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Text by the artist about his work
Random Access Memory
108 Stopovers for a Pillion Pilgrim
Although I usually make large paintings on canvas, the 108 works shown in the biennial were made on "used" and "exposed" thermal fax paper by applying heat, water and colour pigments. Thus the gas-burner, the incense-stick, the candle and the electric iron were the tools and the medium.
In India the number "108" has a spiritual connotation, signifying the number of names of the deity and is also the number of beads in the seeker's chain used for chanting (japa) or transcendental meditation. I connected this to the repetitive act of making 108 works and decided to string them into a large DNA double helix within the splendid arches of the Cabana. The drawings show my own self image as a tourist -pilgrim negotiating the massive helix whose stations are the ancient pilgrimage sites of India that I've only accessed through art and architecture books.
Made on thermal fax paper these works have a short life of four to six months.
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Text: Jitish Kallat |
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