The Indian Artist, Fine Year: The Power of Giving In

Good afternoon everybody! I hope that you are all doing well and have had a wonderful Monday thus far. I am taking a printmaking class this semester and I thought that I would share my most recent art piece. This class has challenged me more than I had anticipated. In many ways it has been a welcome way for me to channel my devotion to technical skill and intricate details. In more ways than one, however, it has pushed me to be okay with making mistakes, give in to the process of printing, and welcome whatever comes.

I tried monotype printing for the first time. I have experience in relief printing and linoleum carving, but learning the loose nature of monotype was daunting at first. Of course, I knew I wanted to stick true to my cultural repertoire and decided to draw feet in a classical Bharatanatyam pose. Monotype prints allow artists to use various materials, techniques, and layers to create interesting textural pieces. I found that though I attacked the project with a level of planning and vigor, there was always something that went wrong. Out of eight prints, I came out of it only really happy with one.

However, at the end, there was something incredibly freeing about the entire process. I was excited when I got the intended result, but when I didn’t I was willing to go with the mess ups. It is in projects like these that I learn the most about myself and the process. Who knew that through the simplest moments I would learn the greatest lessons. It is important to make work that we are not proud of! If we let go of the yearning for perfectionism, we get the chance to experiment, to explore in ways that we have never allowed ourselves to before. There is no such thing as perfectionism. Through taking a leap of faith, we may find a diamond in the rough.

Until next week,

Riya

Instagram: @riya_agg.art

Portfolio: https://theindianartist.weebly.com/