Artist's journey of self discovery through coal tar

Potted plants of different varieties, size and shape occupy much space on terrace at artist Simran KS Lamba’s house on the third floor in south Delhi. It was on the insistence of his mother and designer Mona Lamba of Monapali he had to renovate his house and refurbish the terrace, in particular.

“She is fond of greenery and plants. So she wanted to waterproof the terrace to avoid water seepage,” recollects Simran.  Little did this 32-year-old know that he would find inspiration in the most uninspiring medium during renovation and would end up discovering self in the process of understanding “coal tar”.

In 2006, he saw this black viscous liquid from close proximity while work was in progress at his terrace. Usually, people are averse to the sight and smell of coal tar, but Simran was enamoured by the fluidity of the medium. “Its constant brilliance, density, mutation of form was what attracted me to coal tar first. This sticky, dense and malleable liquid looked immensely powerful,” says Simran.

It was an impulsive decision for the reclusive and soft-spoken artist to push his creative boundaries by experimenting with the medium. With no background in art, he decided to overcome limitations of the medium and present it in a beautiful form. However, this courageous move was restricted by unpredictable character of the medium, as he candidly calls himself a “fool” who rushed into the process without giving it a second thought and ended up burning his hands on several occasions. “I was even hospitalised. But all this is secondary because my journey has been of discovering tar by using it in multiple ways, and discover myself as an individual through this medium.”

But to get coal tar to behave was an arduous task and he had to customise indigenous devices by using every day utensils to ensure they are easy to use and serve the purpose while dealing with hot liquid. After devising a safe mechanism to deal with the medium, he proceeded with the craft, using several techniques. Understanding how the tar can be controlled by temperature, he has managed to get myriad hues by treating it with different chemicals.

And the result is intriguing as the sketches in tar resin, paintings treated with several chemicals and 3-D compositions create a body of work that is abstract, but give away subtle hints that are for the mind to apply. The attempt is deliberate and the artist wants the viewer to foresee and think. The muted symbolism is his way of engaging the viewer to interpret the works individually. “If I am able to engage them with some of the concerns that I am depicting, half of my work is done.”

Simran’s works range from paintings to sculptures and installations and mixed media. His first body of work was showcased in “Genesis” (2010) which later travelled to different Indian cities as solo exhibit and in group art shows. His latest exhibition “Nouveau” comprising over 80 objects, celebrated his understanding of the medium and highlighted the expertise he has gained in moulding this pliant substance.

Interestingly, his first work of art came without coal tar. It was a painting made of wax, molten metal, wire mesh and an aluminium sheet. He had crafted a face with a rolled up aluminium sheet and had burned holes through it. “The sheet had this stoic resistance and I wanted to highlight that aspect,” he reminisces. He used wire mesh on the side of its visage, layered it with wax and nails on a bed of canvas.

This was the first piece that came out; followed by several “untitled” works. Since then he has created a body of work that traverses between thoughts and observations that form a continuous chain of flow which translates into paintings and sculptures. “When I work on an ‘untitled’ piece, I don’t know how it is going to be. But it is more like self expression. I guess there is a subconscious thought or subliminal thoughts generating pathos that are executed through my works,” he explains.

The linearity of thoughts and the way he looks at world around him has impressions of his early childhood, majority of which he spent in a boarding school in the hilly climes of Nainital. His early introduction to theatre and creative writing gave him a different perspective about life, followed by his stint as a filmmaker. Though he has finally found his calling in art, till he “explores coal tar completely”, Simran sees his works as subjects that have overcome all creative boundaries.

“I have no problem anyone labelling me as a filmmaker or a visual artist... but I feel at some level these lines simply blur. These multiple experiences have given me different perspective about life. As an individual, I have assimilated a lot of things and experiences that have worked for me personally.”

The word complacency doesn’t exist in his dictionary as he calls himself a “one-man army” who is eager to experiment and is lucky not to have a demon sitting behind him to fulfil commercial considerations.

 “I am fiercely rebellious and don’t care much. I just like to keep my head down and highlight aspects that I find really beautiful and crazy. I work in that kind of construct. Having said that, I must also confess that I considered myself lucky because most of my work has been sold.”

“This is the reason why I want to get into some thought-provoking disjunctions that will hopefully get you question your notions of space,” adds Simran, who has now a small studio in West Delhi from where he operates.

Having come so far, his love affair with coal tar has just become stronger, as his next attempt is to get achieve translucency and highlight other possibilities the medium has to offer.

The aesthetics and interiors of his house also claim his love for solid colours, mainly black and white, so do the rows of metal bells hanging outside the main door that lend an artistic appeal to this particular flat, announcing occupant’s distinctive taste to the visitors who would be entering a fascinating world of coal tar.