TITLE -‘’ When forests are on fire, wind willingly or contingency becomes its ally ‘
SIZE - 72 '' inches x 108 '' inches \
MEDIUM - Oil on canvas
YEAR – 2025
IMAGE COURTESY TO KETAKI SARPOTDAR
When a forest is on fire, the wind willingly or contingently becomes its ally
“Nothing is as difficult to see as the obvious.” – Bronislaw Malinowski
The human mind often complicates simple things or situations due to the ego and a lack of acceptance of reality. The work titled “When a forest is on fire, the wind willingly or contingently becomes its ally” is a fictional narration inspired by true surrounding incidents. It depicts a futile conflict between two main characters trying to untangle a situation, akin to the Panchatantra story of the fox and the crane, where both characters, driven by their egos, argue over how a meal was served. Their dispute ultimately leads to a cycle of endless revenge. In the narrative, the conflict between the two main characters leads to a series of escalating situations as the crowd also becomes involved, reminiscent of the butterfly effect theory.
Through metaphorical storytelling of various events, I aim to explore the process of the "snowball effect," where something seemingly insignificant gradually gains momentum and grows into something much larger. In the visual, different layers of actions illustrate the diverse psychologies, mindsets, and motives of individuals in a given situation. Each person's perspective and level of involvement define their role, highlighting how crowd psychology can influence outcomes in such situations.
For example, I have depicted a group of people gossiping about a situation while standing beside the cocklebur plant. The nature of cocklebur plant seeds is that they spread like wildfire and are often only noticed when people are hurt by their thorns. This serves as a metaphor to emphasise the insidious nature of gossip. When our words leave our lips, they scatter like cocklebur seeds in the wind, making them impossible to reclaim. They take on a life of their own, weaving through the thoughts of others and embedding themselves deeply in their minds. Days, months, and even years later, these whispers linger, evolving as they are passed from one storyteller to another, transforming into tales that can shape perceptions and create new myths in society. Through this metaphor, I have highlighted the role of gossip in a situation and the consequences of engaging in it.
Multiple small situations contribute to the larger picture, like a politician constructing a stage to take advantage of the fight, rallies for this type of futile conflict, a pickpocket snatching a wallet from someone who is preoccupied with the scene, while the younger generation clicks selfies and makes reels, and biased journalism. By highlighting all these scenarios, I attempt to raise a critical question: Who truly benefits from this situation? Alongside the portrayal of street vendors, workers, and an elderly tailor woman, I want to emphasise how one’s economic status or self-misery determines one’s position or role during such a scenario.
The two elephant sculptures illustrated are based on the fact that when elephants are very young, they are tied with a rope strong enough to hold them. As they grow, they become conditioned to believe they cannot break free, so they never attempt to do so. This analogy reflects how, at the beginning of a conflict, certain individuals struggle to express their viewpoints, but over time, they become like the old elephant, resigned to their perceived limitations. This behaviour of elephants serves as a metaphor for the impact of deindividualization in such situations. On the other hand, by depicting journalists focused on capturing a futile conflict while neglecting important issues, I have tried to highlight how the phenomenon of deindividualization is used by the media to control information and overlook more significant concerns of the time.
Another metaphor in the painting is based on squirrel behaviour. The squirrels often forget the nuts they bury, allowing the nuts to germinate into trees. In this visual narration, I intentionally positioned the squirrel alongside the main characters to highlight how our actions can have unintended consequences. If those actions are misguided or detrimental, what future growth will they yield? This reflects the importance of mindfulness and the impact of our choices on the world.