Art that communicates

Artists, or anybody with a creative bent of mind, feel this pressing need to give expression to what they feel in a way that leaves a lasting impact. They find this urge to convey their inner thoughts in a medium that is open to interpretation and resonates with many people. Whether it's in the stroke of a brush, a note in music, a lyric or word in poetry and songs or even a symbol in any literary or cinematic work--each of these are placed for a purpose and mean different things to different people. Some people respond better to sound, some to visual imagery and some to words.

Thus, art as a whole becomes a brilliant means of communicating a larger message.

Artist Charita Dasappa's work that I recently viewed at the Chitrakala Parishad in Bengaluru resonated with me for this very reason. Her paintings, though about things very common in our universe, point at the very nature of all that we see around us.

Her latest collection titled 'Brahmanda: From the eternal to the ephemeral’ is about the universe. It's about the things that inhabit it and how each of these are either eternal or ephemeral. Yet, they coexist and sum up the world we live in.

“My goal, ultimately, is to inspire the viewer to unearth the why's and the why not's,” she says, and that, to me, sums up the very purpose of art as a means of communication.

While strolling through the gallery, I found myself moved by certain paintings mostly because of the colours that drew me in and the larger messages behind them. A particular painting called 'Miles to go’ stuck out to me. It reminded me of a poem by Robert Frost titled ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’. I remember reading it long ago and found myself so deeply moved by the words.

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.” These lines from the poem immediately came to my mind and the painting suddenly meant so much more. I was catapulted back to how I felt when I first read it.

That's the power of art. It finds that one thread of commonality within the one who views it. Perhaps the artist didn't even intend to refer to the poem. Perhaps no one else connected the dots like I did. Perhaps, the meaning was lost on me.

Yet, something about the painting itself and the title struck a chord with me and communicated a larger message that I relate with my life. This, to me, illustrates just how effective art can be as a means of communication.

Taken altogether, Dasappa, wanted to convey that the universe is made up of curves and shapes. These ideas came to her and in a flurry of inspiration she put them on pieces of wood. The colours and the shapes came to her naturally. She impulsively put everything down once the thought struck her. Her sole purpose: to leave the viewer thinking about how fleeting certain things in life are and how others are eternal in nature.

So, when we talk about expression and how one possess unlimited creativity, it's art that becomes the outlet to convey that. It's the way an artist reaches people and gives out a message that he/she can barely put into words. Emotions come through beautifully when done well and the complexity of ideas find a much more concrete form. In the end, while art is a very effective way of communicating, it's the way one perceives it that determines the success of the same.