Art and articulation often don’t go together

Writer and journalist Shoba Narayan puts a question mark over the link if any, between art and articulation and whether they go together.

For a recent column on this topic, she requested Pratiti Basu Sarkar of the Centre of International Modern Art (Cima) in Kolkata to introduce her to some artists who are emblematic of Kolkata? After they were located, here’s was her trick question: “Why did she pick these two out of the dozens of artists that Cima represents?”

The columnist wrote: “She (Sarkar) can’t say that she likes them as it would upset the others (artists) in her stable. And if she says that she chose them since they’re gaining ground in the world of art, I will suspect commercial motives and perhaps discount her picks. You see why I feel this is a question with no good answer.”

The CIMA gallerist chose artists Sumitro Basak and Shreyasi Chatterjee whose work forms part of a group show at the Trondheim Kunstmuseum, Norway. Basak was recently in Bangalore, for a residency at the 1.Shanthiroad gallery there. He showed her photographs he took in the city. The dramatic, colorful images of the writer’s hometown appear like his paintings. More impressed by his three-dimensional books, Narayan terms them vibrant, playful and thoughtful.

On the other hand, Shreyasi Chatterjee skillfully stitches on canvas; it’s a more original take on captivating kantha embroidery. She also teaches art history at a local university. The vertical storytelling in the artist’s large size canvases reminds of Chinese watercolors, to an extent, they make the eye move upward

Shoba Narayan then asked some usual questions as what inspired them, how did they work and so on. Chatterjee and Basak exchanged notes on Charles Wallace grants. And then the former sprang her question on Sarkar, in front of both the artists. Why did the gallerist recommend them, out of all those that CIMA represents?