Spring Board
Bhavin Mistry
 Bhavin Mistry, an young artist hailing from fine Arts Faculty, MSU, Baroda had scratched a line in the market within a very little time. Bhavin consciously avoids human presence in his works, a “no-man’s landscapes” in his words. Some of his works comment upon the overpowering of manmade technology also. Uncertain of his future plans, Bhavin believes in the market but prefers not to enter it deliberately.
When did Bhavin Mistry realize that he had an artistic bend?
Truly after joining Fine Arts at Baroda. Though I was good at Drawing and Painting from the Childhood, but there was no such awareness for art.
Who initiated him into serious art?
It was our Prof. Shivaji K Panniker. I use to make Rangoli in the corridor of my home during Diwali. Co incidentally Shivaji passed from there. By that time I had already done Diploma in Textile Chemistry – which fetch me nothing and was preparing for ITI (institute for Technology and Instrumentation). But the faith had brought Shivaji to me, who had suggested me to apply for Fine arts.
Where did he study art and how was the training like?
I am academically trained at Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S.U. Baroda and received B.V.A. from 2001 – 2006 and M.V.A. from 2006-2008.
How does he explain his works done during the BFA?
Well I tried a lot to get into serious practice during B.F.A. but never settled, while dealing with financial crisis I got involved with a lots of commission works as it was the only way for me to survive in the field. The works done during this period were as usual study based which slowly reached the level of abstraction by throwing away the narrative and figurative style of painting. The works appeared nearly abstract to the viewer but for me they are realistic as those were my studies of textures. Textures of rock surfaces, old rusted walls etc, and any surface that would have taken ages to form were my primary focus.
What did he do during his post graduate days?
The post graduate days became extremely opposite that of BVA. I continued with the same language and style, but soon there was need to shift, it was like finding something different, something new, something inner. There I could discuss my ideas and my inhibitions with seniors and batch mates too, which had helped me reinterpret certain thoughts. It was like a complete transformation from the abstract, but what the transformation was yet to be known. I have been somewhat intuitive from the very beginning, and more importantly, never could ignore them.
The interest got deeper in understanding the basic forms and functions of the machine. My lines almost minimally began to define the structure of drawings juxtaposing different parts of such machines. The final output remained hybrid and metaphysical.
I never tried to capture the beauty of landscapes in my paintings instead I used it just as an element to show depth. Tensed color scheme and balanced composition got combined to produce a work of simple, quiet ambience that ignores almost deliberately any human presence, which effects the viewer can sometimes be perturbing. These lonely landscapes reflect a deeply introvert, detached perspective on reality. Relaxed tonal rhythms and use of limited range of colors reveal a painter who wishes simply to capture the essence of objects and scenes. Objects isolated from their physical context are imbibed with an enigmatic aura.
I have always remained free from the ideologies and have used all the freedom that is granted by this institute. Baroda has seen a number of narrative and figurative painters and also very well known for conceptual artists, but the quest to find something beyond and the immediate kept me going on. It is however a conscious effort to avoid any human presence in my works, a no-mans landscapes. I am also unconsciously commenting upon the way manmade technology had overpowered the human clan almost to the extent of paralyzing it.
How did art history influenced him?
As someone said “History is like rearview of a vehicle, which shows who is at the back, but one cannot run the vehicle looking back in the mirror,” While studying history the only question arises in my mind is “where do I stand?” and this is the only question which influence me to look into History.
How does he explain his current practice?
My current practice is parallely moving with the works in advance in its track, with an accumulation of the term “market” implicated. However optimistically not affecting the works.
What does he think about the art market?
Art market has two faces like a coin. To the best of my knowledge, there was a “Boom” in Art market 4 years back. I was possibly in 2nd yr of painting specialization then. Slowly Market got introduced in the Academies; I see a lot of my contemporaries and juniors selling their works. I found a very negative effect of this on their works, for e.g. the work getting sold becomes the centre of the practice and later works becomes more or less the reproduction of the one sold. In short the student gets stuck in his work and individual development and academics gets into danger. Not only that but I have even seen students studying the works of those artist or practicing artist whom the market have responded well. In other hand market has the potentiality to make a person Zero to Hero in one night. But I strongly believe it cannot be applicable to every artist. Though I have not yet seen “Market” and “Boom”, therefore remains on safer side, telling myself “Don’t go studying the market, let the market study you.”
Where do we see Bhavin Mistry in the coming years?
Well, not habituated of thinking too much further. I am a person who believes living in the moment (present). Still I can expect a “One Man Show” nearly by the end of 2009. Where I guarantee to amuse my spectators with all the masalas (entertainment) and it will be worth (paisa wasool). |
