Anjolie Ela Menon is India’s one of leading contemporary artists. She is a recipient of Padmashree, Chevalier des Arts (France) and lifetime achievement award given by Delhi government. Known for experimenting on various mediums and materials for her artwork, she also claimed to be one of the first artists to work on computers graphics. In an interview with Monalisa Patsani of Orissa POST, Menon talks about her life and work.
You have been an artist for very long. What is your perception of your artworks?
I feel that my earlier works were more spontaneous and less perfect. Perfection also has pitfalls of its own. I don’t always want to have the perfect work. A young artist wants to have the energy to finish his work with spontaneity. But, when he/she grows older he keeps correcting possible mistakes. However, I feel that the mistakes make the work more interesting.
What would you say to those artists who prefer to continue traditional artworks?
There is no originality in traditional art. Basically, such artists imitate what they were taught. There is no scope for them to improvise. Whereas, every work is original in contemporary art. There is no scope for copying. There will always be a difference between copying and original art.
Being a sculpture yourself, what do you think are your major contributions to this art field?
I have worked on Murano Italian glasses that were exhibited in exhibition ‘Scared Prism’. My works on them had themes inspired from Indian mythology. One of such works on Indian god Ganesha weighed around 10 kg and was gifted to the Clinton family.
What are the new projects that you are working on?
I am presently busy with a mural project that I am making for Women’s University in Raipur. This would reflect my understanding of Indian goddesses Laxmi, Durga and Saraswati. They all represent women power.
What inspired or motivated you to start contemporary painting?
Well, I have been painting since I was 12. We had an excellent art teacher Sushil Mukherjee in our school. He was a multi-talented person who introduced us to paintings, drama and other art activities. He started giving me lessons on oil paintings. So, I got acquainted with oil colours at an early age and he encouraged me to experiment with it. Then I joined Sir JJ School of Art and I even got a scholarship to study in Paris.
What would you suggest to the up and coming artists?
The basic problem the new artists face is they lack their signature style. There are not many buyers and takers now. I would suggest them to not take up art with an intention to make it a profession, but just as a hobby. They should only join art colleges only if they have real talent, ideas and vision. Otherwise, all they would be is just a face in the crowd.
