Of Creative Diligence

Interview

The art world today witnesses a rapid change as artists tend to move towards creating quick, commercially palpable art work, rejecting their conventional art practices. Veteran artist Paramjeet Singh, teaches by his own example and stresses the need for consistency in art practice for ensuring longevity, in an interview with Nisha Aggarwal.

Recipient of President of India’s Silver Plaque Award among many others, veteran artist Paramjeet Singh has been an active member of Group8 and Delhi Shilpi Chakra. Presently he is an Executive member of All India Fine Art and Crafts Society, New Delhi. Paramjeet’s consistent and persistent work in painting and printmaking, and contributions in art education as Principal and Professor at College of Art, New Delhi, begets a pry to recognize him as Paramjeet Singh the artist. Here he speaks: 

Artist Paramjeet Singh

Nisha Aggarwal: You as a prolific artist, worked untiringly both in painting and printmaking with variety of media. Artists often feel themselves astray in initial phase of their career due to availability of various options. What are your suggestions?

Paramjeet Singh: I started silk screen printing in late 60s, to find out what is a silk screen print in fine arts, I studied print media that was European, but I wanted to find out it in an Indian context. It was the time when graphic arts such as lithography and etching were carving a niche and silk screen printing was being diminishing. In such an era I stuck to serigraphy by practicing it consistently for 30 years. Print medium requires a lot of stress and physical hard work. In 1979, I got a National Award by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi. Gradually I shifted to oil colour medium and afterwards to acrylic. But present scenario is little different. People are hunting for the change to avail the demand and opportunities. Artist’s mind is polluted. The shift to one medium to another should be piecemeal. One should take a medium or style seriously for certain time period and should master it. The development will come successively and conclusion point will be sought for a shift in medium or style. Then only one could be able to mature one style of working and master it.

Blue Vision, Silkscreen 1974

NA: Would you put an emphasis on the gradual development or shift in your style of working?

PS: Late 60s marked the beginning of my artistic career with abstracts. For 8 to 12 years I continued with abstracts that may be as a symbolic phase with geometrical shapes and lot of in-lighted colours. That time’s work emphasized on geometrical shapes. In forms I preferred squares, ovoids and floral motifs. In the 80s I started adding clouds, leaves, butterflies, birds, rainbows and human figures in my compositions. In 1983 I started using a very coarse 60-80 mesh screen with conventional printer’s colours through which I succeeded in producing exceptionally flat opaque surfaces and delicately gradated shadings rarely possible with a brush. 1984 I attempted silk screen on canvas combining a painterly effect with serigraphic technique. In the last decade of my artistic life my endeavours have moved towards reconciling the human world with nature. My human figures notably the female figures set in indoor scenes with mundane household objects. I have been delving into the human form on and off for over two decades now.

Passage to Hermitage, Silkscreen 1983

From basic shapes to natural elements and afterwards human figures, was an experience in itself. It was a journey exploring my inner self. I gradually started realist after abstract but basic study was always there that converted one style into another. The process of unifying birds and human beings with geometrical shapes came with constant experimentation. As thoughts and images change as the experience grow but the stagnant application with technique and images is the reason behind achieving the signature style.

Blue Mountains, Silkscreen 1986

NA: From your earlier work on symbolism and geometrical shapes, nature and form related, to human/ female forms, how are you able to create such ‘personal space’ and to find the serene surroundings while living and working in restless world of Delhi?

PS: See Delhi is not just a wild area (laughs) or concrete jungle only. You see landscapes everywhere. You can’t ignore that among the buildings, gardens are there. You can make your own subjects. Even a single tree can make a beautiful composition. It is so decorative and balanced. So, one has to have observation.

Green Carpet, Silkscreen 1995

NA: Do you feel any impact of your teaching career on the artist in you?

PS: It helped me and gave me a support. It never bound my creativity.

NA: What are your views about Art Education in India in today’s perspective?

PS: We cannot say exactly as its very mixed now. Many things are done and more is needed. Art education today is growing and a manner of precipitation is there. People think that they have to learn faster and faster. But I believe that art cannot be learnt so rapidly. This way sometimes you feel that education remains incomplete. But if somebody is clever enough to learn and mature cursorily, one can hold it or carry on. So some sort of deficiency in art education is there.

Camp Observer, Silkscreen 2002

NA: What are your views about contemporary art practices in India?

PS: It’s good and growing. It’s a kind of documentation of the society. So many people are hunting here and there thinking what to do and what not to do. They are incorporating a lot of modern technologies in it. And I think there is a need of time also because one has to work with time. One cannot go with the convention which was created by our forefathers and mastering in all those. With modern times, modern technologies and modern instruments has to be interflowed. I think experimental works are coming out.

Lady on Green Sofa, Oil on Canvas 2007

NA: Would you like to convey any message to young artists/art practitioners of India?

PS: My message to artists and students is that they have to work. They have to work and work and work. The time will come when a certain development and maturity will be there. Understanding will come by working only. That is more important instead of running here and there, finding sources, finding market and all those things. That is what I feel and want to convey.

(First Appeared Online in CartanArt Magazine, Issue-III, May 2014)