<h2 style="text-align: center;" mce_style="text-align: center;">Q &amp; A for Verve with Maria Louis</h2>
<p><i><b>1. Why have you called your latest collection of works, displayed at the Bodhi Art Gallery, "Rainbow of Refuse"? (The title seems to be a contradiction of terms, juxtaposing as it does the exquisite with the obnoxious.)</b></i><br>
The exhibition itself is meant to evoke a whole range of responses, from the seductive to the dreadful. It touches upon the myths and realities of war; that have to do with notions of courage, patriotism, power and the resultant waste it generates i.e. the loss of human lives, property etc.<br></p>
<p><i><b>2. You have been toying with symbols of violence and destruction in your work over the past decade. What are the reasons that have sustained this preoccupation?</b></i></p>
<p>Some of my pieces refer to the sort of institutionalised violence we are facing and the work is meant to be a critique of those de-humanising institutions and their effect on our existence. I'm interested in the fragility of the human condition.</p>
<p><i><b>3. Are your paintings and sculptural installations meant to be didactic... or are you labouring the same point to clarify your own stance about the social, political and economic forces at play?</b></i></p>
<p>I do not seek to be didactic through my practice/work but I do believe that good literature, cinema like art have the capacity to mould/ alter perceptions. I repeatedly explore certain themes in my work but each time they take on a new form. For instance, I have made paintings in the past with swords and daggers carrying life-affirming forms as embellishments on their handles, paradoxical to the function of these objects. In case of the paintings in this show titled, 'Xylophone-1' and 'Xylophone-2' large muti-part paintings forming the human ribcage, one with swords and the other with guns, life-threatening weapons act as an armour just like the ribcage forms a protective covering to the lungs and the heart. What interests me is how we legitimise the use of violence by justifying it in the name of self defense.</p>
<p><i><b>4. In the light of the fact that you have conceived a collection of manufactured objects that illustrate what you want to say, would you still call yourself primarily a painter? If not, what would you call yourself?</b></i></p>
<p>I have always enjoyed keeping my mind open to working with mediums and methods that would aid communicating an idea appropriately. A large part of my practise comprises of painting and hence I still see myself primarily as a painter, although a lot more work ahead coming from me is in the form of sculptural assemblages.</p>
<p><i><b>5. Do you find that the essence of your artistic vision gets diluted by virtue of the fact that others are involved in the creation of your masterpieces? Why? Why not?</b></i></p>
<p>I think technical inputs in the realisation of an idea have only enhanced it's effectiveness, whether it is in case of an architect or a movie director.</p>
<p><i><b>6. Finally, how would you describe your role as a contemporary Indian artist?</b></i></p>
<p>I see myself as someone who is simultaneously influenced and inspired by my surroundings, circumstances; by which I don't necessarily imply my personal life but the lives of people at large in society. As an artist I would want to be alert to what characterises our situation from that of the rest of the world. I would hope to play a small role in arriving at a better understanding of other cultures we live with, and being more accepting/appreciative of our differences.</p>