Sheela Gowda - 'Art Is About How You Look At Things' | TateShots

Sheela Gowda is an artist living and working in Bengalaru (formerly Bangalore), India. The artist moved from painting to three-dimensional work in the 1990s in reaction to India’s political unease. Gowda’s work is rooted in her experience of daily life in Bengalaru, observing the coexistence of ritual and superstition alongside modern urban and economic transformation.
Behold (2009) consists of two contrasting materials, steel car bumpers and knotted human hair. Behold was inspired by the humble talismans of human hair that are knotted around car bumpers to ward off bad luck. The hair comes from local temples, where it is cut off as a sacrificial offering when pilgrims fulfil sacred vows. In today’s consumer driven world, the longer lengths are sold to make wigs or supply keratin for beauty products, while the shorter sections are kept to make protective talismans, such as those used by motorists.
Sheela Gowda's Behold (2009) is currently on display at Tate Modern: goo.gl/hAFR90
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[@mojophe1617]

I love this artist's thought processes around subjects. The hair installation is quite interesting, I really liked this work. My first thought was about impoverishment of those that sell their hair or indeed those that offer up their hair as an offering at temples that then it finds its way to markets and profits. Also the idea of hair separated from the body becomes a threat, one thinks of disease and our ancestral memory or our subconscious self preservation kicks in that abhors hair as an object in itself when its separated from the body. There is a bigger story surrounding hair throughout history and across continents. The installation for me opened up in my mind the story of human hair. Hair becomes a deep well of feelings, thoughts, visions, realities. Really interesting talk, thank you.

[@katienumiusher]

Incredible! i love her view on art as an exploration of language.

[@touisbetterthanpi]

I love what she said about us wing a material that is changing or showing a transformation, as well as art's role in spaces other than social change.

[@sandeepn6577]

I saw her installation in Tate. Very impressive.

[@socialdistance.forever4744]

Totally agree. The most outstanding art work is the ones that created from memory. Too many art work looking like photography giving the art industry a lazy look. Nothing wrong with reference but for God sake make it look original.

[@elizabethhurtado2829]

Amazing

[@cogsofrust8630]

great

[@elizabethhurtado2829]

❤

[@tonyjacob4499]

Inspiring

[@lakshmanankomathmanalath]

Great!!!

[@nevercanyoucant]

very very interesting

[@pradeephistory]

Nice

[@Human791]

Gret

[@basavrajkoli9317]

Contact number pliz mam

[@Quixflixx]

I’m watching this because I have to for homework.

[@elsagrace3893]

My reaction to the hair rope is nausea. Creepy like a spider and hair in the drain.