Sanjay has been drawn to Jantar Mantar, where he has found colours and forms that he has not seen anywhere else. In this body of work, he has focused on two-dimensional surfaces and the abstract images that are formed through time, weather and/or human interaction with building materials. These images document the history of ordinary (or perhaps not so ordinary) moments and the end result is incidental beauty. His work is really a collaboration with forces and elements that have preceded him; it is about a connection between the physical world and the non-material world in an attempt to make visible what others may not has seen.
Sanjay has always been fascinated by the geometric architectural structures within the Jantar Mantar astronomical observatory; instruments that were used for keeping track of celestial bodies in time and space. Jantar Mantar – which is actually pronounced, as ‘Yantra Mantra’, Yantra for instrument and Mantra for formula – is not only a timekeeper of celestial bodies, it also tells a lot about the technological achievements under the Rajput kings and their attempt to resolve the mysteries regarding astronomy. These seemingly abstract structures create fascinating graphical forms which change throughout the day with the movement of the sun across the horizon.
From the moment the first rays of the sun strike its precisely calibrated surfaces and bathe it in soft glowing light to create a dream-like appearance; to the midday sun creating strong patterns and bringing our the fascinating textures with the interplay of light and shadow; and finally, to the golden glow of the setting sun, setting the earthy colour of the structures on fire in all the varied hues from deep yellow to orange to ochre to red… These images are a result of numerous undulating days spread through many seasons spent in the presence of these forgotten wonders. The Jantar Mantar used to be a part of India’s rich scientific heritage. Used to be… but today, it has fallen into disuse, and is lost, in time and space.
