The Modern Miniature :
A Global Collaboration?

Sandhya Bordewekar

In late 2009, she returned to India to work on a complex
collaborative project with Ajay Sharma. In such a situation, it
was already clear that both artists came from tremendously
different socio-economic, linguistic and cultural backgrounds
and genealogies. There was certainly very little in common that
both artists could hope to feed off from to sustain the rather
taxing act of art-making. But that in itself could be worth a
challenge? So what did they finally create? And was it worth
the effort?
The collaborative artwork project happened between
November 2009 and February 2010. Since they did not have
any common references to begin from, they began with Julie
first making a ‘core’ image and then going ’50-50’, back and
forth numerous times until both were satisfied with the final
outcome. “We needed to put the work in context,’ explains
Julie, “Or it would have no meaning. Things should not be too
sweet or the work will end up looking like a greeting card. Ajay
comes from a socio-cultural background where his art insists
on making things look beautiful. I come from a more cynical
art world that speaks a complex language, using visual puns
and so on. I would look for the sinister side of the sweetness.”
The two artists spent hours talking, debating, understanding
each other’s points of views and trying to find ways to negotiate
the ‘differences’ without becoming cantankerous. It was a lot of
hard work with a conscious effort to remain open-minded at
all times. (The accompanying photographs illustrate how the
works slowly emerged.) “I have learnt a lot from Julie,” explains
Ajay. “I had never tried my hand at contemporary art before,
though I have done different kinds of collaborations with other
foreign artists. This experience was more artistically fulfilling
especially since there had to be a match in the thinking. There
was a little problem in language, but we managed.”