yatra· my JOurney Born on March 12, 1934, in Bhavnagar, Gujarat.

Jyoti M Bhatt belongs to the first batch of students at the renowned Faculty of Fine To make a statement now about what was on my mind or what I wanted to Arts, established in 1958 as part of the M S University of Baroda express when my prints were made, way back during the sixties and seventies seems like connivance or a pretentious interpretation of my During his study in Post-Diploma in Painting, he got a chance to work under stalwarts like Prof. N.S.Bendre, K.G.Subramanyan and Sankho Chaudhuri. He assisted them in prints, based mainly on my after-thoughts. So I would try as much as I can , their mural assignments, which in turn introduced him to 'Mural Painting'. His desire to to refrain from doing that and also stop myself from giving any intricate discover more in mural painting took him to Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan in 1953 to technical details which are not really essential for the viewers to know. study Mural and Fresco painting. This new skill got him commissions to do murals for Instead, I would try to provide the factual information relevant to certain the Parliament House, and locally at Jyoti Ltd., Alembic Chemicals, IPCL " What, Where, When and Why" kind of questions that people interested and the Zoological Department of the M.S. University. in my work have often asked.

The other fortification of his skills took place at Academia di Belle Arti, Naples (Italy). I learnt the basics of wood-cut and lithography - two of the four common where he studied painting and etching with a scholarship from the government of Italy. print-making methods, during my initial training as a student of painting. Till He later studied printmaking at the Pratt Institute, New York, under the Fulbright and 1961 , I employed only these two methods, for the few prints that I made JDR-3rd scholarships. then. After completion of my study at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Baroda He has held twenty solo exhibitions of his Paintings Graphic Prints and Photographs in (from 1950 to '59) I taught painting in the same institution from 1959 to '92. and six abroad. An overview of his graphic prints was held in in 1998. And till 1969, I was fairly active as a painter.

Apart from these accomplishments his works are in permanent collections at Museum of Modem Art-New York, National Gallery of Modem Art and ­ New Delhi, Chandigarh Museum, Hyderabad State Museum, Baroda Museum, Smithsonian Institute- Washington, Print Collection of Ufizzi Gallery-Fiorence (Italy). Roopankar Museum, Bharat Bhawan-Bhopal, lndira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts-New Delhi, Centre for Photography and National Centre for the performing Arts-Mumbai. He also held the position of Commissioner for the Indian section at the 3rd Indian International Triennale of Art in 1974, Exhibition of Indian Graphic Arts, Havana (Cuba) in 1982, Bharat Bhawan International Print Biennale of Graphic Arts, Florence (Italy). He was on the panel of International Jury for the 3rd Bharat Bhawan Bienniale of Graphic Prints in 1995.

A list of his awards include President's Golden Plaque in 1957, National Award-1963, Gold Medal at the 3rd International Biennale of Graphic Arts-Fiorence, a prize at World Photo Contest-W. Germany in 1978, 'Children of India', Photo Show-New Delhi in 1978, Grand Prix at Asian Cultural Centre for UNESCO Photo Contest-1993, Senior Fellowship from Ministry of Culture, Government of India, Gaurav Puraskar in 1996, Gujarat State Kala Academy Award in 1998, Gujarat State Award-2000 and 'Kalashree' -200 I .

He retired as a professor of painting from the M. S. University. He presently lives and works in Baroda .

This exhibition of his graphic prints from the year 1958 to 2000, at the Bayer ABS Gallery, is his first major solo exhibition in the city of Baroda. A Blue Fly Mixed intaglio, 1972 During the late fifties I had an opportunity to see the multi-coloured intaglio prints made by Krishna Reddy who was living in and working at 'Atelier-17'. His prints made with the technique that he and his colleague Motiwala- another Indian artist at 'Atelier-17' had developed, fascinated me. These two were the only artists of Indian origin, whose contribution in the 'Art World', especially in the field of print-making was recognized internationally. Their method requires successive application of different coloured inks of varied viscosity, on the same plate before its printing. As I could not manage to learn it in India, I hoped to learn it at Naples, where I worked under the Italian government scholarship, ( 1961- 62). I made my first few monochrome etchings and Colla-graphic prints there- at 'Academia di Belle Arti'. I was surprised and also disappointed that no one at the Academia knew about the Viscosity method. Before returning to India, I got a chance to go to Paris and meet Krishna Reddy. But in spite of his willingness to help me, I could not manage to stay there and study this process as his disciple.

Then, two years later I got a Fulbright Scholarship to study at Pratt Institute, New York. it was there that I got the craved opportunity of learning Intaglio, and concentrated on it during the two years of my stay in the US. Most of my prints made there were formally and thematically similar to my earlier paintings. This was natural and perhaps inevitable too. (Way back, probably in 195 7 I '58, while reviewing the National Exhibition of Arts, Ram Kumar-one of our foremost painters and a well-known Hindi writer had already made a mention of the graphic quality in my paintings.) Gradually, my prints became more and more linear- influence of an etching needle perhaps and the prints in turn, seem to have affected the paintings that I made since then. Apart from this, I have also 'collaged' the pieces from my prints in some of my paintings. Metaphysical Landscape Mixed intaglio, 1964/68

Forgotte n Monument. Mixed intaglio, 1964/68 Devi Mixed intaglio, 1971

I had learnt the basics of auto-graphic (hand drawn) screen printing at Pratt, but wanted to learn the photographic process used for making a screen. A relative of mine at Mumbai had a small factory where he manufactured gift articles and screen­ printed the names and logos of his clients on those. So, in 1972, I worked there during the summer vacation to learn the photographic method he used for Screen-Printing or Serigraphy, the term preferred by the 'artist-printmakers'. Subsequently my colleagues and I worked with this newly learnt process at Baroda and eventually that too became a part of the curriculum of the Graphic Art Department.

By then, I had acquired some experience in handling a camera and got a few opportunities of photographing the rich visual art forms found at Red is the Colour of Desire. Mixed intaglio, 1972 some tribal and rural regions in Gujarat. While doing this I realized the urgency of proper and extensive visual documentation of such forms and the related cultural traditions before they lt was Krishna Reddy's viscosity method that India. But, due to my personal limitations and deteriorated; if not vanished and forgotten. had initially motivated me to learn print­ lack of initiative I could not do that and had to So, I shifted my focus on using a camera in the place making. But when I got the opportunity to resume my teaching duties in the department of an etching needle. And, spent most of the time I pursue it at the Pratt Institute and at Pratt of painting, at M. S. University. However, I could avail from my teaching duties at the M. S. U. Graphic Arts Center, I did not even try my was always happy to participate whole­ in traveling to various regions in India and hand at that technique. Instead, I tried to heartedly, with my artist friends, namely, concentrated on photographing the traditional art develop and pursue the method of multi­ Jag Mohan Chopra, and Anupam Sud forms. colour printing that was more suitable to my (New Delhi), Vivan Sundaram, V S. Patel, own temperament and relevant to the limited Rini & P. D. Dhumal (Baroda) and Unlike my teachers and several of my artist friends, equipment, materials and resources that were J. Swaminathan (Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal), I have never been a prolific worker. I always available to us in India back then. (The whenever they came up with projects for worked very slowly and leisurely; rather Viscosity method requires a few large, heavy promoting awareness and activities related to lethargically. Apart from this, I also found it difficult and expensive rollers, gallons of chemicals and printmaking in India. to focus on a number of mediums simultaneously. also a vast working space. Preserving rubber So, after the shift in my focus, I could make very rollers in our very hot, dusty and humid During late 1966, a few artists, including few prints and, hardly any paintings. climate is equally difficult). Jeram Patel, , Vinod Ray Patel, P. D . Dhumal and myself, started working on Apart from learning various methods and Intaglio at the Faculty of Fine Arts during kinds of print-making, I was also impressed evening hours. We resurrected an old, with Pratt Graphic Art Center's earnest and imported etching press that has been lying Flies successful efforts for popularizing it. I started unused. Eventually, the Intaglio processes Mixed intaglio, 1971 dreaming of doing something similar and also were introduced to the teaching programme of teaching printmaking after returning to in the Graphic Department. lt seems that an unfulfilled desire for making prints and paintings might have been the main cause for my prints, paintings and photographs to appear similar or mutually influenced. My graphic prints are often 'spotted' like photographs, hand-coloured and resemble paintings. Vague influence of my prints can also be noticed-on a number of my photographic images. Few of my photographs are 'collaged', manipulated chemically, supplemented with drawings, and also hand-coloured. Even the motifs I did some time to decorate the ceramic forms made by Jyotsna Bhatt- my 'better half, were usually inspired from the visual motifs Two Faces. Mixed intaglio, 1970 found in folk and tribal traditions and looked similar to an image made on an etching plate.

The following are some of the aspects of printmaking that have fascinated me immensely.

Possibility of getting multiple copies of the same image is an essential characteristic of printmaking. Usually, a limited number of fairly identical copies or prints of a work are made. The set of such prints is called an Edition. Artist's Proof (abbreviated asAP) is the term generally used for identifying various trial prints and the few extra ones that are not included in the final editions. Usually the number of prints in my editions is small; between fifteen and twenty-five. However, on some special A Face, Mixed intaglio, 1972 occasions, I have made larger edit ions also (an edition of 1200 and I 00 prints for two different V) :: projects). lt is really satisfying that the ·-Ul multiplicity of a printed image has made it possible for my work to reach a fairly large number of people, even in India.

While painting or making a print, my hands are unable to keep the pace at which my mind functions. So, the possibilities of improvising the image continually till its last printing stage, is another aspect of printmaking that has delighted me. lt has provided me the opportunity of trying out several permutations before finalizing the image suitable for printing the edition, and having the joy of satisfying my inquisitiveness without damaging the image incised on a plate or made on another kind of matrix. A Face, Screen print, 1972 A Prayer, Mixed intaglio, 1972 Self Portrait in New York, Mixed /natglio, /964

I find printing from an Intaglio plate (in which, unlike a rubberstamp, the image is etched or engraved not on but inside its surface) for the final editions a bit too mechanical and tedious. So, after making initial proofs, several of my plates have been put aside without printing final editions, for the tomorrow, which is still to arrive. So, the numbers of Artist's Proofs I have made from my plates are often larger than the number of prints in their editions. Conversely, I have worked repeatedly on some plates with long in-between intervals and have also printed several variations from them. Not being able to select l the image suitable for the final edition from such variations of artist's proofs, I have at times made 1 'coalition editions' from such proofs.

According to the general norms of the art market followed by many of the galleries and art dealers, such a practice of mine, can surely be interpreted as unethical. I do agree that all the prints in editions A Lamp, Woodcut, 1958 should be quite identical, especially when the sale is During my childhood at Bhavnagar, I had the operated through their reproductions in catalogues opportunity of seeing the typical embroideries and or on websites. But when one can view the original bead-works of Saurashtra and later, during my art­ prints or their variations before selecting, it should school days at Baroda, of seeing paintings, not really matter if the 'copies' are identical or not. I drawings and clay reliefs made on the walls of am unable to support any norms or rules that temples and village houses from various regions of circumscribe an artist's freedom to innovate and Gujarat. Jagubhai Shah, my first art teacher at express intuitively. Such norms and rules seem to be Bhavnagar, had worked with during invented and implemented by those who are the A.I.C.C. when it was held at Haripura, in interested more in the art-market than in the aspects Gujarat. Jagubhai had shown me his copies of the related to art and creativity. But, even if I am mistaken decorative motifs that Nanda Babu had done about this, now it is too late for me to rectify what I there. My teachers at Baroda - Prof. N . S. Bend re, have already done and have enjoyed doing. K. G. Subramanyan, and Sankho Chaudhuri made t me aware of the graphic characteristics and J potentials of the two dimensional folk motifs. lt might be due to this that I did not get interested much in creating an illusion of three-dimensional space in my works. Eventually, this became a conscious decision. My interest in photography might have also fortified it. Because, when an image is made with a camera the spatial illusion can be achieved easily and perhaps more successfully. Several of the plates from which I have made prints, do not have the usual quadrangle shape that provides the frame of reference to one for having a spatial illusion. lt makes me happy when my print resembles an icon such as a Chola Bronze, pendant or Yantra and can be viewed and enjoyed as an independent image without any three­ dimensional, spatial context. La Signorina 'M'. Woodcut. 1961 Pseudo Tantric Self Portrait Etching, 1969

The parallel attributes between the visual motifs depicted in the traditional folk art forms and the verbal motifs used in folklore and folk songs have always intrigued me. The fusion of the various forms; verbal, visual and musical - is expressed remarkably well in our Bhawai and similar folk and street performances. Though stylized or symbolized, such visual or performed expressions are never frighteningly cerebral. But at the same time the motifs and forms used in them are well articulated and apt in expressing and communicating complex feelings and abstract concepts, even to illiterates. They are, quite effectual in narrating popular legends as well as the current or local events. Usually such forms also employ the My growing interest in the Self Portrait, Hand coloured intaglio, 1986 element of humor, which adds to their charm. visual and graphic aspects of traditional folk-art forms The term used for a painter by the tribal At times, one finds names or words made me aware of similar inhabitants of Chhota-Udepur region in written as a verbal help next to some forms found in our Gujarat is 'Lakharo' (meaning a scribe). A 'folk art' forms, to describe the events mundane, urban Lakharo 'writes' Pithoro painting on the wall of or to identify the characters depicted surroundings as well. I have a tribal house. Like certain traditional scroll and visually in that. Calligraphic or not, such found the portraits of film wall paintings, Pithoro also is not viewed but words are usually scribbled , stars painted on mud-guards 'read' and comprehended. I have been trying to embroidered or carved sensitively and of auto rickshaws, the sign­ acquire a parallel quality in my work and am sustain formal and harmonious boards on small, wayside hoping that viewers would not only see but relationship with the visual motifs. This shops, labels of match­ 'read' it too. seems to be a good practical device boxes, fire crackers , bidis, that makes the presence of artists and 'charts' printed at obsolete for the explanation of their Sivakasi quite thrilling and creations and intentions. Of course, inspiring; along with the this is not unique to folk-art forms only. down-to-earth sentimental This has been used since ancient days, couplets from Shayaris and in India and other countries as well. poems, written beautifully Pictograms or script-forms are on the back of trucks and integrated parts of Egyptian wall rickshaws. I have often paintings, Harappan clay reliefs and incorporated, or rather Chinese and Japanese scroll paintings. quoted such lines in my Artists, such as William Blake, Ben works, including those Shahn, and Sister Mary Corita have which are perhaps the most used script-forms in their prints. I am popular : " Boori Nazar particularly thrilled by the way Duane Wale, Tera Muh Kala. " and " Michael has scrawled statements on his Diwali mai hai Ali aur photographs as a poetic verbal support Ramazan mai hai Ram " . and the manner in which Rene Magritte has played with the literal meanings of the written words juxtaposed with his painted motifs. 'Only for you', Screen print, 1968 All these have made an indelible impression on me. At times, some of these have just The invention of movable type surfaced in my work -like a burp! But I also like to share my experiences and feelings with by Gutenberg during the I 5th the viewers of my work. So, at times, I have deliberately combined the traditional as well Century was like the invention as urban folk-art motifs in my work. While using such motifs I am also compelled to of the wheel as far as printing is rethink about their formal attributes. I have often borrowed traditional motifs from their concerned. Type foundries original visual expressions such as Rangavalli, ritualistic and secular wall drawings, tattoos every where were making type etc. While doing that, I have tried to 'translate' them into the visual vocabulary necessary faces. But the picture images for for my print-making mediums. But when my intention was to "quote" a motif or work of printing presses were hand­ another artist, then I have used a photographic method to make it a kind of a facsimile. engraved on wood blocks for quite some time even after a I did this the first time in 1976 when I used the three drawings that M. F. Hussain had made photographic process replaced immediately after Mrs. lndira Gandhi declared 'emergency'. In these he had depicted Mrs. that. Depending on the size of Gandhi, as Sita and Durga. "I for lndira" "lndira is India", were some of the slogans that the wood block, Indian type politicians such as Shri Barua were then reciting. I photocopied Hussain's drawings, and foundries sold it for a few annas also some drawings by George Grosz, Picasso's 'Guernica' and photo montages by John to a rupee or two. Heartfield. These three European artists had created these works to express their protest against Hitler and German militarism. I transferred these images on zinc plates photographically and etched them. And then, by permutation of these images, I made a few prints. I wanted to use all these plates to make one large print. But since I did not have the right kind of press or the paper, I made separate prints from all the plates and coli aged them in one of my paintings.

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'H' for Hum Hindustani. Mixed photo etching, 1977 Man & Machine, Screen print, 1975 Unfinished Dream. Screen print, 1968

During 1980, I made a screen print from one Popular verbal expressions also fascinate me. lt may be such small wood engraving which was a ironical that my special ability to misunderstand English reproduction of Raja Verma's painting has contributed considerably to my work. The 'Face' entitled 'Usha's Dream.' This was made for a motif is a glaring example of this. During the early portfolio that the Graphic Arts Department sixties, I was in the USA where I constantly felt that I (M. S. U.) wanted to bring out. However the was nothing but a face - a diametrically opposite project was abandoned. So, 'An Unfinished experience to the one I had in India.. . lt was there that Prakruti Dream' is the title I gave to this print. I was I first heard the expression "a face in the crowd". I Hand coloured intaglio 1967/98 getting compliments for this print in which the liked it very much, thinking that it reflected my lt has amused and also amazed me that certain words image was originally engraved by an anonymous feelings! 'Self Portrait in N.Y.', one of my earlier prints are permutations of the same set of letters, such as artist. So, during 1996, for Gallery Espace's was made at that time. Since then I have been using Dog and God, Sita and Sati. Some words often suggest project of 'Mini Prints' I made four screen prints the face motif in my work, partially as a suitable totally different meanings when the syntax, context or based on the wood engraved images that element for an autobiographical statement. But, also sequence of their letters is altered. Likewise, by inter­ depicted a type writer, a stove, a pair of to express various aspects related to human beings of changing the visual components that were parts of dentures and binoculars. This was made as my all kinds, races, religions and genders; as a face of images in my prints, I have tried to make new images 'Homage to an Unknown Wood Engraver'. By mankind. Perhaps it is wishful thinking, but for me it with diverse meanings and visual forms. then, several Indian artists were making paintings has served as a symbol for depicting the contemporary and prints depicting banal household objects human conditions without becoming conspicuously The formal device used for 'Matani Pachhedi' such as a pair of scissors, pincers, mortar and narrative or illustrative. lt has functioned as a vital (a traditional textile form from Gujarat) printed with pestle. Barely anyone knew of the existence of creative fuel for me for almost forty years. Having wood blocks and partially hand drawn, stimulated me similar images engraved beautifully on wood by used the face motif for such a long period, I have to explore such formal and semantic realms. totally unsung, unknown, Indian artist-craftsmen, learnt to be just a face. Being that does not really long before many of us were born! bother me any more. I have also heard of the term semiotics. In spite of my understand any such meanings could still get their efforts, perhaps half-hearted ones I could not learn thrill from the actor's antics, gestures and his verbal more about it. But with my own home-spun delivery made in a shrill and lyrical crescendo. interpretation based on some vague impression of its meaning, I have tried probing that area to try and lt is highly improbable not to encounter minor include semiotics one of the elements in my work. technical accidents or a major disaster during the printmaking processes. Somehow, this has become a I have repeatedly heard names of persons such as regular feature of my work. But due to my thrifty Marx, Derrida, Kafka, Sartre, Joyce. In addition to this, nature, I hate wasting anything and can't really afford I often hear from artists the terms, fascism, feminism to ignore the time, effort and money spent in making and post-modernism, holocaust and cyberspace; t he plates. But, apart from that, such a situation grass-root, Hindutva and Tantra. But unlike them I am provides an element of surprise and also the not a very well read and informed person. Besides, I opportunity to pursue the technically challenging and am not well versed in art history and hardly know untried path or at least the path diverting from the anything about the recent developments or the latest known or preconceived one. These are t he main vogues in the field of art. Actually, I am much too impetuses that make it imperative for me not to Icon Under Sun, Mixed intaglio, 1972 ignorant to understand the relation of arts to politics, discard my damaged plates. Several of my plates that sociology, history and philosophy. In spite of this, I w ere quadrangles at initial stage have ended up as have used names, terms and even long-winded verbal irregular shaped small pieces. Not really for quotations in my works, but only as verbal images economizing, but also for finding new meanings, I existing and found in my own time and space. I have have often reused the parts or whole of my plates enjoyed doing this just as a game of name dropping. from which, prints were already made.

There is a Zen story in which ordinary statements An image etched on a shiny metal plate and filled with Kalpvruksha, Mixed intaglio. 1972 uttered by a village fool are interpreted by a scholar as ink appears entirely different and occasionally better the ones that reflect the profound teachings of than its imprint made on a sheet of paper. For a while Buddha. I would not be surprised if one finds some this observation had motivated me to shift from using parallel between this story and the interpretation of normal inks and white printing papers to the metallic my work made by myself and by art connoisseurs. ones. I was familiar with the indigenous method employed for making the icons embossed on thin While including any script-forms, I try to make them a copper sheets that pilgrims could buy at some visually integral part of my print or painting. Those A Bird. Mixed intaglio. 1972 temples in India and for making certain traditional who can decipher that can also relate it with some ornaments. So, during 1966, I made embossed meaning according to their own backgrounds. But impressions from my deep etched plates on pieces of those who can't read such script-forms may also thin copper sheets. When viewed from the back, t he appreciate them as visual forms and textures. I am embossed image does not appear like a mirror image charmed by the parallel device employed in Bhawai or have the surface quality that is reverse of the the traditional, popular street theatre of Gujarat. lt is original plate. Such an imprint looks like an accurate performed in the presence of a large number of replica of the etched plate. I made a few such prints people of different ages, tastes and cultural as well as on metal foils on a standard etching press. But due to social backgrounds. During the performance, an actor various technical reasons did not pursue it further. often utters a statement that can be understood with meanings varying from the simple to the profound. I have enjoyed making my prints according to my Usually the profound or philosophical connotations responses that have kept on changing spontaneously, would be enjoyed by the elderly people. But the but without taking my self or my work too seriously. ribald among the audience would be titillated by associating some bawdy meaning with it. Such a statement would also appear quite funny or absurd, if interpreted literally. And, the children, too young to Monument Under Sun, Mixed intaglio, /965 The Tree (Vruksh}. Mixed intaglio, 1978