Mind is the invisible part of the body. In comparison with the body, mind is much broader, deep and has many layers. Most often mind is considered as enigmatic and mysterious. The mind has a capacity to store things up, and depending on the emotion- al impact, it can store things up to decades.
In the book of our life, every wound that is inflicted upon us remain etched on its pages often like scars. They can never be erased from our memory.
This work was done a few years back and has a sculptural quality to it. I have used mixed medium like, book, charcoal and watercolours. To create this effect, a book was burned in a controlled manner, revealing layers after layers, leading to a black hole in the center. The burning and the colour scheme creates a kind of dark mood and emotion. Staring at it long enough can give one a feeling of being pulled into its depth like whirlpool.
Through this work I have tried to reflect on the nature and workings of the mind. The book represents the mind with many chapters. The wounds and scars that the mind may encounter are represented through the colors and the burning. The black hole in the center can also represent the subconscious layers of which we have no idea.
From another perspective, this representation stands as a reminder about how we need to be sensitive and compassionate towards people who undergo tremendous amount of stress, anxiety and even mental disorders. It is quite difficult to fathom the depths of despair one can undergo in such states of mind. Theodore Roethke, in his collected poems, would say, ‘What is madness but nobility of the soul at odds with circumstance.’
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