CONVERSATION WITH AN ARTIST – DILIP PATEL – Lands for Auroville Unified

Dilip Patel – A Conversation with an Artist.pdf

CONVERSATION WITH AN ARTIST
DILIP PATEL

Early in my childhood I recall seeing my mother being busy with embroidery, knitting and other fabric crafts and that stayed with me forever because I inherited her itchy hands and creative spirit.

This was in Africa, in Uganda, in a little town near Lake Victoria with the surrounding area brimming with wildlife and natural wealth. There was so much beauty that my childhood was filled with vivid encounters with birds and animals that visited our property.

This early exposure to crafts and Nature shaped the beginning of my artistic journey, and after relocating to India with my family, I continued to be motivated artistically from that same inspiring source.

I gravitate towards art that is inspired by nature …

… because I feel very little of human imagination can compare to the beauty and wonder of natural forms.

In India, I was fortunate to study in the Ashram school under the Mother’s overriding influence and I was happy to offer her my artwork when I visited her on my birthday. The Mother didn’t give me any guidance on how to paint, but she was always encouraging, and loved to see handmade artwork. I recall how graciously she looked at my works and made favourable comments.

Several art teachers helped me hone my skills, amongst them was Alice, an American who made me observe the world in a new way.

My further education in the UK, pursuing art and architecture, was again rich in content with the exposure to London’s busy cultural life, with memorable visits to the museums and art galleries that are abundant (and free to enter) in the city. The National Portrait Gallery was a frequent haunt because it showcased work of both contemporary and classical artists and the style of portraiture varied and was often innovative. I recall David Hockney, Rothko, Bridget Riley and Jeff Koons making a particular impact.

Returning to Pondicherry for good in the early Nineties had me visiting Auroville a lot whose art scene was already very active, and the place has a deep attraction spiritually. I also started to participate in the Art for Land exhibitions.

I have always been fascinated by lotuses, this amazing aquatic plant, every element is interesting and the combined whole is aesthetically perfect.

And I learnt to execute these inspirations in watercolour, a medium that suited my style perfectly.

There’s also that ethereal quality to watercolour, the soft layering and washes that approaches a spiritual experience.

How various cultures have seen the divine qualities and used them in their worship of God, I attempt to bring out this very aspect in my watercolours.

I have rarely paused to question art and why I am so preoccupied with it-perhaps because it is an abiding joy – one that constantly renews itself every time I paint.

Neither have I been bothered by the fundamental analysis of the activity: perhaps it is too complex to put into words.

But this I have observed that it becomes more and more a sadhana, an introspective search for the deeper truths, one that reveals in fits and starts the greatness of the Divine.

I feel that art and music and creativity are perfect ways to approach that Reality because of their abstract nature and often unfathomable essence.

I continue to create art with the same passion and energy as I enter my Seventies, and I fervently wish that everyone should either practice some form of art or learn to appreciate it since it is a most powerful means of making progress.