In a four-part series, Digital Journal is profiling edgy and unusual artists who are breaking the rules of art and design. Discover how these bold artists are creating epic masterpieces in various media.
Digital Journal — It’s hard enough to draw a stunning image full of meaning and aesthetic beauty. But Arvind Narale creates art that can be appreciated both normally and upside down.
The 67-year-old Toronto resident has mastered the self-described “upside downside up” art — he draws a woman with a bird on her shoulder, for example, and when the picture is rotated upside down, a completely new image appears, such as a litter of cats. In each version, there is no clue what the other will reveal, which is the genius behind Narale’s work.
“People who are philosophy-minded might see how the two pictures relate to each other,” Narale says.
Photo courtesy Arvind Narale Artist Arvind Narale of Toronto makes upside down art -- when the image is turned upside down, a new image is revealed
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Narale, a former architect, has drawn more than 150 images using media such as pen and ink, charcoal, watercolour and oil. The 12 years he’s spent on this unique art form has paid off — in May 2007, a book of 60 such images was published in Narale’s native India, along with poems in the Marathi dialect.
“I’m so glad I’m able to share my lifetime of work with many appreciative people,” Narale admits. “But I want to make this art available in other languages so it can be enjoyed by many other communities.”
The skill required to craft these topsy-turvy images doesn’t come easy to every artist. As Narale explains, each change perfected on one side of the picture makes it necessary to check the inverted side. “To create lines that have meaning on both sides of the picture, in part and as a whole, is a process filled with agonies of trial and error, and it becomes a grueling test of patience.”
Photo courtesy Arvind Narale Artist Arvind Narale of Toronto makes upside down art -- when the image is turned upside down, a new image is revealed
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What inspires an artist who works with a highly specialized form? Narale says he would gaze upon ornate patterns on bathroom tiles, or abstract shapes found in wallpaper, until a vague image began to take shape. “In my mind, I would try to sketch it out on paper,” he says, “but soon discover that when turned upside down, something totally unexpected would meet the eye.”
Admirers who have seen Narale’s work are usually left with utter surprise that one painting can contain two completely different images. “They can’t believe their eyes,” Narale says, “and then they laugh and smile and are left speechless.”
Luckily, Narale has met some fans who aren’t so silent about his art. He is collaborating with several Toronto poets to create English poems that coincide with each image. Poets create two poems per drawing, one for the regular version and one for the upside-down version. Like in the Indian book, both poems will tie the images together thematically.
Photo courtesy Arvind Narale Artist Arvind Narale of Toronto makes upside down art -- when the image is turned upside down, a new image is revealed
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The double-meaning is the most gratifying part of creating those images, Narale says. “Whether it’s an animal, human or landscape, the pictures have to look realistic and proportionate, and I take great pleasure in seeing how they fit.”
Narale’s work will be exhibited at the Scarborough Arts Council Gallery at 1859 Kingston Road in Toronto from July 24 to Aug 5. To see more of his work, and to contact the artist, visit www.upsidedownsideup.com
Offbeat Artist Series
This is the third profile in a four-part series on unique talents who are rattling the artistic cage. Every day, read about a new rebel artist. Tomorrow, wander through the life of an architect in love with tiny homes.
Other Offbeat Artists:
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Phil Toledano, photographing the faces of phone sex: Ever wondered who makes a living being a phone sex operator? In an intimate photo book, Phil Toledano captures the people behind sensual fantasies.
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Jason Kronenwald, bubble gum portrait maker: Jason Kronenwald sculpts portraits of blonde celebrities using gum...and only gum.
- Jay Shafer, the man who builds
homes that are under 100 square feet. Could you live in a tiny house?
