March 29, 2008

It is generally acknowledged that existentialism became popular in the western bloc during the aftermath of World War II. What is not commonly known is that East Asian philosophies, particularly Daoism and Zen philosophy, also prevailed during this period, especially in the art circles. Abstract expressionism which flourished in the 1940’s and 50’s was informed by social issues arising from the aftermath of the Great Depression and World war II, an admiration of Mexican muralists of the 1920’s and 30’s, an interest in Freudian and Jungian theories as well as Existentialism and the lesser proclaimed but very inclusive East Asian aesthetic.

East Asian art and philosophy is the concept of the union of humanity and nature. A number of early expressionists like Tobey, Newman, Pollock, Kline, Gottlieb etc attempted to access this unification through a palette consisting mainly of black and white; and a painting method characterised by gestural sweeps and techniques that deliberately cultivate spontaneity and eliminate human control.

The recent Canvas Gallery exhibition ‘Folding unfolding’ by Noorjehan Bilgrami, an intensely coded narrative at first sight begins to open out when seen in this light. Painted largely in the western abstract expressionist mannerism but with a bend towards the philosophy of Asian aesthetics, the works articulate her deep bonding with nature and ongoing quest for enlightenment. Partial to simplicity and concentrated meditation her quasi Zen ethos is apparent in her particular areas of interest.

An artist, designer, educator and researcher her deep affinity with traditional crafts led to the establishment of Koel, a workshop that pioneered the revival of hand block print fabrics in Pakistan. She has pursued a fellowship researching indigo in Japan and currently handloom weaving and the revival and use of natural dyes are among her major interests. Extensive travels with the intention of exploring the ‘soul of textiles’ have taken her to far flung locales of Pakistan like Skardu in the north and Tharparkar in the south where the open vastness has enhanced her awareness of nature and provoked her to explore her own sensibilities at a deeper level.

The current exhibition is essentially a treatise of Bilgrami’s communion with self. Setting aside thematic issues, social, political or feminist her work centralises only on the subliminal. “At this stage in life I want to feel very peaceful inside me and I have been doing serious meditation to search for that tranquillity through the means I have,” she says to clarify her stance. Art works in the show are divided into two segments, indigo on paper and acrylic on canvas.

Unlike watercolour, where the hues can be mixed and used as and when, indigo is a ‘there and then’ pigment where the artist has to work very fast or the dye loses its efficacy. Bilgrami has deliberately opted for this challenge in order to narrow her focus, be spontaneous and immediate without any extraneous  thoughts interposing between need and act. In order to achieve harmony of form and spirit her strokes on paper mimic the currents of the ocean. “You flow with the oneness of the ocean and suddenly you merge with the intangible but then, inevitably, the tangible and the material pulls you back to reality — so you fold a portion of yourself and unfold another — my paintings in ‘Folding unfolding’ talk about this constant pushing away of the concrete and the real and coming back towards the inner self and then drawing away again.” She also adds, “My dye is made of one colour and one consistency and the variation in tones is achieved mainly through technical manipulation like layering of colours etc,” and “this blue is not available in either acrylics or oils.”

Painted largely in the western abstract expressionist mannerism but with a bend towards the philosophy of Asian aesthetics, the works articulate Bilgrami’s deep bonding with nature and ongoing quest for enlightenment.

Her acrylic on canvas series was initiated by a fascinating old piece of wood discovered during her travels to Sri Lanka. Its design, used for casting impressions on the bread they baked there, became a point of reference for her present paintings when she began making random rubbings with it. Contemplating on the rudimentary linear pattern, a Sri Lankan folk motif, in the square/rectangular space the artist realised that the elementary markings were common to the basic design concepts of all religious art emblems.

The geometric points, especially in the Islamic patterns, lead to infinity. Concentrating within the rectangular space enabled Bilgrami to root herself at a location from where she could attempt transcendence. “When you meditate things start dissolving inside — when you begin to dissolve you also come across areas of gross sensations — that is where the process comes to a block.” This constant happening is recorded as blocks of solidity amidst fluidity on her canvases. The works, the stroke play and mark making, gain meaning when seen in this context. The white paintings signify a state of purity where the artist is shedding all rhetoric and verbosity to capture the essence of self through the barest minimum of expressive marks. Faint imagery of landscapes are reminiscent of the mountains of Skardu, the deserts of Cholistan and the Sarsoon ke khet encountered during her sojourns — previous associations that help her to release her being from the conscious toward the unconscious.

The two bodies of work, indigo on paper and acrylic on canvas are similar in concept but vastly different in approach and manifestation. The indigo pieces thrive on fluidity as if she is flowing and is one with the water while the acrylic canvases are very controlled giving the appearance of think pieces.

Seen collectively “Folding unfolding” comes across as a very personal journey that requires extended viewer engagement in order to be coherent and meaningful.