Colour Coded
An interview with Rana Begum

Rajesh Punj

For the American sculptor Donald Judd simplicity served to celebrate the object in space. Deciding “it isn’t necessary for a work to have a lot of things to look at, to compare, to analyse one by one, to contemplate. The thing as a whole, its quality, is what is interesting. The main things are alone and are more intense, clear and powerful.” Rationalised in the 1950’s, Judd’s innovative codes of conduct have since come to serve a less likely devotee of a more minimal method. Bangladeshi born, London based artist Rana Begum espousessome of those same principles as a consequence of her move away from figuration towards a greater fascination for form, light and colour. As the trio of elementals that in and of themselves have become the carriers of her cannon of coloured objects.Choosing materials over subject matter, Rana sees everything as Judd foresaw it when he goes onto explain“you’re getting rid of the things that people used to think were essential to art.