Don't gender tag artists

Renowned artist Anjolie Ela Menon in a career spanning over 56 years has exhibited her works world over and engraved her name in the field of art. The veteran artist says that there are good or bad artists but no men or women artists

Throughout her career as a painter, Anjolie Ela Menon has regularly re-envisioned her role as an artist. Recipient of Padma Shri in 2000, Menon at the age of 20, studied art in Europe on a French government scholarship, where she was influenced by the techniques of medieval Christian artists. She exhibited her works in major cities throughout the world. In a brief chat with The Hans India, Anjolie poured her heart out over many issues.

What are the predominant influences on your work?
When you have been painting for almost 56 years then there are so many influences. So it’s very difficult to say in one single interview. But my early influences in Europe from early European art to Odhyani to Bosh there are many influences from writers, poets and filmmakers also not only from art.

How was your interaction with MF Hussain?
When I was 16- years-old he organised my first exhibition in Delhi. He hung up the paintings himself for the exhibit and there were 53 paintings. He took 20 paintings from that exhibition to Mumbai that was my first debut in Mumbai. After that, I had 49 exhibitions over these years. But Hussain was very much there helping me and promoting me when I was very young.

What do you think of his (MF Hussain) style?
His style was unique. He was the first – one both figurative and yet so modern. He was influenced by Picasso, but his bold lines and his subject matter made him unique. He painted many women his series of works. MF Hussain kept reinventing himself over the years. Once he was in Dubai as he had to leave India, I used to visit him often there.

He painted the walls of entire house with history of Indian filmmaking. He was very fond of cinema that’s why he used to worship people like Madhuri Dixit. He saw Madhuri’s film 17 times, one day he asked me to join him to watch the film and I said haven’t you seen it, he said I have seen it 17 times, let’s go see it again. He was an amazing character. The only day I saw him unhappy was when his right hand was in plaster. That day had lunch together.

While having the lunch he said, “Oh I seem to be to feed myself with my left hand, so let me try painting.” He got up in the middle of the lunch, took a brush and a parrot knife and started painting with his left hand. He said “Look I can paint!” He was quite happy then and said two more weeks then my plaster will come off.

What does freedom of expression mean to you?
I am very lucky as an artist; I say this in bigger sense painters, sculptors, musicians, actors and other artistes have the great gift from our Republic that is freedom of expression. Unlike many of our neighbours who had regimes that did not let them express freely and look how Indian art and the arts in general have flourished in India. It is because of this freedom of expression.

And now, it is very sad that we are entering the stage where individuals, who are narrow-minded, who have no idea of Indian culture and who have decided that they should be the arbiters of what is good and bad in art. They are threatening artists and making a nuisance of themselves. We hope that the government will continue to support us in this freedom.

Today in the world of digital art and abstract art, what do you think about true contemporary art?
I was the first one in India to do computer enabled works in 1999. I had an exhibition in London call ‘Mutations’ and that was computer-aided where I muffed several paintings into one painting on the computer and then I over-painted so it got a new image.

It’s all about making images but there is a thin line now it’s little bit too easy these days to do everything with the Photoshop. And many artists are doing that. They go to an art school, where they don’t learn skills. I may be old fashioned but artist should first harness their skills then indulge in whatever they have. But some of them don’t develop their skills at all and want to do everything with the help of softwares, and this is a new trend. But I don’t think that this kind of art survives for long.

Should art have a purpose?
To live without ethics or beauty is making society into a robot. I think we need art; like how can you describe why we do like a flower? It is of no use to us. But it gives joy and sense of happiness. So I think art is very important as a means of expression for society. Sometimes it is used for protest and vice versa so the purpose is always there.

How does being a woman, helps the artist in you?
I have often said that don’t call Hussain a male artist, so I think gender tag for artists is wrong. There is a good or bad artist, abstract and figurative. There are many categories where you can put them but why to say women artists or work of women artists.

In the art field dominated by modern art where does folk art stand?
Craft has to be understood with art. We expect each piece of art is original and unique whereas folk art is repetitive art where people are repeating old motives, old ideas again and again so that’s what it really sets them apart. Though I think there are some very great folk artists, Madhubani artists and Goan artists, Warli artists but there is too much similarity between one work and the other. There is a difference between a painting and pichwayi.