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L
E T T E R April 27, 2003 May we first say how reassuring it is to know that there are people who care enough about the image of Sikhism to speak out when they feel it is being distorted or misrepresented. However, we are compelled to point out that your concerns on this occasion are totally misplaced. Whilst we appreciate that you are entitled to your personal opinion, the views you express betray a grave misunderstanding of the artists’ work, the nature of art and in particular, the oral tradition of Janam Sakhis which inspired some of our own paintings and the Baba Atal murals. Speaking for ourselves, we agree with you that as artists from a Sikh family we have a particular responsibility to represent Sikh religious topics accurately. However, by the same token we also feel that those who wish to offer critique of artists’ work whether Sikh or otherwise, have a responsibility to ensure that they not only have a correct and full understanding of it before passing judgement but endeavour to present that criticism (especially when distributed to others who may not have had the benefit of seeing the work first hand) within a proper framework of analysis. It is not appropriate for example to merely state that the Baba Atal Janam Sakhis are a distortion of Guru Nanak’s life and teachings and therefore shouldn’t be used as inspiration by artists today. Why? Because it is widely recognised and understood that they were never intended to be a factual representation of the historical life of Guru Nanak but rather, a symbolic representation of his status and how he had come to be revered by his followers. As we recall, Sivi Singh made this very clear in her introduction to her presentation and it’s a point we also made when talking about our own work inspired by the Sikh Literary tradition. From the nature of your main objections, it appears to us that you have made the mistake of taking the Janam Sakhis literally. So to quote the story where Guru Nanak changes a girl into a boy to satisfy the mother, as being against what Guru Nanak taught, totally misses the point. It is not about condoning the idea that boys are better than girls. The artist (and early narrators of the established aural tradition upon which the paintings are based) simply uses a social scenario and cultural attitude that would have been totally familiar to the communities for whom the stories were intended, to make a statement about the nature of faith in a way that would have been more meaningful and therefore had maximum impact on the listener/viewer – projecting the idea that with faith anything is possible. The seemingly unattainable can be attained. One is not expected to believe (and none of the speakers suggested it) that Guru Nanak actually performed any one of these acts. Following on from this, regarding your objection to artists using artistic imagery from other religions we believe that no religion or community has a monopoly on artistic language. There has always been a cross over and borrowing between cultures in visual, literary analogies and symbolism. And the Gurus themselves stressed the value and equality of all faiths. The Guru Granth Sahib is replete with imagery from Hindu Mythology, as well as from every day life and nature and we are sure that you do not need to be reminded that in addition to the writings of the Gurus, the Sikh scriptures contain the writings of Hindu and Muslim saints such as Kabir, Namdev and Farid Ji. The spoken, written and visual language, are all forms of communication. We feel that what the Gurus themselves taught us here is that what is important is the message conveyed, not the language used to convey it. You suggest that artists should confine themselves to representing the ‘truth.’ But the truth is, that to project an idea of or perceive Sikhism (or Sikhi) as a pure, isolated phenomenon that has somehow developed in a cultural vacuum (and to reject anything that doesn’t appear to comply with that idea), is to present a selective vision that is not only a distortion of the truth in itself but derogatory to the rich, diversity of experience and expression that is Sikhism - as it has developed over the past centuries and continues to respond to its ever changing cultural and political environment. In truth, if one were to erase everything from our Sikh heritage that was in any way related to the predominantly Hindu and Islamic cultures that it developed in, where would we start and what would be the bench mark? We appreciate that in the absence of detailed explanations supplied by the one person (the artist) who alone is qualified to say what their work is about, it is easy for art to be misunderstood. For this reason, we always insist on having text commentaries explaining our work whenever it is exhibited and take every opportunity to talk to people about our work, one to one. Whilst we recognise that the time restrictions placed on speakers at seminars do not always allow them to convey as much information as they would like about individual works, questions from the floor usually allow audiences to air their opinions and seek further clarification on issues which they feel are important. It’s unfortunate that you didn’t take the opportunity at the time, to raise the concerns you have expressed in your recent article as we would have welcomed a chance to address these. You conclude that our works do not represent the Gurus teachings. In order to highlight that this is exactly what they are about, we have taken the liberty of copying below the explanatory texts for one of the images which you specifically criticised as containing “non Sikh concepts.” Ultimately, we believe that an artist’s work can only be said to be disrespectful if it is deliberately intended to be so, no matter how others might insist on interpreting it for themselves. We are conscious that this is a lengthy communication but we do take criticism of our work seriously and feel it is important to give as full a response as necessary. The Spiritual Enlightenment of
Guru Arjan Dev Ji Artist: Amrit Kaur
This is one in a series of paintings which seeks to revive the tradition of Sikh illustrated manuscripts by presenting, in visual form, extracts from Sikh literature and Sacred text. It is intended to give an insight into the nature of creation and spiritual elevation according to Sikh belief. Elements of traditional Indian, and specifically Sikh, iconography are combined with symbolism - invented by the artist - and relatively new elements of Sikh iconography which have come to gain a greater relevance for the 'modern' mass community of the Sikh Diaspora. In keeping with certain traditional Indian miniature conventions these are integrated into a hierarchical structure presenting a highly original and, in some ways, personal interpretation of the particular verses shown within the decorative frame at the bottom of the painting. The hierarchic content is most evident in the backdrop to the main figures, which represents the different plains of existence. We start with the earthly plane and move up through the material universe into the heavenly planes of celestial beings and up further to the ultimate state of spiritual union with the divine. This final state is depicted by an intricate, abstract, pattern which, in symbolising the beauty and creative power of the Divine, emanates from the words 'Ik Onkar' (written in Gurmukhi script) - meaning 'One God'. The placement of Guru Nanak (the founder of the Sikh faith) within this level indicates his attainment to spiritual enlightenment - a blessing which, in the gesture of his right hand, is bestowed onto one of his later successors, Guru Arjun, who meditates on a lotus below him. This lotus, whose stem is anchored in the globe within the earthly plane, is a reminder of the popular Sikh analogy that describes the true devotee as "one who is actively involved in this world whilst remaining unaffected by its vices and temptations, just as a lotus blooms above the dark waters of the pool whilst remaining firmly rooted in the mud below". The five headed man-beast [shown in the lap of the Guru] represents what Sikh theology believes is the main obstacle to spiritual enlightenment - namely, the five vices of lust, hate, greed, pride and attachment. Another Sikh belief states that in seeking spiritual enlightenment one must first control the five senses. In allegorical terms this is described as being as difficult as trying to control five wild horses. This concept finds visual expression in the group of horses at the right of the painting. Each horse bares on its forehead a symbol of the particular sense it represents (smell, touch, sight, taste and hearing). Their specific colours and textures represent the five elements - earth, wind, water, ether, and fire. Since in Sikh thought all created beings are composed of these elements the suggestion here is that nothing is beyond the influence of these senses, which keep beings attached to the material world and prevent union with the Divine. Guru Arjun is regarded by Sikhs as one who, in his lifetime, has succeeded in overcoming the vices by controlling his senses. Difficult though it is, the simultaneous existence of
sun and moon at the bottom of the painting reveal that this process of
enlightenment is timeless in the sense that it is accessible to all beings,
throughout all times. Finally, the 'lotus feet' upon Guru Arjun's forehead,
representing humble meditation on the attributes of God, reveal that for
all ones efforts, in the end spiritual enlightenment comes as a gift of
Divine grace.
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