1 .TITLE - IN A MAZE OF TIME SERIES
SIZE -49.5CM X 60 CM
MEDIUM - GOUACHE AND PASTEL PENCIL ON PAPER
YEAR -2022
2. TITLE - IN A MAZE OF TIME SERIES
SIZE -49.5CM X 80 CM
MEDIUM - GOUACHE AND PASTEL PENCIL ON PAPER
YEAR -2022
3. TITLE - IN A MAZE OF TIME SERIES
SIZE - 44.5CM X 60 CM
MEDIUM - GOUACHE ON PAPER
YEAR -2023
4. TITLE - IN A MAZE OF TIME SERIES, POETRY FROM UNKNOWN POET WRITTEN ON BACK
SIZE - 22.5 CM X 22.5 CM
MEDIUM - GOUACHE ON PAPER
YEAR -2022
ALL IMAGES COURTESY TO KETAKI SARPOTDAR
IN A MAZE OF TIME SERIES
Unexpected changes in the atmosphere during an eclipse often confuse many organisms and alter their behaviours. Similarly, the sudden onset of the pandemic, combined with our lack of knowledge on how to navigate such unprecedented times, has revealed our hidden thoughts, opinions, and emotions. It has also challenged our beliefs and ideologies. This whirlwind of thoughts has led to feelings of anxiety and helplessness, pushing us to the brink of psychological breakdown.
We are born with empty minds, filled with curiosity and questions. Over time, through our experiences, we develop our own philosophies, ideologies, and fantasies. However, situations like a pandemic challenge our beliefs and philosophies about life, forcing our mindset back to a more primitive state.
The series "In a Maze of Time" includes seven works based on my experiences during the lockdown, serving as documentation of how the outside world affected us. In these visuals, I portray myself and my partner. Most of the images reflect our internal experiences, such as the year we spent washing vegetables with soap to avoid the virus. Each visual incorporates both real and virtual windows, like television screens and mobile devices. For instance, during the start of the second wave of COVID-19, significant political rallies were taking place in West Bengal by both the BJP and Trinamool Congress for their election campaigns. Television news channels prioritised coverage of these rallies rather than the surrounding pandemic situation, including the plight of infected individuals, the conditions of medical facilities, and the struggles of front-line workers. Thus, in my paintings, I emphasise the TV screen to highlight the media's focus during that time, contrasting it with the reality faced by individuals like us at that same time.
As humans, we believe we dominate and control our surroundings, but during the pandemic, a microscopic virus changed my perspective on this belief.
TITLE - IN A MAZE OF TIME SERIES
SIZE - 29.1 CM X 34.5 CM
MEDIUM - GOUACHE ON PAPER
YEAR - 2023
IMAGE COURTESY TO KETAKI SARPOTDAR
The door at our parents' home is their entrance door. After the first lockdown was lifted, we travelled a long distance by train to visit them. To protect them, we sprayed a lot of sanitizers on the door handles, which unfortunately wiped away the original polish from the door. Later, when I looked at the door again, I felt that it embodied a memory of emotions—fear, care, and protection. The two different approaches to dealing with the same issue, such as the scientific method of using sanitizer and the spiritual practice of placing joss sticks on the door handle to ward off evil, both share the same goal: to eliminate the problem at hand.
TITLE - IN A MAZE OF TIME SERIES
SIZE - 22.8 CM X 22.8 CM
MEDIUM - GOUACHE ON PAPER
YEAR - 2023
IMAGE COURTESY TO KETAKI SARPOTDAR
TITLE - IN A MAZE OF TIME SERIES
SIZE - 137. 5 CM X 182.8 CM
MEDIUM - GOUACHE ON PAPER
YEAR - 2023
IMAGE COURTESY TO KETAKI SARPOTDAR
The last painting from the series highlights a different perspective on the fear we experienced during this challenging time. We are surrounded by death, much like the flies depicted in the artwork. It serves as a reinterpretation of a painting called "Dangling Man." This entire situation created feelings of anxiety and helplessness among us, leading me to think about Edward Munch's painting, "The Scream," and the intense level of anxiety that the figure in that painting expresses as they scream in the middle of the road.
At the height of this situation, I saw news reports about a shortage of medical facilities and the high infection rates during the second wave of COVID-19 in India. During this time, an 85-year-old man from Nagpur, Maharashtra, gave his hospital bed to a young person, stating that he had already lived a full life. This incident made me reflect on our tendency to debate what is significant versus insignificant in our lives. While our actions may seem trivial from a universal perspective, they can have profound significance for those around us.