Dialogue with colour

CHENNAI: German born artist Ruth Bisping grabbed the chance when she could travel to India with her family. Since then, India has been an inspiration to her art. “It has always been my dream to come here. The culture is very different,” says Ruth. Working out of her studio here in Chennai during the past year, the artist has on display a collection of her paintings at the Cholamandal Artists Village. Representing different periods and places of her stay in India, Ruth believes that her paintings stand more for her as an individual, and artist. “My paintings are independent of any religion, country or society,” she says. But the graduate from the Academy of Fine Arts, Braunschweig, also believes that art cannot exist without at least certain amounts of reality. “You cannot make art without reality. It is always a balance between reality and fantasy,” she says. Ruth’s works depict her expertise as a spontaneous artist. All her paintings carry in them emotions and figments of what she likes to call “real things”, that are hidden among the colours, textures, depths and patterns of her work. “Art is a question of heart and soul. That is the reason why I make my art a dialogue between me and colour,” says Ruth. Using the popular French style of abstract painting Tachisme, Ruth makes her paintings interactive, impulsive and full of gestures. “To me, art is like a philosopher who is constantly looking for questions, even though there are not always solutions. Questions are more important than answers because they help us grow,” says the artist. Ruth’s paintings are also heavily influenced by famous artists Jean Fautrier, Alberto Burri, Antoni Tapies, and Emil Schumacher. She feels that by connecting with other artists in a particular region, the influence on her art might be more positive.  "I keep in touch with the artists in Chennai. It helps me understand the culture and inspires me. It gives me a good overview of the art scene here,” she says. Ruth’s works will be on display till December 18, between 11am and 6pm at the Cholamandal Artists Village, Injambakkam.