VB 1 Print

“The verb “reinvent” captures the essence of what I do.”, says Parth Upadhye, a Toronto based artist. Despite entering the art scene in his late forties, he says that age has only made him wiser and less risk averse.  Fascinated by stories people have been telling each other for centuries, he reinvents these narratives. He is acutely conscious that the creators intentionally used cryptic language and hypertext in order to control transmission. After all, the stories started out as missives of individual or collective beliefs. Today many fall under the umbrella of tradition.  “Pragmatism dominates communication - clarity and brevity are supreme - at the cost of omitting all kinds of complexity. Basically most dialogue verges on simplism”, observes Parth. “I want my work to not only be open for interpretation but also encourage reading of different narratives.” He engages in extensive Inquiry and study to become intimate with his subject. He layers his work with traditional motifs, contemporary symbols and visual metaphors. Impasto, glazing and stripping are integral to his practice, because that is how “stories are told.” He primarily works with oil on wood or paper. His arsenal of tools includes a variety of knives, rubber spatulas, rollers, brushes and even carving tools. He also uses sculpting clay to create tools. His pace is meditative with bursts of intensity interspersed with quiet contemplation. It is rare that he has less than five paintings in progress at the same time. He tries to stick to his plan or the original germ of thought, but allows the moment to take control over his painting.  "Painting with oil is like life", he describes his process, "It's about adapting and evolution."