GUEST POST: SHRUTI GUPTA

Shruti Gupta is a wonderful artist based in Singapore who was looking for a challenge. She asked a number of people to supply her with quotations, poems or lines that they liked so that she could base art works on them. It was a very exciting project and I was lucky enough to be involved.

I shall let Shruti take over the story...

 “He wears a suit stolen from a Chagall painting,

Carries a breathing bouquet, that exhales scent around him,

She appears in a dress, bias cut from an O’Keefe flower.

After meeting on Crocodile Street, they will fly,

Marry above the clouds, entwined, counting stars, until the dawn.

When I first read the poem, I instantly thought of love. The first three lines, descriptive as they are, painted the picture for me. I knew what would be and how. I could imagine it all perfectly - Chagall’s Suit, the color pallet I would use for the artwork would be inspired by Chagall’s works and O’Keefe’s Iris, unevenly cut into a dress, flowing and romantic.

Moving further with the lines in the poem, I decided to watch Schultz’s famous crocodile street once before deciding on how to go about the artwork. Having been a student of psychology, the animation, connected my line of thought to ‘Maslow’s triangle’ immediately. I was aware that the Paul was not making a reference to the triangle of hierarchy but reading the last two lines, how two souls in fancy costumes, having met in this mortal world become one, above the clouds, beyond the worldly pleasures that consume them, steered my mind towards the concept. The reference to ‘flying’ made me think of Rumi’s quote, “Somewhere beyond right and wrong, there is a garden. I will meet you there.” Yes, it’s not really what the poem is about but this is how my mind gradually created a picture.

It had to be that, the words, reverberated in my mind. This is how I would make this artwork my own, give it a little twist!

Hence, the background is triangular in shape. On it are the two people. A woman wearing the bias cut dress and the man, sans Chagall’s suit. Eve’s apple sitting at the bottom, depicting the basic needs. As the eyes gradually move upwards, one will notice, cars, buildings etc. depicting social needs, need for safety, etc.

Right at the top, sealed into a kiss, with no facial features, they are one, connected only by their beating hearts. It does not matter who you are and where you come from. The only thing that really matters is how you feel.

You can go to Shruti's website here. You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram.