All art carries inspiration

I am inspired by art. Inspired by the minds that conceive it. Inspired by the minds that execute it. Inspired by the talent they employ. Inspired by the tenacity they bring to their work.

Oddly, when you ask artists what inspires them, their responses are banal and unapologetically uninspiring: ‘nature’, ‘my personal journey’: the usual drivel.

I never buy art that is devoid of a story that is inspirational. I need the idea to paralyse me. Or the execution to seize me.

Which is why Suchitra Gahlot is my favourite artist. Her ‘A Thousand Tears’ is eternally inspiring not just for me but also for anyone who comes to our home. Suchitra used to suffer terrible migraines that would drive her to tears. One day she sent out a message to 1000 people she knew and asked them what made them cry the last time they cried. Someone replied ‘boyfriend’. Someone said ‘periods’. And so on and so forth. Suchitra then got 1000 vials in which she filled a liquid that replicated the composition of the human tear. She labelled those 1000 vials with the replies that she got. I found the entire idea so grand. So unique. A hint of crowdsourcing. Utterly uplifting.

In another video work called ‘Discomfort’ she looked at a viewing mechanism that forced one to lean on the floor. And the videos have people doing things that are uncomfortable. For instance, applying lipstick with one’s left hand. Shaving with one’s left hand. Again, inspirational.

Mohammad Ali Talpur is one of the few minimalist artists in Pakistan. His linear drawings are sheer poetry. Apparently, he would sit on the roof of his home and trace the path of birds in the sky with a pencil on paper. I find his observation inspirational and his deft and precise execution hauntingly beautiful.

Pushkar Thakur’s ‘Four Digit Combination Lock’, is a work made of 10,000 keys hanging in bunches, that fills up the far right wall of our house. It’s a favourite of ours and for a very odd reason — The four-digit lock has 9,999 combinations. All the keys are made of mild steel and have rusted. But there’s one that will never rust. That is the 10,000th key. We have spent years trying to find that key.

Some years ago, I was at Project 88 in Mumbai and I chanced upon this 42 x 30 x 30 inch object made out of salt. By Hemali Bhuta. It was called ‘Well’. I was intrigued. It weighs a ton and since the salt interacts with the moisture in the air, the work is decaying and eroding. People create and buy art for longevity. This art was self-destructive. I found it electrifyingly engaging.

When Yamini Sharma brought ‘The Womb’ to me, I was completely overwhelmed at the size of the structure. It was made of foam and she told me that it was an interpretation of a womb. I thought the idea was born out of divine inspiration. Years later, even today, when I look at it, I am humbled by its sheer audacity and simplicity.

From our childhood, we are inspired by stories. And art is nothing but beautiful stories evocatively told.

(Swapan Seth is a writer, a columnist, an art collector, wine collector. If you feel inspired, send in your stories to dnafaithpage@gmail.com)