A Psychedelic Engagement with Blue(s)

One of the key foundation elements of the color theory and the vital “B” on the RGB model has always played a significant role in the world of creativity and art. Branching out into infinite shades, the color blue has never lost its significance, be it the usage in ancient Egyptian jewelry or the usage of the most expensive pigment, “ultramarine” in the early Italian Renaissance Art. Progressing towards form, energy and space and deploying geometric abstractions, even the legendary master, S H Raza incorporated shades of blue in his iconic “Bindu” series. The history of the color is inextricably tied to the history of global art . Any artist working with blue knows that it comes loaded with historical, social and cultural significance.

Thus, defining blue with an innovative contemporary take, the British couple, Idris Khan & Annie Morris launched an exquisite display of artworks. This show marks the inauguration of the new address for Galerie Isa, now relocated to Ballard Estate.

A simplistic premise for this exhibition has now transformed into a psychedelic engagement with colors. Transforming & transposing unique mediums according to the tone, hue, intensity and variety of pigment, the duo has created an enriching show exploring evocative colors.

Installation Shot © Galerie Isa & the Artists

Idris Khan gained prominence while debuting in the India Art Fair. He debuted with a series of blue drawings based on a ritual performed during the Islamic Hajj pilgrimage. Maintaining his signatory repeated rubber-stamping technique, Khan continues with his minimalist aesthetics. “There is a cacophony of sounds in these works,” says Khan.

“His palimpsests of musical scores flirt with and forge connections: ‘blue moon’, singing the blues’ or ‘feeling blue’ all come to mind, while Khan’s glass work and blue/black stamp paintings also pay homage to the symbolic and historic nature of the colour blue - with certain pigments such as lapis lazuli evoking association with royalty and splendour, the celestial heavens, the Virgin Mary, spirituality and even with the void.”

Khan showcases 6 wall mounted glass works, which complement Annie Morris’ set of 9 sculptural works. Placed in the center of the neo classically designed space, Morris’ stack of spheres echoes the rich intensity of Yvette Klein’s blue and the deep hue of Paul Sinoir’s Cubist villa in the midst of Marrakech’s Majorelle gardens (later lovingly restored to their former greatness by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé). Playing with the psychology of color, Morris’ sculptures add intensity & depth with hues of blue grabbing the viewer’s attention.

Annie Morris shares an emotional story that led her to this unique “stacks of joy”. Morris’ personal journey towards this body of work was born out of the pain of losing a baby. Stricken with grief, she took solace in her studio, making these round, egg like forms, first in drawings, until they took shape in the form of plaster and pigment. Her take on the phallic totem is a decidedly feminine one, and a celebratory one too – racing towards the sky in a joyful way but in a manner that doesn’t detract from the fragile nature of the uniquely placed combination of balls. Thus, Morris’ works have a joyful, playful fecundity that perfectly balance Khan’s practice.

Back in London, Khan and Morris share a space which is divided into two separate studios but joined by a common area. This exhibition is a treat to the eye and a rare privilege to experience two distinct practices and how each one inspires and complements the other. Both artists are united by their investigations of color and by a deep understanding of how the feel, the haptic and the imagined can affect the mind. The artists place emphasis to the role of the invisible in the visible. It is the presence of the shadow, the reverberations of color, sound and memory that persist and can transform our understanding of art, as much as a direct physical encounter with a bold image that engages them. In a sense both artists not only work towards the sublime but also ensure that they maintain their unique perspectives. Where the duo crosses over is a both a point of entry for this exhibition and an embarkation towards a deeper engagement with color and our sensorial reading of art and human experience.

On display until 20th February, 2020

Image courtesy: Galerie Isa