Dr. Harisuman Bisht
Continuity is the basis of composition and design, whether it is from young creators or from the perspective of another environment. Conversion is an inherent phenomenon in art because art’s future will probably come to a standstill without any change. One creative approach that inspires progress is Jagmohan Bangani, a young, contemporary artist who has this to say, “In my earlier days I used to draw the things that I would feel and observe around me but later I started expressing my outer and inner personality through colors. It is like feeling the tangible and intangible detail of self-inspection for me. Since change is an indispensable part of creativity, in the present times, the change of my art makes me use of very meaningful texts, words and scripts of different languages. “
While reviewing the recent style of ‘Bangani’, it is worth checking out their retrospective journey. However, he left those imprint far behind and moved on. It is a reminder of his view of the past and present that his audience creates a sense of hope. When artists like him express a way to live and experience with each stroke of their paintings, they translate their ideas into compositions with courage. Today the life of ‘Bangani’ in the world of colors has started from where it has been a living experience in itself. This is a contradiction; This virtual journey eventually becomes virtual and metaphorical. However, it is a process of preparing new ground in such a way that his creative feelings remain clear in this world. It is truly a journey towards maturity. From the very beginning, the colors within them and what they express have never been the same; This is something extraordinary. Growing up in the mountains defines the period of his life when he assimilated the subtleties of life and the atmosphere of the hills. Since then, he has been on an enduring expedition to the world of colors — initially to see this life using them in his paintings and later to reveal physical and spiritual references. Thus, by understanding their interaction with colors, a person can connect the dots between his pictures.
It can be seen that ‘Bangani’ are constantly exploring dimensions through their art, while adapting themselves to become more mature as an artist. Being in the hills of a remote village with his roots, his solicitation was extraordinarily trying to walk or other such tests to reach the destination. This life cannot be compared to the cities of Delhi and London, as they have to provide many facilities. Armed with his own version, tradition, ambience and the art of the environment, ‘Bangani’ arrived in Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand), a small town in the hills, to move forward with unchanging desire. It was courageous to reach there from an inaccessible area like his village Maunda. The onward journey from Uttarkashi to Dehradun, the capital city of the state was fraught with obstacles despite access to new resources. The varied experiences of this period gave colors to his artistic journey. After taking admission as an art student in Garhwal University, ‘Bangani’ completed a masters in drawing and painting, while also doing odd jobs in the city as painting hoardings and signboards. Dehradun was to become a breeding ground for his creative energy; Because it turned his obstacles into challenges, which brought more strength to him. Nature remained his constant companion.
In a unique experiment that inspired Bangani’s art journey towards a new discovery was the use of texts, words and scripts in his artworks which were written on canvas in different languages and were further developed by layers and textures of different colors.
In the context of his art, ‘Bangani’ states that “sounds take the shape of words, words overlap in language and meaning until it becomes an experience in itself.” He further says “I am exploring abstraction by using a set of words and scripts that carry some natural or spiritual meanings to us, and often encounter in our daily lives. Gaining new experiences with the use of various text forms on the surface of the canvas is the only drive to develop my art from the initial stage to the final result. I use texts from Sanskrit, Hindi, Punjabi and English languages in my work, and texts from each language has different results as an artwork. The repeated words and scripts on the surface of the canvas are mantras, gurvani, poetry, songs, couplets, verses etc. ”
On deep and focused observation alone, the written word or mantra is revealed. It almost looks as if some miraculous energy has arisen from it, which creates a beautiful universe. Colors and visuals of echoing texts give rise to something. There is a message that seems to be going beyond inexplicable construction. Simultaneously a building of a pulsed musical rhythm has a meaning, a tempo that ends in a spectacular crescent. The experience is a rejuvenating expanse. If there is an alternative to this experience, it is rooted in Bangani’s mature world-view. The new scene he creates is pulsed with the depths of colors and words. Be it in English, Gurmukhi or Hindi, he uses written letters of the alphabet. It reveals a vivid image of a disk like arrangement of petals, a flower that emerges out from the centre. Beginning with transparent colors, he has used opaque and layered color schemes.
The concept of chanting mantras in visual arts has been formulated for the first time. It is well over a period of time; it is clearly moving towards discovering the infinite through its uniqueness. Other artists have also used texts in their artworks; For example, Mark Titchner, Glenn Legon, Jenny Holzer etc. In the Indian art world too, artists such as S. H. Raza and Jitish Kallat have also worked in such word-letter format. But Bangani’s works are different. Apart from Punjabi, Kannada and other regional languages, phrases such as ‘Buddhaam Sharanam Gachhami’, Nam Myo ho renge kyo, Bhawatu sabb Mangalam etc. also find place in his works.
Bangani’s art has established unique expressions. Various interpretations of the artistic and conceptual beauties of classical art can be seen layered within it. The synthesis of the idea that mantras and sounds are ‘Brahm’ can be seen in many of his experimental works. He is truly an artist of this era and has both maturity and dexterity in his sense of prominence.
Bangani immerses his audience in a deluge of colors and words, directing the viewer to the richness of infinite meanings in his paintings; They never cause despair, only a feeling of excitement and rejuvenation.
He has a definite commitment to break a path which also leads him to infinite creativity. His creations are like the faces that echo the emotions, explorations and struggles in the hills. His connections to his roots are as strong as ever. The lines of face encased in colors and creations create a new color that in turn makes their pictures almost look as if they are trying to be hypnotized us. The way each style of art uniquely creates a new approach to expression.
Bangani in his professional career has done 7 solo and more than 50 collective exhibitions of his paintings. With achievements like the Ford Foundation Fellowship New York, USA, Junior Fellowship (Ministry of Culture, Government of India), a Research Scholarship (National Academy of Fine Arts, New Delhi), Uttarakhand State Award from AIFACS, Jagmohan presents himself as an artist. An idiom is a mixture of traditional and modern. Constantly changing expressions through myriad colors; That’s his identity.
Bangani continues to fill the large canvas in his studio with chanting a mantra “Aham Brahmasmi”.
[The author can be reached at harisuman_bisht@yahoo.com]