Jaideep Mehlotra delves into the abstract

Renowned Mumbai-based artist Jaideep Mehlotra, who has heretofore been known for his figurative art, has delved into the world of the abstract for the first time. His latest technique is a culmination of many years of research, experimentation and exploration. At first glance, it seems like liquid metal has been dripped on the works, but upon closer inspection it’s clear the base is canvas; this creates a mystifying look. A combination of metal, paint and various mixed media come together to form these intriguing, highly reflective, metallic works.

This show, which has been taking place since September 23, will be the artist’s first show in Mumbai in six years.  However, he refuses to call this his comeback show. “On average, I have a solo show in Mumbai every four years. However, a couple of years ago I was invited to participate in an International art fair in Bahrain where I was given a solo booth. Due to that, the current body of work took longer to come together. This is not so much a comeback show as an overdue one,” he says, decisively.

The idea for the exhibition, Reflections in Mercury, which is inspired from reflective surfaces, came from the yin and yang concept, reveals Jaideep. “The works are highly reflective and fluid in form, a yin yang of metallic surfaces on a woven canvas cloth — a tribute to art as a ‘reflection’ of its surrounding culture. It is the face of modern culture where the shiny new objects reflect life around them, epitomising the industrial culture of gadgets and instant gratification. Metallics reflect everything surrounding them and deflect any allusions to the artist’s interior. There is also the fact that the reflective quality of the work resembles liquid mercury,” he says.

While this may be the first time that the artist has an exhibition on abstract art, he feels that the progression was a natural one. However, the experience of creating each piece, was a completely new one, since the artist believes in starting fresh with each work that he does, without letting previous works influence him too much. “The progression to abstract was a gradual process that imbibed essences from the figurative and surrealistic work I have been pursuing for so many years. I’ve quoted Pablo Picasso in the gallery, who puts it quite intelligibly. ‘There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality.’ Having said that, every canvas is new.  It’s a tough call when you have been working with figurative work for so many years. What also followed is a lot of rejection, discoveries and eureka moments,” Jaideep recalls.

Ongoing till October 22, At Tao Art Gallery, Worli