THE PIONEER OF 3D ART IN INDIA
Iast met Baiju Parthan at an Art Camp that took us to Prague, Vienna and Budapest. I was reconnecting with him after almost two years. His apartment in suburban Mumbai was cluttered with old Macs and all kinds of miscellaneous gadgetry. Old Baiju works adorn his walls. We kick off our chat over steaming hot cups of black coffee.
How did a Kerala boy land up in Mumbai?
After studying Art from Goa I didn’t wanted to go back to Kerala. I came for a 1-week’s holiday to Mumbai. My art teacher from Goa had given me an introduction to his friend, an Art Director in a leading newspaper. He was searching for an illustrator who understood science and could translate that into art. I fulfilled both requirements. He offered me a temp job as an illustrator. After 3-4 months they hired me as an official illustrator. Though working as an illustrator was not that highly paid but the environment at the office fascinated me a lot and made me love the job. Another important glue was the canteen which gave a full meal for just fifty paise! It dented less on my pocket!
It was a dream-come true as I used to follow the works of Mario Miranda and RK Laxman from childhood. Working now where these greats too had worked gave me a high. I worked there for six years before I turned a full-time artist.
Pre-bubble of 2008, your paintings were selling at stratospheric prices. Will they ever back there?
Frankly, I don’t think it will happen again. Pre-2008, globalisation had just come into play. The internet had become a major factor; many online marketplaces sprouted to buy-sell art. That decade also gave birth to e-auctions which were very aggressive in approach, drawing more and more people into the ecosystem.
Going by present trends we may see some positivity 34 years down the line.
Everyone says Baiju is a genius but most of us don’t understand your art. Please explain.
Probably the incomprehensibility gives some people the feeling they know something which others don’t! Something about art that is not unique… a dimensional entity or an art object. Every artist tries putting his indelible stamp on his work which later becomes his identity by which he is then known. In my case, I have been exposed to various disciplines. So, all those elements somehow find their way into my kind of art.
Is your kind of art really art?
Like I said in my previous answer, there cannot be one single definition of art. At different times historically art has expressed the environment, sentiment and trends of that specific period. I craft my work with science and try giving a newer meaning to my viewer. Second, there is no rule to justify what exactly is art. Today all we breathe is captured in some form of art, whether defined or not. Hence, art is like music, a language which when explained becomes valid.
You were FN Souza’s flat mate. Tell us more of those early days?
In 2001, Souza and I shared adjacent studios in Los Angeles, as part of a residential program for two months. This year is memorable as it was when 911 happened. The program paired artists, one senior and one young contemporary one. For me it was a very memorable experience to be with Souza, one of the toughest artists to be with. He had a dynamic personality and was very outspoken. We were poles apart. He was an extrovert and harsh to everybody. I feel that it was his way of attracting attention. Physically he was old but his ideas were very young. Our shared interest in science and psychology bonded us together. He was very well read man and very opinionated.
Despite my earlier perception that he was a tough guy, we had a wonderful time. Last I met Souza in Mumbai for lunch, seven or eight days before he passed away.
Do you think India today requires a movement like the progressive artists group?
Today, it is difficult to predict how and when this can happen. Historically if you see these things happened due to some objectives and manifestos, which is missing today.
Tell us about Baiju the man…
I feel most at home in my studio, I read a lot of books, understand new technologies, do street photography. At home I have two cats. I watch lots of serials. An ideal day for me is to learn something new.
Lastly, I spend time in Goa. My wife Vidya is also from there. I have a studio in Goa as well.