Etched in the heart of Colaba

Barring the ivory white walls of the first floor space of art gallery Chatterjee amp Lal CampL in Colaba there is nothing quite gallerylike about it on a Wednesday afternoon For for the first 10 days of August CampL has transformed into a makeshift press one that gallery founders Mortimer Chatterjee and Tara Lal have christened The Arthur Bunder Press A handmade etching press rollers chemicals and papersoaking trays make up the inking and printing section while the front half of the gallery is bustling with artists immersed in filing acrylic sheets etching them or attaching metal plates to themMortimer ChatterjeeWith mise en scegravene that blends the aesthetics of an erstwhile press an artists studio and a gallery CampL is hosting a workshop facilitated by Prati an atelier based in Bengaluru for artists to practise and experiment with printmaking Only a few among the 11 participating artists from Mumbai Goa Pune Bengaluru and New Zealand have a background in printmaking mdash something Prati cofounder and master printmaker Jayasimha C is helping them with But with their diverse art practices whats on display on the temporary softboards in the gallery is an array of techniques where every artist has embraced printmaking with hisher own stampJayasimha Chandrashekar explains the workings of the etching press PicsAtul KambleMadhao Imartey works on an acrylic sheetVisitors to the gallery during the workshop mdash as part of the Art Night Thursday initiative and otherwise mdash will be able to watch artists at work Normally in a gallery space what you see is the final outcome not the actual studio practice So for us its interesting to turn that inside out and to have that studio practice on display for people to come and see Chatterjee explainsFurther explaining the genesis of the collaboration he tells us that the name Arthur Bunder Press comes from the Raja Ravi Varma Press a lithographic printing press the celebrated 19thcentury artist started in Ghatkopar in 1893 It was here that prints of Varmas iconic paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses were produced on a large scale Artists would be invited to come and collaborate with him In fact right through the 20th century there have been moments where artists have got together to create portfolios which can then be disseminated to make art more accessible he saysTwo portfolios carrying one artwork by the participating artists each in fact will be the final outcome of this workshop Jayasimha informs As an atelier we are interested in disseminating printmaking and the idea of selfpublishing The revival of printmaking in the context of the current times where hyper visuals images on the Internet have taken over is our key area of work he explainsAs we speak at the gallery amidst a whirlwind of artistic goingson Bengalurubased artist Amshu Chukki whose idea it was to have a collaboration between Prati and the gallery takes out a moment and shares We all work in our studios but when it comes to working together certain dynamics get established You share space ideate together mdash and a process like printmaking allows that You cant do anything by yourselfAmshu ChukkiIt only takes a peek into the front area where the artists are at work to understand what he means Rupali Patil a trained printmaker from Pune is filing an acrylic sheet for fellow artist Gagan Singh Her own art practice is rooted in ecology and the anthropocene She shows a photograph of a colonialera house with numbered bricks she spotted in Pune For her lithographs she misnumbered the bricks and deconstructed the house to present its components separately The project also breaks hierarchies bringing together senior and younger artistsGagan Singh Areez Katki and Minam Apang at workFor seated next to her is noted painter and art critic Madhao Imartey who is etching a pylon on an acrylic sheet I like printmaking a lot but somehow couldnt pursue it after college It requires patience and precision and you have to visualise how it will all come together in the end he saysMumbaibased Ratna Gupta known for her sculptural work is using the drypoint technique We tend to get stuck in our own media After this workshop I plan to rip the prints and stitch them back together she says referring to how the workshop has added a new dimension to her practice and summing up the true essence of 11 artists leaving the comfort of their studios to try something newTILL August 9 11 am to 7 pm Art Night Thursday walkthrough tonight 7 pm to 930 pm AT Kamal Mansion Arthur Bunder Road ColabaCALL 22023787Catch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates