Above - Oil paint and etching on copper plate , by Varsha Manglam, 2023 - Reference William Blake, First book of Urizen, pl 15
“What can we see during the period of light? The visible, the known? What can we not see when it is dark? The invisible, the unknown? What and when do we see?”
As an artist and researcher, I continually return to questions about surrounding perception; what is visible, what remains hidden, and how meaning emerges between the two.
These questions also remind me of William Blake’s enduring words:
"…you see with, not through the eye."
Blake’s statement has become a guiding force for me, reshaping how I understand perception, not simply as the act of looking, but as an inward process of imagination and awareness. Seeing is not only an optical experience, but it is also a way of thinking, feeling, and understanding.
In September 2023, in a symposium conducted in partnership with Tate Liverpool and Hope University, I presented artworks inspired by William Blake’s work and philosophy of vision. Rather than simply reproducing Blake’s imagery, the works developed through an ongoing dialogue with his ideas and visual language.
The works are part of a sustained exploration of darkness and light; two conditions often understood as opposites, yet dependent upon one another. Each gives meaning to the other. Darkness, though often feared or misunderstood, is never final; it gives way to light. Light, when it emerges, is not passive but strong, vibrant, and transformative. The interplay between shadow and illumination creates not only contrast, but also a sense of depth, mystery, and perspective. Within this tension, the visible and invisible, the known and unknown, begin to coexist.
This raises a question- is it possible to see extremes at the same time? To experience both night and day, shadow and brightness, the known and the unknown?
Through the artworks, I invite viewers into this question, asking them to notice the narrative unfolding within the space between light and dark, and to consider how these contrasts may echo within their own thoughts and perceptions.
Working with the Opposition of Light and Dark
Much of my artistic process during the making of these artworks is intentionally stripped down to its essentials. Rather than relying on an extensive palette of color, I focus on the elemental opposition between darkness and light.
I often work with copper-based materials that catch and reflect light, creating a luminous quality across otherwise subdued surfaces. In the copper etching discussed here, the material itself became important not only as a medium but also as a way of thinking about perception. Unlike static surfaces, copper shifts according to light and viewpoint, allowing forms to emerge, recede, and change through the viewer’s encounter with the work.
The image therefore resists a fixed reading. It moves between revelation and concealment, between what is visible and what remains partially hidden.
This method is consciously retrospective, looking back toward William Blake’s illuminated books and relief etchings while simultaneously seeking a contemporary reinterpretation of them.
The artworks directly reference Blake’s imagery, particularly from Jerusalem (plate 41), Milton (plate 21), the frontispiece for Ahania, and plates 10 and 17 from Urizen. By translating these figural motifs into my own visual language, I aim to honour Blake while creating a pictorial approach that speaks within a contemporary context.
Black, White, and the Nature of Perception
Color also plays an important role in my thinking, particularly through the relationship between black and white.
Black and white are often understood as opposites, yet their meanings shift depending upon context. In light, white can be understood as the presence or combination of all visible colors, while black suggests absorption, concealment, or the absence of reflected light. Within painting, however, these relationships become more complex. Black and white are not simply scientific conditions; they are also material, symbolic, and perceptual experiences.
For me, these contrasts mirror the nature of perception itself.
What we see depends as much upon what remains concealed as upon what is revealed. Darkness and light, presence and absence, visibility and obscurity do not exist independently- they define and shape one another.
Blake’s Enduring Influence
Blake’s influence on these artworks is not limited to imagery alone. His philosophy of vision and imagination informs the structure of my work itself.
My drawings, though simplified and linear, retain a symbolic energy that echoes Blake’s expressive use of the human form. By translating bodily movement into line and form, I attempt to retain the intensity of his symbolic language while framing it through a more restrained and contemporary visual approach.
This balance between homage and reinterpretation allows me both to honor Blake and to open his imagery to new readings. Rather than merely presenting images, I seek to create moments of encounter where viewers are encouraged to pause, reflect, and imagine what is seen, what remains unseen, and how light and darkness define one another. I also invite viewers to step into the dialogue between darkness and light, to consider the visible and invisible, and to discover how meaning emerges through perception.