Jenny Bhatt

Colour Therapy

The current body of work grows from experiences that led to exploring and addressing several issues concerning the urban Indian condition. In the post modern (or post post modern!) setting and a time of homogenous culture and overt media influence, the recent body of work is in the direction of finding simplicity within apparent complexity, cutting the clutter which exists in urban visual culture and thus, that which extends into our perception and seeps into our interaction, relationships and world view in general. It’s also an exploration, or perhaps assertion of the urban, Indian, feminine identity.

Of the five senses, the visual being the closest to the mind, exerts the maximum influence on it. This then translates into a perception, which manifests itself into physical reality – that of the body and thus physical health and well being, as well as that of the extended material reality.
Color as the fundamental basis of visual perception has it’s space within the realms of Psychology, Philosophy and Quantum Physics. The current body of work is concerned with Color as vibration and vibration as energy, which is the basis of matter. As per the Unified Field Theory, all matter exists as inter-related forms of crystalised energy. Color as vibration can therefore be used to influence and alter a physical reality or condition. Color thus acquires a healing property. Each of the seven Chakras, or vibrational energy centers within the body has a corresponding color. Thus, colour vibrations have been used to balance the Chakras and restore the individual’s overall state of well-being. A similar approach is used in several alternative or complimentary healing methods, including Yoga, Reiki, Homeopathy and Pranic Healing. The current series of images attempt to initiate a strong energy exchange between the viewer and the image. To make him retain the image in memory, and let the color and vibration work on his/ her mind and eventually the body. This is an ongoing process and is expected to change and continue to evolve over time. Areas researched before commencing on the current body of work were visual perception, color, cognition, memory, the mind-body connection and vibrational healing.
Having explored various areas of visual art, design and communication for a over a decade, the current body of work has evolved into images that represent a whole- brain or holistic approach to image making. A holistic view has been inherent to the Indian thought and intrinsic to several areas including science, religion, philosophy, medicine and administration. It is perhaps, India’s greatest contribution to world culture and a significant part of her identity. Each image is then, a sort of contemporary Yantra - a burst of life – love, lust, joy and positive, creative energy, with spunk and sobriety, spirit and sensuality, pop and profundity all rolled into one. It also attempts to resolve the apparent dichotomy between Art and Design, Tradition and Modernity, and Intuitive and Analytical ways of thinking by incorporating or employing both towards a single image or focus. Most of the images are high intensity, consisting of a single, saturated colour – a heightened visual sensation. Some are in large format – a comment on the workings of the media and the current state of art practice and cultural production in contemporary Indian culture and society. They function to move the viewer emotionally, stimulate him intellectually and uplift him spiritually.

- Jenny Bhatt