Drisana Bhatia

In his esteemed essay The Creative Process, James Baldwin says “the primary distinction of the artist is that he must actively cultivate that state which most men, necessarily, must avoid; the state of being alone.” I use this quote as a framework for my body of work; in this exhibition, I intend to portray the psychological effects of isolation. 

Sometimes intentionally and othertimes accidentally, my works are heavily influenced by my own experiences in isolation and, more broadly, in a quarantined world. This is not to say that my works are solely about the pandemic. Rather, in evaluating my portfolio, I found that my chosen works have strength in their specificity. I intentionally depicted moments in time that are, most likely, not everyday experiences, but do aim to portray and elicit abstract emotions which may remind the audience of their own experiences in isolation. 

Prior to creating any of my artworks, I aimed to compartmentalize isolation into four main categories that are ever-intertwined. Firstly, marginalization–a pressing and at times political  issue which I interpreted as an isolation that occurs at the hands of society. Those that are marginalized may then feel trauma, the second category. I was very drawn to the artistic potential of depicting isolated rage in all of its abandon and spontaneity. 

The third category, escapism, marks the transition into aspiration, into hope for a way out. I wanted to capture the urgency of wanting to escape isolation–even if only for a short time–perhaps for the sake of relief or even stark psychological hope. Escapism is only temporary, ultimately it settles into a sense of acceptance. This is the fourth category, and it was somewhat hard to verbalize. In hindsight, it is most accurately described as “affinity” or “community.” It is, in some ways, a form of self-realization that can only occur after profound introspection. This introspection might occur unwillingly during a literal and imposed moment of isolation, but could also occur during a more voluntary period of contemplation.

The audience may notice that my artworks are by no means evenly distributed amongst these four categories. In fact, escapism claims the most number of pieces. I cannot confidently put words to the reason why this is, but I suspect it stems from the simplicity and finality associated with the idea of abandoning a dire circumstance for one that is more welcoming and fulfilling. Some of my escapist pieces concern resorting to nature for comfort; this idea was certainly inspired by some of my own experiences during quarantine.

Finally, the audience may also notice that the arrangement of my pieces are reminiscent of a crescendo. In size, my artworks grow just as fervent isolation morphs from a frenzy to sense of control and calm. I view these pieces as being inherently defined by change and transformation, and they should be interpreted as such. To this end, I implore the audience to  consider the role of the arrow of time in this exhibition. There are, undoubtedly, both direct and nuanced parallels between our recent history and the story that is told by my exhibition. The recognition of these parallels brings new and relevant meaning to this entire body of work.