Nothing is mundane: Artist Ali Akbar Mehta

Renowned artist late Tyeb Mehta’s grandson, artist Ali Akbar Mehta, decodes the ideas behind his first solo show in Mumbai

What prompted you to do a show of this scale?
I have always been fascinated by these larger-than-life scales, physically as well as metaphorically. I thought that the scale of the show should reflect the content of the work, the myths and their larger-than-life scale.

How long did it take to put it all together?
This body of work is a culmination of five years of work... A part of what I imagine to be a lifelong process. I think each work influences and dictates the next work. So there is an inherent continuity and narrative that forms very naturally, very organically. Having said that, I try to not have the whole idea of a story enter into my work. The nature of the medium of painting allows for not having a story. What is unique to the medium of painting is that it has the ability to project a singular moment of time, as well as something that has a timeless quality. I try and create work that has that quality of the archetype.

What are the main ideas behind ‘Ballad Of The War That Never Was And Other Bastardized Myths’?
The idea of the title ‘Ballad of the War that Never Was’ actually came from an increasing preoccupation that I have been having with the idea of violence, of how our world is governed by responses that are majorly violent. When I considered the title I wanted it to be representative of the whole body of my work. I
realised that most of my work had to do with the nature of the violence we experience — consciously or unconsciously; whether it is intra-personal relationships or international events. Since I’m not speaking about the whole idea of a specifically driven war, a specific political context or a social context, I thought it would be interesting to call it ‘The War that Never Was’.

As an artist, what is it from the mundane that you draw inspiration from?
Nothing is mundane. I think that an artist could draw inspiration from anything. We are in a liminal age, where human beings are seeking, haltingly, imperfectly, to transform themselves and society, and transcend their limitations and situations. All around us we see acts of heroism and despair that are symbolic of this process.To my mind, the human being of today is cast as the hero of a myth.

Do comparisons to your grandfather, artist Tyeb Mehta unnerve you?
No, but most of the times I think they tend to be superficial.

In what ways has he inspired you?
I think the sheer monumentality of his work, both physically in the scale of the canvas, as well in terms of the scope of his work, is something that I have aspired to achieve.

Who are your favourite artists?
Michelangelo, Matthias Gruenwald, Salvador Dali, Tyeb Mehta, Atul Dodiya, Baiju Parthan... But then artists like Frederico Fellini, Francois Truffont, Jean Luc Godard, Stanley Kubrick, Darren Arnofsky, Jim Morrisson, Pink Floyd... the list can go on. I think each of them have influenced me in very specific ways.

What are you working on at present?
I’m looking to continue with my paintings, the digital works, and also to expand the body of video works, and other technology. I will be starting on a series of works with the idea of re-looking at superheroes. Another thread of work will continue to look at the entire notion of violence, terror and identity.