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Portraits of an artist in Paris
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Vishwajyoti Ghosh's works take a humorous look at life in the art capital of the world, writes Mini Anthikad-Chhibber
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LAUGH LINES:The graphic art is an acute observation guaranteed to bring a smile to your face Photo: P.V. Sivakumar
Every artist, romantic, dreamer, poet and fashionista dreams of going to Paris. It is the place to go to complete your education - the polish one achieves in Paris is supposed to add a global soignée to one's personality. The thirty-something Vishwajyoti Ghosh also decided to make his pilgrimage to the city.
In his six month stay he got to be in "the Mecca of this genre (comic book), finally in the place where it all started. Like a humble student I submitted myself to this great university, meeting and discussing the works of Reiser, being consumed by the insights of Roland Barthes. Paris — Mysteries, Mythologies and Memories are drawings and perspectives of a very modern and splendid Paris. It takes the past and references of the present in a single drawing in an endeavour to portray the essential spirit of the city." Like the penniless poet, Christian, who comes to Paris and is swept into the vital vigorous world of Moulin Rouge in Baz Luhrmann's movie of the same name, Ghosh's Paris is energetic and practically bursting out of the frames with vigour.
There is Mona Lisa smiling benignly on live television as the spokesperson of the Louvres. The amount of security for the famed painting also finds artistic representation. As Dr Mathieu Guerin, Director of Alliance Francaise comments, "Ghosh was very impressed with the security around the Mona Lisa. She has her own room and now thanks to Dan Brown, interest in the painting is even more."
Toulouse-Lautrec was one of the most famous artists of Monmarte in the turn of the century. He was famous for his hard partying - which cost him his life at a fairly young age - and the beautiful women he was always surrounded with.
Spectacular, spectacular
Ghosh's image of the nightclub has the famous windmill in the background while Ghosh has sketched himself in the likeness of Toulouse-Lautrec with the lovely dancing girls around him! There is Rue Mouffetard - Mecca for artists and a fascinating collage of a map of Paris with four subway tickets. Dr. Guerin comments that the subway is a world within itself with malls and food courts and the fact that one can very easily get lost in it is represented beautifully in the sketches.
While everyone talks of hi-fashion in Paris, the one little detail they forget to mention is the price! Ghosh sketches himself looking in at a shop window and the reflection of the suits makes it appear that he is wearing them. He has used a cubist approach to denote the unreality of being able to afford the expensive suit.
Jim Morrison, the lead singer of the rock group The Doors, died in Paris and Morrison's grave in Paris is a must visit site for rockers. Ghosh's vision of Morrison's grave has the lizard king's famous line Death Makes Angels of us All engraved on it. And when talking of Paris how can one forget the Eiffel Tower? Here there is the tower as a souvenir as well as spouting jazz from the base.
Along with chic Paris, Ghosh also represents the loneliness that translates to being tied to the phone and the endless trawling of the lonely-hearts advertisements. Ghosh, who is working on a graphic novel, has three comic books on display.
Letter to Home details the first impressions of Paris, while Letters to Love is a wicked take on the cutsie "Love is... " series. Captions are given like lonely-hearts ads. The third comic book Letter to Passport is a hilarious satirical look at the wheeling and dealing to get a passport to fulfil the ultimate dream of settling abroad. Whoever dismissed comic books, as low art should have a look a Ghosh's work for an urgent rethink!
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