Walking on the connecting lanes near Lodhi colony in Delhi with a part of Meher Chand market on one end and Khanna market on the other, I realized that government quarters need not be as drab and lifeless as the jobs are for those who stay in them. The quarters have a charming old-world feel to them and the splashes of colour on a few of the outer walls transforms the entire area into a canvas where other walls are waiting for inspired artists to come along and paint because ‘blank walls are a shared canvas and we’re all artists’ as Carla H Krueger said.
These are not really graffiti in the real sense of the word because, as Mint Serf wrote, ‘if it takes more than 5 minutes, its not graffiti’. But hey, even deliberate thinking before the paintbrush goes to work isn’t a bad idea. These wall-painting, if this is how some choose to call them, help in converting a grim mood into one that is ready to accept new ideas… and government staffers should know this well. Even Banksy, the much celebrated graffitist form London (and I have seen a few of his works pop up suddenly as we have explored quite a bit of London on foot) calls graffiti as ‘one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing. And even if you don’t come up with a picture to cure world poverty you can make someone smile while they’re having a piss.’
Delhi, I must add here, is the real beneficiary of wall-paintings wherever they are… and I know that they spread from a few walls in Connaught Place to parking lots in malls in South Delhi. They have begun to make their appearance in parks, on connecting roads, and even in the lanes of Pahar Ganj.
The ones in the Meher Chand market zone are massive and do explore a lot of issues and most are done ‘properly’ despite banksy’s opinion that ‘graffiti is ugly, irresponsible and childish… but that’s only if it’s done properly.’ These wall paintings were enough to make Specky and I walk through most of the connecting lanes and I noticed a few enthusiasts clicking a few of them. Some even preferred to pose with them for their personal shoots.
Sharing a few of these charming works here:
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The monkey menace. I guess the cable-walas are monkeying around with aesthetics more than monkeys themsleves…
The walk… and the dog isn’t looking at the wall even for a stray moment.
Time in motion… loved the blurry scooter rider and the peeled off paint in the painting here. Even the tree peeping out adds to the fact that time isn’t stopping for anyone or anything
These eyes communicate so much…
This one seems to ask people to stop for a while and wonder at all the stories mythology has in store
This wall is a delight and in some ways brings our heritage to the forefront
Yes, graffiti offers interpretations that can be psychedelic cuisines for the mind
Yes, monuments need to be restored and not reconstructed… a message for the PWD who must ensure that these quarters are maintained well
Yes, of course… without doubt we all love Delhi and also the way these wall paintings communicate
The merry dance of officialdom — represents the masks that sarkari babus wear all the time
The arches in every block here have been used well by the artists
Ready to click and chronicle history as it moves from one phase to another
Look at the posters that have been scraped off now… people need to respect art
I think this tree is somewhat angry at the way we are trying to mis-manage our environment…
Give nature a chance, says this one, and it will spread its wings and reach everywhere
Loved the way the dish antenna seems to say, ‘Your art cannot withstand the tsunami that the TV screen brings into homes’.
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Arvind Passey
21 January 2019
