Laxman Shreshtha talks art, influences and his search for solitude

Laxman Shreshtha has been known as an intense artist and a man of few words. Much like the tiny marks, sudden explosions of colour and textural impulses in his large and small scale works, he speaks volumes with a few sentences. Laxman Shreshtha - The Infinite Project showcases his oeuvre in two parts, displaying the artist's works from 1963 to 1988 and from 1988 to the present, and has been curated by Ranjit Hoskote.

Shreshtha's works often exude a deep stillness, precariously balanced with surprising chaotic movement, reflecting a rhythm of nature or of life itself. The ongoing retrospective has 41 paintings from the earlier period. In these, the scratches, daubs and multi-directional deep strokes often hint at the aggression or the frantic search by the artist's younger self. The artist reveals the story of his life in a chat with Sushma Sabnis. Edited excerpts:

How would you define abstract art?

Abstract art is something which is usually non-representative, as in there are no recognizable forms emerging from the work. At certain points, the obvious forms are avoided. It is evident that abstract art begins from nothing, there is no guide or story which initiates the work. Hence, once the work is begun by scratches or strokes or daubs of paint which act as questions, the artist and the work embark upon a journey together.

You hail from Nepal. What kind of influences has that had on your art?

I come from the high mountains of Nepal, and the landscape there is ever changing, and pristine. When I began living in Bombay, there were times (when) I would sorely miss the atmosphere of the mountains (laughs). It is similar to European people who miss their fogs and mists, there is something ethereal in it and it is beautiful and peaceful.

My work often tries to relive that dynamic, changing mountainscape, light and shade and tranquil. The unpredictable weather is an inspiring element.

You have mentioned about the attitude of an abstract painter being different from that of a figurative painter. Could you please elaborate?

Yes, both kinds of painters differ in their approaches towards making work. The enquiry is often different. While a figurative painter's approach is, more often than not, led by some form of a guide or an idea of what is to be depicted, an abstractionist would probably avoid or reject any guides. It's like walking into the unknown and that is the beauty of being an abstract painter, as you are faced with surprises, hurdles, you battle and defeat some, some you get along with.

The journey is challenging for both, the figurative and the abstract painter, because they both aim to seek the same thing, an honest personal expression. Having said that, I do believe that an abstract painter's journey never ends. This is the reason why the show is called The Infinite Project, as this journey always opens up new paths to tread upon.

Do you believe the nature of the figurative painter and the abstract painter also differ considerably?

I believe that the abstract painter finds his answers within the inner realms of his mind. It is a path which leads inwards, deeper and deeper, until he finds that silence within and source his answers from there. For a figurative painter, the story or narrative matters, hence his answers may lie in social interactions of many kinds but he too would need some time in silence to piece it all together.

In one of your speeches about (VS) Gaitonde, you refer to a specific moment in making of a painting where the painting suggests how it should be made. Does this suggestion ever create a conflict with your own directive for the painting? 

(Laughs) Always! I believe the artist is endowed with a kind of intuition and an intent. However, at a certain stage the painting asks to be painted in a particular way, and more often than not, conflicts with the direction I wish to give it. Then I stop painting, or I go and watch a movie, I love to watch movies, (laughs), or if the conflict is too much, then I pack up and go to the Himalayas. I resolve it there, as the environment brings me back to my core, the noise inside me is silenced and I come back, pick up my brush. The finished painting is fresh, perfect as I would never imagine it to be. Sometimes some colours talk or jump out at me, some scratches ask questions which need to be answered and these are the fine intense moments that make this journey of solitude worthwhile.

Tell us something about your inspirations.

Aah! I love music, I listen to music almost all the time at the studio. I listen to all kinds of music, from Western classical to the blues to jazz. I have about 800 CDs of jazz music ranging from music as early as 1912. The classical rhythms of 1950s often inspire me while working too. I also listen to Eastern classical music.

Anything could be an inspiration, I recall one incident at Gaitonde's studio, where he would collect foreign magazines, like National Geographic, and he would find some image which had a specific colour and that became inspirational. He'd tear that page from the magazine and hang it up and show it to me, saying, "See that colour? Isn't it beautiful? I will use it sometime in my work."

From the mountains to freshness of a flower to the prettiness of a face, from a note in a musical composition to sudden intuitive flashes while working on a painting, any of these things could be inspiring.

Do you follow a routine as a practicing artist? Any specific schedule that you adhere to?

Painting has taken over my life. I do not have routines as such. If you ask about discipline as an artist, the only discipline that I follow strictly is my intent on making good art. Otherwise my routine is pretty much simple and flexible. I wake up early, go to the studio, turn on the music and my day begins. I practice a little bit of yoga in the evening and meet some close friends, if possible. I rarely go to boisterous parties anymore. I prefer this lifestyle now.

Has your work been represented by any gallery?

It is often misunderstood in the art world that Laxman Shreshtha has been the only artist who has never had gallery representation. In fact, Chemould represented my works for 18 years and then Pundole Gallery too. Now I have no gallery representation, though I believe it is an important factor in the publicity of an upcoming artist's works to be represented by galleries. My works have been collected and have been accepted probably with the effort from my friends like Jehangir Nicholson and others who have been instrumental in preserving my unrepresented 'free artist's spirit'.

What is the one character in your self which is reflected directly in your paintings?

Intensity. I'm an intense person and I depict that in all my works. Either by the specific usage of colour or a sharp stroke or mark on the canvas, this intensity is portrayed and comes across in my personality as well.
(On view at the Jehangir Nicholson Gallery till October 3)