"A National award winning artist, Vaishali Oak, gave up the Brush and Paint about 6 years ago. Since then her helping hands (hath-yaar) have been Cutter, Scissor, Wire Brush, and even a Sewing Machine, for God's sake!" "What is this world coming to!"

The World is coming to an understanding of reality, the same reality that this artist lives, the reality that manifests itself as her work.

To Vaishali, Fabric provides a more personal reality, to the work.in her words, "There is a greater bonding between artist and medium, because the fabric needs to be handled so much. Jastè hataLavè lagtè Direct contact like this, is quite missing (or messy) with paint."

"The brush gets in the way!"

The brush is replaced with more cutting-edge tools; actually, tools with cutting edges. But surprisingly enough Vaishali's work has the softness of the brush rather than that of the paint. It is after all her reality,

"But, what is Real?"

'What is real?' is a philosophical question that almost always elicits a philological answer, but can present a very real window into the Fabric of Reality. Such questions hold the key into Vaishali's world. Each of her works is real; but some are more real than others. She experiences the journey as a single continuous stream with rocky patches and smooth flows, and even some waterfalls.

All the makings of a romantic scene; now, shift perspective, and think like the water.

The water is the Creator of this scene, while on its journey, through its physical reality.

© Sachin Phatak,Tuesday, January 18, 2005