Interview
with Bianca Ballantyne Upcoming Indian Artist
By MDT
It
was a lazy afternoon, when I had gone to visit the Artist. The house of the
artist had a most welcoming atmosphere, as I walked down the pavement toward
the entrance of the house I admired the way the sunlight shun through the
canopy and how it imbrued leaf shadows upon the walls and pavement. The
bougainvillea flowers; vibrant against the white walls of the villa, gave such
a picturesque notion, and I understood that an artist would be nurtured in such
surroundings. They say “your environment affects who you are”, and this artist
has always been surrounded by musicians, art, good food, and a loving family
with such warmth and compassion.
And thus, a unique artist is born. This talented artist with esteemed
intelligence, determination, perseverance and an uncanny love for what she
does, may be introduced to you as Bianca.
Bianca is a Goan who has
been brought up with a strong appreciation and taste in good music and art. She
has had numerous exhibitions in Goa and has taken part in a travelling
exhibition to New York. Bianca has taught art in the European School Of Goa and
has given guest lectures in one Goa’s most prestigious colleges. But now Bianca
just wants to concentrate on her painting. And so the story continues.
As
I entered the villa, her family welcomed me, few moments later Bianca offered me
a cup of tea, and took me to her studio. Once I entered Bianca’s creative
workspace I took a look around and admired her art displayed upon the purple
walls.
I then sat opposite Bianca,
sipped my tea and pressed record >>>
Q: Where does your subject in art
come from? And how do you work?
A: I would say from life, from experience, from anything. You
shouldn’t limit yourself
stating that your subject comes from one area.
Q: So you paint from your
experiences?
A: Yea sure. Like I said before you shouldn’t limit
yourself.
Q: What is the contrast between the
intent of your work and the perception of your work?
A: Well I could only speak really for the intent of my work. I
don’t think as an artist you should be very concerned with the perception of
your work.
Q: How does having to make a living outside of art, disrupt the
flow of your work?
A: It’s hard to work
(when I say work I mean painting) when I have a job, but other than that
it’s a rich source in which you can draw from later, the experiences, what you
went through and what thing were like during that period. It will give you food
for paint; it would give you subject rather.
Q: Explain the relationship between you and your work?
A: As an artists I try not to draw distinction between my work
and myself. The less distinction there is between you and your work the better
it is.
Q: How do you see? What inspires you to paint?
(Bianca pauses, takes a breath and
continues to talk)
A: See, I’ll tell you something; I
once read a quote ‘Talent is like a faucet, when its on you have to work. Inspiration is a
hoax fabricated by the poets for their self- importance’.
Q: How do you decide the medium and
colour?
A: Well that’s a good question actually. I went over the
subject while I was still in college. With me, I think when the idea is
conceived, its already there, I can see it in a particular medium. I think at
the time of the idea it’s already decided. Its funny because can never say for
sure where it comes from exactly, you just kind of know it sometimes works and
sometimes it doesn’t, but the uncanny thing is that if you go with the very
first impression it usually clicks.
Q: How important is it to
remain true to yourself and your individual vision as an artist?
A: Not only as an artist, but as a person. Why only artists?
Everyone ought to try and remain true to him or herself, whatever they may be
doing. It shouldn’t be restricted to artists or it mustn’t be a privilege for
the so-called creative people. Everyone ought to try to be true to him or
herself. It is important for everyone.
Q: How does the word passion relate
to an artist?
A: (laughs) You cannot separate passion
from the artist. It’s like the yin and the yang.
Can you be an artist if you aren’t
passionate?
Q: According to you, is Goa a
sufficient platform for young artists?
A: Yes
I think.
Q:
Why?
A: Well because of the level of exposure.
Goa has a more international exposure, but if you work hard enough you can make
it happen wherever you are.
Q: What is lacking in the Goa
Art scene and what can be done to promote Art?
A: I think first and foremost there should be more support for
artists who are just coming out of the Art college; support in the sense their
should be more scholarships available for further studies and even they want to
start working there should be some kind of support system from the Government
in the form of more exhibitions, exposure, learning, a lot can be done. The
government has the capacity to do all these things, they have the funds, they
have the structure, they have the planning and capability…I don’t know. Just
the wrong people (laughs)
Q: How
would you describe your style?
A: I wouldn’t really like to describe my
style (laughs) first and foremost why style?
Q: Looking at your most recent work
I’d like to know why did you choose to paint this self-portrait?
A: Because in
the picture, I like how I look, It has a sense of bravado, actually I’m not a
person like that, and so it was interesting to paint myself like that. It makes
a nice contrast. I think it’s a very false sense of bravado but it amuses me no
end, so yea…
Q:
And what will you title this?
A: Ah, I dislike thinking
of titles, no I wouldn’t title it anything, yea I don’t like, and I end up with
these stupid titles.
Q:
What do you feel when you go to an exhibition of your work?
A: well you
know id really like to say something grand and philosophical, but that would be
so boring (laughs) yea well I’d like to say I get nervous. It’s a new
experience for me so…if you would ask me this same question sometime from now
obviously my answer would be different, but right now I feel nervous. At the
same time it reminds me of an old Italian artist I had met some years ago; he
told me ‘ oh your going to study art (I had not joined college yet), remember
one thing I’ll tell you, every artist wants his work to be liked, irrespective
of what they say; this I’m telling you now before you even go, and remember
although it will be hard for you, it will become very hard but remember every
artist beneath everything wants his work to be liked. So anyways I get very
nervous.
Q: Which was your very first exhibition?
A: State art exhibition, while I was still
in college, I gave a pencil drawing.
Q:
What was it like studying at the Goa College Of Art?
A: (laughs) No. No
I learned a lot, about art I don’t think much, but I learned a lot.
Q:
What are your future aspirations?
A: I just want to take it as it comes. I just want to paint
seriously 100%. The rest will sort itself out. Now what the problem is that I’m
trying to sort the rest out but its not working, so I’ll just paint and the
rest will sort itself out.
Q: What is your deepest inspiration/
your mentor?
A: I
don’t know. I think as an artist you learn or borrow different things, or as
Picasso said ‘ you steal different things from different artists’. Right now I
cannot name just one person, but I’m really influenced by Lucien Freud; not in
a way in which I will try and copy his style but more the understanding and
intensity with which he paints people, which I like and feel when looking at
his work. So like that, its different things. Although when I was younger I was
very influenced by Dali. But I think that was an old influence by my parents
because I was always surrounded by art and music, but both of them (my parents)
have a grand affinity to Salvador Dali and then also with my uncle Lou’s art.
So I think these were the influences from childhood and it all came out when I
started painting. So I got passed that and now like I said before, different
things from different people.
Q: For an untrained artist, is Art theory
relative? Does it helping painting?
A: Anything
you go through will help you. You should see everything as having the potential
to help you and it will help you, if you want, then you will learn from it in
the way you want, and that’s the cool part.
Q:
why do you paint?
(Bianca looks around, smiles and proceeds
to say)
A: Why do you
wake up in the morning, why does a musician play? What was your question?
Q:
(laughs) Why do you paint?
A: Why Not.
Upon this very
note I decide it was a wonderful ending statement, I thanked Bianca for her
time and the lovely conversation and cut the tape. It was evident that the
first moments of the interview we both felt comfortable yet we both didn’t know
what to expect. (And having a recorder in your face doesn’t help), however as
we progressed we began to be more colloquial and thus, an interview with an
artist felt more like a conversation with an old friend. Sitting in the
artist’s room filled with art, vibrant colours, paints, brushes, paper,
sketchbooks and stacks and stacks of a rather interesting collection of books,
I realised that I was in the creative space of a fantastic artist in the
making. And that alone, I say, is a great privilege. Bianca Ballantyne is
probably one of the most intelligent, compassionate and talented people one
could ever meet. Bianca is Goa’s most vibrant artist. Her works have an
underling edge that propels a voice of a contemporary generation misconstrued in this fast paced consumerist world. Bianca will have success in her art
because she has the will and passion. Bianca paints with her heart and mind,
and when she paints she leaves the world behind.
