See you anon

We have grown so accustomed to walls in our cities that we barely notice them any longer. Newly painted or constantly chaffing, they tell us familiar stories of order or disrepair. In Kerala, the constant damp often converts them into petri dishes of moss. Of late, however, the walls of Kochi are demanding attention. On a wall near the Parade Ground in Fort Kochi, Colonel Sanders (of KFC) in a mundu prepares dosas on a tawa. Right near the fishing nets, Bob Marley and friends make music. In another corner Mr Bean masquerades as a namboodiri priest.

No one quite knows how or when these works appeared. But Guesswho, the signature at the bottom of the works, is today a celebrity in his/her own right. In an email interview, the hand behind these pieces of quirky and cheeky cultural commentary, reveals a bit of themselves. The anonymous artist’s signature reads: “As long as there are advertising billboards, there will be graffiti too. Even though there could be a difference in opinion about which is legal and which is not, there should not (sic) be no contest as to which is more true.”

You started your work during Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) 2012 as a form of protest about the art that was included and not included as part of the festival.

[I] never said it was any kind of protest, it was more like a reaction, or rather a response. There’s a difference.

If ‘protest’ is the wrong term, can you tell us your response to KMB?

Graffiti or street art is generally subversive in nature and may not fit into the organised structure of state-sponsored establishments like KMB, which work on certain ‘gallery standards’. Guesswho’s works are aimed at the general public, who are uninformed and untrained in contemporary art. The most recent works of Guesswho are an attempt to look at the differences in perspectives of the so-called established art and a free medium of expression like graffiti — on a lighter note.

What is the contemporary importance of street art?

Unlike other art forms, contemporary visual art is still perceived as complex by a vast majority of people. People tend to stay away from art galleries as they appear unapproachable to them. Street art, in contrast, is more approachable. You don’t need an art degree to be a street artist. Anybody can give it a try. At the same time, it can also be used as a powerful medium of expression.

According to you, what are the differences between public murals and graffiti?

The public (read Indian men) can’t pee on a mural but probably they can try it on graffiti. Though we often use the words graffiti, street art and public murals for almost any art which is on public streets, they aren’t interchangeable and have very different meanings. Hardcore graffiti writers think street art is too easy for the viewer or glib. Guesswho would probably fall into the street art category.

How do you feel about the comparisons with Banksy?

People are always looking for comparisons. Banksy is probably the only name in street art that many have heard of. The funny part is that even Banksy himself is often compared with artists like Blek Le Rat, and Blek’s work in turn shares similarities with another French artist, Jef Aerosol. If you think about it, essentially all art is derivative and they influence each other.

What similarities and differences do you see between your work and Banksy’s?

It is silly to draw comparisons with a legend like Banksy. He has a great sense of humour and his works have a universal appeal, whereas, in Guesswho’s case, most of the subjects are of just local relevance even with the identifiable imageries. People outside Kerala may not connect with the images completely. Some tend to make a comparison with Banksy probably because Guesswho has (also) used famous works of Banksy, like his ‘Pulp Fiction’ or the ‘Kiss’, and interprets it with local subjects. But then there are other artist’s work like Ravi Varma’s Shakunthala or the Monalisa that are also re-imagined.

What would your dream canvas be?

Never really had any such dreams, to be honest. But yes, have occasionally fancied trying something on the walls of our museums and art schools.

Give us a clue about yourself. If we are walking down a road in Kochi, how will we know if you have just passed by?

It is pretty simple. The best way to identify an artist is to look for the paint residue in her/his nails. Since Guesswho doesn’t use spray paint, the nails would be rather clean.

Any plans of revealing your identity?

When the artist is insignificant, this question is also irrelevant.