. I, I don't look back. _______________________________________________________ On The Whale – This poem was written in Antibes, at Cote d'azur, on the coast of the Mediterranean sea, in 2015. The Whale By the quay
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we ingurgitate an ancient burden: language, its whims buried in the current, of the Mediterranean. Between this winter and the last all that changed was the route of a primordial undertow. The past, now apparent finally compos mentis upright, blinking, clueless: its body fresh, deranged, with the agony of leaving the bed, awoken abruptly, from a stupor. How many lovers has the sea swallowed? How many sorrows will it shovel down, with a side of secrets, before it bubbles up? And the whale of woe in her belly swells into a flood? (First Appeared at the Indian Cultural Forum, 2018)
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April 2018 – Vol.4, No.2 “The Final Word” As with all previous JCAM publications, this second edition of 2018 has been a significant learning experience. As our essays in the front of this issue have suggested, we could never have foreseen the variety and breadth of our interactions with those who have reached out to us to discuss the JCAM. We began this publication with the idea that we could, without significant funding or a large staff, reach out online, through mostly no-cost tools, to connect with creative writers and visual artists internationally. This has come to pass in ways that we never would have believed when our developmental efforts first began in 2014. For example, in the JCAM Facebook page we regularly see interactions among international artists whose work has been published in the journal: a photographer from New Mexico in the USA comments on the work of a painter in Germany; a Taiwanese performance artists responds to a comment by a graphic designer in Dubai; and a Spanish ceramicist is in a dialogue with a Russian multimedia artist. We regularly hear from JCAM artists who have begun to collaborate in some creative way. On a weekly basis we receive updates from previously published artists and writers whose work has been presented in another exhibition or a journal some place on planet earth. This is very gratifying indeed. It is wonderful to see a plan be put into action and then produce such positive results. JCAM wants to ask our readership how we might betters serve the online art and writing community. For example: What other kinds of features would you like to see in future JCAMS? What are the contacts to whom you might direct us? Let us hear from you.
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Information for Submitters: July & October 2018 Issues JCAM is a unique project of Jumbo Arts International which holds all rights exclusively. JCAM is a juried publication. All submissions are reviewed by a panel of experts assembled by the JCAM editors. JCAM publications focus is on artistic creativity. We publish original visual artworks, articles on the visual arts, crafts, creative writing, poetry, performing arts, interviews, reviews, and columns on subjects appropriate to the focus of the journal. JCAM submissions: On request, interested parties will be sent the information and documents required for the formal submission of work to JCAM editors. JCAM publishes in English. Are non-English submissions possible? Yes, in certain cases JCAM editors will work with artists to translate into English text documents that are directly related to visuals that have already been accepted for publication. JCAM publication schedule: Beginning in January 2018 JCAM will publish 4 issues per year. For the remainder of 2018 the publication schedule is: July & October. Submitters should contact the JCAM editorial team well in advance of these publication dates for information and guidance. 2019 issues will be published in January, April, July & October. Current JCAM information is available on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JournalofCreativeArtsandMinds Previously published issues of the JCAM are available online: https://issuu.com/jumboartsinternational Information about the JCAM publisher Jumbo Arts International is available online: http://jumboartsinternational.org/ All questions regarding the JCAM should be sent to: jcam.jal@gmail.com
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