Bela Gupta paints social issues on a blank canvas to charter an extraordinary path, notes Kritika Dua

Is there any difference in the plight of the farmer before and after independence? Artist Bela Gupta paints thought provoking imagery perfectly juxtaposed with old images of the 19th-20th century famines in India. While on one canvas miniatures of starving farmers sit atop gigantic Coca-Cola crates, on the other she has recreated the Last Supper with the products of various multi-national companies with grim-looking farmers in the background.

Gupta effectively demonstrates how consumerism is affecting the cottage industries of India in her exhibition, titled, Konquest and Kerfuffle-I which is dedicated to the British colonial conquest, their exploitation of the colonies. The consequences of which have never been fully addressed.

For Gupta, raising the issue of Indian farmers is a way to emphasise the other side of consumerism. Talking about her choice of an odd subject – The Indian Farmer, Gupta said, “The Indian farmer is just a driver to emphasise a point of view, on consumerism, growing disparity, complete erosion of social values, disdain and disrespect for the unfortunate poor.” She said that like any other artist she is dealing with issues of colour, design, space and conceptual sharpness. The core of her work lies in disparity and the absurdities that surround us all.

The artist’s work has shades of satire and sarcasm. Pop imagery is juxtaposed with old photographs depicting 19th and early 20th century famine which are blended in surreal settings. It sends across a message that time has no meaning for the helpless. The satirical avatar of a farmer depicting the nakedness of present-day reality which is not a pretty picture to look at.

Art is not meant to be beautiful. Gupta’s art raises thought-provoking questions on the plight of the common man. It somehow paves the way for the flow of repressed emotions – hypocrisy, alienation, despair and mortality. It’s in a stark contrast from the powerful wealthy folks who oppress the powerless. It beautifully unveils the dark, ugly side of the modern society.

The work captivates the anger and helplessness over the societal divide. It also brings to forefront the hypocrisy. We remain mute spectators by not raising our voices for the voiceless oppressed. The Indian farmer, prime subject of Gupta’s artwork symbolises tragedy, entrapped in a parallel absurd realm that is shallow, exploitative and lacks conscience.

The condition of the Indian farmer has remained the same for the last 200 years. In British India, he was dying due to a spate of famine, neglect, and indifferent colonial policies. In today's time also, the helpless farmer is sadly choosing death as a way out of misery. “It’s a chilling reminder for all of us about how things haven’t changed much for rural India. Expensive western brands are doing better business with each passing day, the contrast at the other end of this spectrum is too vast where a farmer in debt poisons his family and then kills himself,” she says.

Issue-based art is not getting its due in our country, feels the artist. It has not lead to much of material gain for the artist and it’s commercial acceptance is lesser than other popular themes of art. Thus, artists stay away from taking it up. However, Gupta is connected with social issues. She says, “Long back, I used to make lithographs and etching on various social maladies. However, there was a long period when partly due to illness and partly due to lack of any stirring inspiration, I took a sabbatical from art.”

So, what brought her back to art? “After more than 10 years, I started to pay attention to the news where stories on suicides ran back to back with stories of India becoming the fastest growing economy. This polarity gave me the impetus to produce art again and make art which has a strong social message,” added Gupta. She weaves satire with vulnerability in her paintings instinctively

Sometimes an artist faces problems in finding a decent platform to exhibit art. Gupta too faced such times and she revealed, “I took my art to various commercial galleries who do not seem to be interested in an issue-based art. Frustrated with the apathy, I decided to exhibit my work on my own. The recent show before this was in July at the Indian Habitat Center.”

She describes art as an instrument of providing deeper meaning that sometimes might baffle onlookers. The life of an artist is a continuous journey, the path long and never ending. She has had a bumpy ride, “Being a woman, it has been a rather tough one. Right from the time that I was a student to very recently, it has struck me time and again that if you do not display a certain obvious subservience and tow the line of so many people who ‘control art’ it is very tough for you to get noticed and be given your due; no matter how good your efforts are, no matter how truthful and studied your attempts are.” She seeks solace in the works of Giorgio de Chirico, Salvador Dali, René Margritte, Bansky. Also, the Pop artists of the 1950’s America like Roy Lichtenstein and Tom Wesselmann were big inspiration to her.

The point Gupta is trying to make through the art exhibition is, “I’m trying to highlight the denial that people live in. Denial that there is something wrong with our social fabric. Denial that there is a part of India where humanity is fragile beyond imagination.” Every artist wants to accomplish something through their art. Gupta emphasised, “There is no artist nowadays worth his or her salt that would pick up subjects like farmer suicides to be a part of their work. I’m not politically motivated but ideological in my thought process. I want my work to reach wider audiences and incite some reaction in a world where no one seems to care.”