From the mythical world of Halahala, the maverick artist George Mathen, aka Appupen, has spun splendid, dystopian worlds of love, consumerism and destructive ambition. His art work in Moonward , Legends of Halahala and his recent graphic novel, Aspyrus , have a seductive allure to them, drawing you into its multi-layered narrative.
Now you will get the opportunity to see his art work from the world of Halahala and limited edition prints from Aspyrus , in a month-long exhibition. When you look at Aspyrus, the winged dream-demon that enslaves the mind-space of a dark craving-filled world on acrylic on canvas, the effect is breathtaking. “Suddenly, when I put this Aspyrus fellow on a five-by-three canvas, he gets more of that power I intend for him to have,” says George. “He looks down on you. I can’t do this in the comic, I need that space, I need that bigness. The placement of the canvas also matters, to make the demon look intimidating. From here, you look in and see the darkness in the mouth.”
Within the depths of his largely-silent comics, George invites the reader to derive meaning from the details. In fact, once engrossed in Aspyrus , you hardly feel the absence of text. “The silent comic is like a language. You are basically talking in a language with only pictures. I’m also getting more adept with the language as I do more work. In the case of Aspyrus , it’s a dream, a working man’s dream. So he has identified the demon, but he is also contributing to the demon. When I thought about it, it was like a silent blue and greenish dream. If it is completely silent I will lose readers. People are used to seeing a written conclusion at the end of the story, like ‘And they lived happily ever after’. That line being there, you get that ah! feeling. You are set. Here it’s not there. I tried to make that last page as conclusive as possible. It’s the same as putting ‘the end’.”
In Aspyrus , an image of a large-sized Aspyrus, looming large has been captured by George on canvas with quintessential Appupen humour. “He’s got a very silly expression. He’s a poser. He’s posing for the camera. That’s what the Aspyrus does, and you fall for it. I wanted to make it shining. It’s an extension of a biomechanoid trip. It’s completely mixed. Some parts are muscle, some parts are clearly metal and steel.
The background is dull. Aspyrus is standing out, like an ad, how you highlight the product.
I have used completely contrasting colours to bring out Aspyrus.” Aspyrus is as much a comment on our image-obsessed and commercialised world as it is a splendid work of art. “What is this Aspyrus thing? For me, it’s like an idea that comes from somewhere. It comes into being, becomes a trend. It takes over everybody’s mind space, everyone is talking about it, tweeting or liking it. Our lives look like a ride on these waves of trends. Aspyrus is a demon of a trend that is taking over everything. It’s also a creature of the mind. You imagine the aspiration. That’s why it appeals to you in the beginning. It looks cute, it is trying to fly. I’ve had people comment on my page, ‘So sweet he’s hatching from an egg!’ The only person who can see it for what it is, is the kid. The optimism in the bleak world is the imagination of a child.”
There is no limit to George’s artistic horizons, both in terms of style, and canvas. He has done large murals that are spread across different cities and in different outlets. “I don’t have one set style. The exhibition is not particularly Aspyrus alone. I am doing a Halahala series with 11 canvases, I’ll put up three maybe at the show. This is new work, which is after Aspyrus . There I think the style is better or more evolved.”
The Return of Halahala will open at Gallery Five Forty Five today, at 6 pm.
The exhibition will be held at Gallery Five Forty Five, 6th Main, 4th Cross Indiranagar Stage II, till November 28. The Gallery is open from 11 am to 6.30 pm, from Tuesdays to Saturdays, and is closed on Sunday, Monday and holidays. Call 9036001081
