It is a delight when you have friends who not only paint but also write. For a while now I've been meaning to share the art-practise/writings of dear artist and friend Sarita. Originally from Delhi, Sarita lives with her husband, a script-writer for feature films and daughter in Bombay.
Some months ago I had visited her well-lit studio which is located in a nice residential locality at Four bungalows. Over tea we discussed art, life and other interesting matters. That day while going through the artist statement of her 2001 series, I happened to read the poem, 'There is one tune. And there is one song'. I was struck by her intimate understanding of 'stillness' and ‘movement within stillness', very subtle concepts. Since then I have wanted to share it on my blog.
A little about the artist- Sarita’s works were recently part of Studio Practices at Chemould Art Gallery. She has been exhibiting her works in solo and group shows since 1998. Her fifth solo exhibition, ‘appear, re-appear’ was at Museum Art Gallery, Mumbai, 2008, which I missed :( but made up for partly with the studio visit :)
I leave you with her poem,
as always love and light! :)
There is a one tune. And there is one song. Mix media assemblage on paper, 217 x 184 cms, 2001.
There is one tune. And there is one song.
If there is any stillness, let me feel it.
If there is stillness let me keep looking at it, till the time it makes me still.
And then both of us can come closer.
Be one and move together.
Move together and dance together.
We will go on moving till we again become still.
Now we lie still.
We are still. We are silent.
It seems nothing is moving. Everything is still. There is no sound but silence.
And then there is movement. Silence is also moving. What looks still is also moving.
Stillness is no more stillness. It is movement.
It is moving now. And with it everything around is moving.
There is one tune. And there is one song that is going on. And in its music all become one.
Sarita Chouhan, 2001
If there is any stillness, let me feel it.
If there is stillness let me keep looking at it, till the time it makes me still.
And then both of us can come closer.
Be one and move together.
Move together and dance together.
We will go on moving till we again become still.
Now we lie still.
We are still. We are silent.
It seems nothing is moving. Everything is still. There is no sound but silence.
And then there is movement. Silence is also moving. What looks still is also moving.
Stillness is no more stillness. It is movement.
It is moving now. And with it everything around is moving.
There is one tune. And there is one song that is going on. And in its music all become one.
Sarita Chouhan, 2001
