Indian Artist Arka Patra Questions The Notions Of Attraction Through An Intimate Photo Story

William James wrote that there are ‘…two different conceptions of the universe in our experience – healthy-mindedness and the sick soul. In his classic work “Varieties of Religious Experience”, he refers to New Thought as “The Religion of Healthy-Mindedness”, where he examines the reasons as to why some people seem to be happy all the time, regardless of adversity, whereas some others are always sad or melancholy.

The New Thought Movement is a movement which developed in the United States in the 19th century, considered by many to have been derived from the unpublished writings of Phineas Quimby. The contemporary New Thought Movement is a loosely allied group of religious denominations, authors, philosophers, and individuals who share a set of beliefs concerning metaphysics, positive thinking, the law of attraction, healing, etc. One of the main tenets of New Thought is the fact that sickness originates in the mind, and right thinking has a healing effect. We can explain the elusive phenomenon of the law of attraction through this school of thought, which was a reaction against the religious skepticism of the 18th century. The first concept to grasp regarding this is the fact that the fundamental law of the universe is the law of vibration. Every tiny thing in the universe is in a constant state of vibration in their own specific frequencies. Since similar frequencies attract each other, we can conclude that if we are able to consciously change the frequency with which we thrive, it gets reflected in our life. This applies to both the negative and positive elements we attract in our life. Once we gain the ability to condition our minds to our desired frequencies of vibration, our physical reality quickly follows suit and reflects back to us our new vibration. This is what the law of attraction is all about.

Arka Patra, an Indian artist hailing from West Bengal, traces this idea through his photographs by displaying the dynamics of co-dependency in romantic relationships. The predominant theme however, revolves around the the realisation that who we get attracted to, and who we attract are not random. It is rather a reflection of our own inner vibrations and inclinations than any external stimulus.

Here are a few questions we have asked him.

What prompted you to make “Laws of Attraction” the theme of your photo story?
When Bobo Calcutta approached me for this collaboration, he wanted the images to be an extension of my personal work. Incidentally we talked about our respective relationships in that meeting, which made me reflect on the subject of attraction between two human beings. Who we get attracted to, and who we attract, are not random. It is a reflection of who we are.

How do your photos reflect the theme? Can you talk a bit about it?

The images explore the co-dependency of two individuals. I think we all want to dominate in a relationship, but at the same time we like to be dominated. This dichotomy forms the base and also attempts to balance out the differences between two people. This dichotomy can also be violent and destructive as we evaluate our respective compromises and self-worth in the relationship at every step.

What is your take on love and relationships in the modern world?

We are a lonely modern world; we are a lonely city and a lonely society. We expect this vacuum to be filled up by our partners. We expect too much or too little of them. We call it love and expect understanding, we expect shelter and warmth.

Do you think losing ourselves is an inevitable part of falling in love? If yes, why do you think so?

It shouldn’t be. But as I said we walk our ways into compromises to deal with our lonely selves.

What do you think our identity chiefly revolves around?

I don’t think our identities should revolve around who we are with. Who we are should be who we see ourselves to be. It is however, reflected in the people or objects we like.

Do you think people who get hurt in romantic relationships have hope of greater self-realisation than people who do not? If yes, why do you think so?

Maybe. Though judging yourself through getting hurt can cause self-misinterpretation.

Why do you think we love the people we do?

We love the people we do because they make us happy, or because we hope they will make us happy. There should be no other reason to be in a relationship.

We eventually give them the ability to hurt us because we bare our vulnerabilities to them, with the hope that they will understand us. And we are attracted to the people who give us the feeling that they will understand us. That feeling may sometimes turn out to be an illusion.

If you enjoyed reading this article, we suggest you also read:

From Eunuch To ‘Unique’: The Story Of Mona Ahmed

Some Of Bombay’s Greatest Love Stories

Sooni Taraporevala’s Photographs Will Make You Fall In Love With Mumbai All Over Again