NOWHERE Drawings and SHIKAN TAZA
Inspired by certain concepts of Buddhist Philosophy and translating my understanding of some of these concepts and world - views, 'Shikan Taza/ theme less meditation' were works done with certain basic visual principles, arrived at by choosing strict visual rules. I would like to explain some of these.
The paper on which I would work on was treated as a multi -dimensional space. The marks that I would make on this 'space' would be separated by an acute sense of the relationship they would generate within the bounds of the paper. The marks themselves would belong to diverse graphic planes/ co - ordinates, yet co - exist, for example a spill, usually perceived on the horizontal could be held in the vertical space in relation with maybe a pencil sketch which is usually a two - dimensional form, etc.
In addition to the above ground rules, I would start and complete each work in no more than a single sitting. During the process of the painting, I would remain alert to my environment and include impulses/ visuals from it in a sense of inclusiveness, rather than a pre - meditated and planned outcome.
NOW HERE drawings followed, and the scale of these was more commanding in presence. They were clearer in dealing with the time - place concepts in terms of mark making (matter) and untouched areas of the paper. In the last work of the series, the untouched area, framed by the marks opens up into a movement into the plane of the work, thereby converting an experience of space into time/movement. |
