Q&A with Natasha Das

Q & A with Natasha Das
Ongoing interview series with Ellipsis artists

How have you been coping with this new reality?
I think in general artists follow no structure or routine. We are isolated human beings by nature and tend to live in our own parallel universes. This new reality seems to simultaneously encourage and discourage this type of behavior. At times you can feel overwhelmed by all the familiar faces that surround you and long for alone time. At other times, even when you’re around loved ones, a sense of dread and loneliness drapes over you. Isolation hasn’t drastically changed my material reality in the same ways as some many others have been affected, but we all see the changes that it has brought about. Occasionally I question what exactly it is that I miss about pre-Covid times. I’m not a restaurant person and I don’t exactly have an office job to miss. I do have my studio on the west side of Manhattan though. It is a space I would disappear to after dropping my two little girls to school. For now, my reality is living in my New York apartment, confined with my family, without any physical or mental space to separate from everything. In the beginning, I was overwhelmed having to manage my home, homeschooling, and keeping it all together. Slowly I have come to realize the physical space itself doesn’t really matter. I have learned to adapt to this new space that I have molded. Our apartment has become a joint work space for my children, husband, and I to co-habitate. It’s simultaneously a preschool, office, and art studio. We’ve learned how to catch moments. In those moments art happens.

What are some of the most persistent feelings you have experienced personally during this time?

Well, I’m happy to say that hope has emerged as my most persistent feeling as of late. Acceptance is key and we must adapt to our new circumstances, but we must not lose hope. Again, this is obviously much easier for some than others. While we should not compare our own new realities to other’s, we must also acknowledge that many are going through extraordinarily difficult situations right now, involving joblessness, homelessness, lack of access to adequate resources, and widespread death related to the pandemic. Hope may feel impossible, but I have slowly realized it is now more necessary than ever. I seem to be working more than before as well, though I am not sure if this is related directly to my feelings of hope. I used to separate my studio life from my other responsibilities, but now I work whenever I get time. This could be in between my children’s bath routine, park time, or even in the middle of the night. My creative world is intertwined with who I am and I think that shows more in my work now. This has surprised me and I am enjoying this zone. I hope I am able to continue this energy throughout the remainder of quarantine, however long that may be.

How do you see the art world changing in the future

The world has switched off for a reason. I generally tend towards optimism and even in a situation like quarantine, I feel it is important to maintain some optimism. The art world needed to slow down. The way I see it, now we are all in our little bubbles doing actual work. This time will bring out the real essence of who we are. No one is working in massive studios manufacturing huge works alongside teams of assistants. I think the world will appreciate quality, handmade, REAL stuff. It’ll be stuff that matters. A new vocabulary will be created through genuine works that originate from the core with no interference or pretense.

Who are some of the biggest influences in your own work ?
It depends where in my journey we’re talking about. I went through rigorous academic training with traditional oil painting in Italy. It was a personal and intellectual choice on my end to understand the nature and beauty of oil as a medium. My professors inspired me to look at nature and learn from it. “To look at the eternal through the specific“ - as they would always opine. I then came to New York and was exposed to a different reality, something that was not as romantic and refined as I thought Italy had been. The Art Students League of New York was where I came across many post-war contemporary artists for the first time. Sharing stories and working alongside them made me consider life in a much different way. I also then began to return to India every summer. This is where my thread story begins. When I was expecting, I could not paint with oil as most oils I use are toxic. Thread started as a curiosity and necessity. The idea of layering and working with impasto through oil moves me. I began to see thread having the same effect on a surface. This curiosity took me on another journey. The primary influence was not so much one singular figure. It was more about a community. During my summers in India, I learned thread techniques from communities of local artisans, men and women all skilled in a craft that has been passed on through generations. Initially, I would just sit and observe. The communities tended to be insular, so gaining their trust was a perpetual effort. In a way, I felt comfort. This was not an intellectual choice I had picked up by attending a lecture or reading an art history textbook. It came from an emotional space and I finally felt connected. Most summers I go back to the villages to sit with the artisans and share our common journey of creation. They inspire me.

Who is your favorite artist?
That’s a tough one! My all time favorite will always be Rembrandt. He chases light in a way that has always been a mystery to me. The way he layers oil, it’s ethereal. Italian 19th century master Antonio Mancini also. The way he paints and creates these thick layers is unreal. It is the lost and found quality in these paintings that fascinates me.

What is your favorite city to visit?
This will always be Florence. One day I’ll move back there. Maybe when I am old :)

Which is your favorite museum?
I love the Met for the variety. Musee d’Orsay is another favorite. It’s the perfect size and the collection almost feels curated to my own personal interests, as I love 19th century paintings.

When you are not creating art, what are you reading or watching to keep your mind occupied?

Honestly, as absurd as it may sound, I have no time these days. I love reading autobiographies. I haven’t actually done that in a while. My last was Becoming and The Choice. I listen to a lot of podcasts with my daughters when we work. Usually these are artist interviews, women artists talks, or modern art notes. With my husband, we always end up watching documentaries that mostly put me to sleep, but usually that’s the point in me watching them!

ANGELICA SEMMELBAUER
FOUNDER, ELLIPSIS ART

Angelica is a Private Art Advisor working with a variety of artists and consulting private clients. She is a member of the NYU Alumni Council and ArtTable, the leadership organization for professional women in the visual arts.

angelica@ellipsis-art.com
www.ellipsis-art.com