New works of K G Subramanyan, Sukshm and more..

NEWS

New Works of KG Subramanyan

(Work by K G Subramanyan)

Seagull Foundation of Arts, Kolkata and Art Heritage Gallery, New Delhi presents the new works of legendary artist K G Subramanyan. The works on display are an assortment of various mediums the artist has been painting on and has created series using them, including paper, gouache on board, canvas and  reverse painting on acrylic sheets, which are his speciality.

Padmavisbushana KG Subramanyan or Mani Sir or Mani da as he is known affectionately by his students, fellow artists, and friends turned 90 on 5th February this year. K. G. Subramanyan has worked with diverse media and materials, exhibiting extensively both within and outside the country. He is known as much for his wide-ranging scholarship as for his artworks which are full of wit, subversion, eroticism and critical social commentary. 

A major retrospective of his work was held at the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, in 2003. He has been part of the arts faculty at M. S. University, Baroda, and is Professor Emeritus at Kala Bhavan, VisvaBharati, Santiniketan.

The Seagull Foundation for the Arts is travelling an exhibition of 90 new works to celebrate the life and times of this amazing personality. The exhibition opened in Baroda and will now be in Delhi at Art Heritage from 29th March to 20th April 2014.

A Veiled World

(Work by Shilpa Nikam)

Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai presents a solo show of works by artist Shilpa Nikam. The J J School of Art graduate presents her recent works of abstractions. Shilpa’s abstracts are a reflection of her relationship with nature and the existential world. 

Her art works are a mirror of her inner world which she sensitively reveals and conceals as windows in her works. The abstracts are medium sized and replete with textural nuances and contrasting depth with the occasional foray into hints of chiaroscuro. The palette the artist has opted for plays a pivotal role to the artistic expression and in spite of the references and influences of nature on the artist’s mind, the use of the obvious colour of ‘green’ to depict nature, is absent. Blues, whites, off whites, buff, sharp and dull reds yellows, blacks and deep greys constitute her palette. 

Unlike many abstractionists,  she refrains from using heavy symbolic forms of any kind, relying completely on composition, texture and colour. The layers and the window like outlets seem to play peekaboo with the viewer, hinting at the veiled world of the artist. 

The show is on view till 1st of April 2014.

Sukshm

(Work by Kumar Vaidya)

Art Gate gallery, Mumbai presents a show of recent paintings by Kumar Vaidya.

The show is titled, ‘Sukshm’, which the artist has recently created. The works are exclusive abstractions, rendered in various mediums, with nuances of the dark and light in them. The works evoke an emotional response in the viewer through their intricate renditions, layers and colour splashes. The viewer is left with the need to explore more realms of depth fearlessly through the textures and works.

The works are on view till 29th March 2014.

(News reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

Portraits of a city

Kalakriti opens its second gallery featuring works of artist Ram Kumar, including the celebrated Benaras series

(A view of the new gallery by Kalakriti at Trident, showcasing an exhibition of paintings by Ram Kumar)

The path leading to the new gallery space by Kalakriti, at Trident, is adorned with three arresting works of one of the most recognised veteran artists, Ram Kumar, of the Progressive Artist’s group. One of the paintings is a rare figurative work by the artist who later embraced abstracts. A painting showing youngsters clad in formal black suits, against the city at night, stands in contrast to the more vivid portraits of Benaras.

The abstract cityscape series on Varanasi has been celebrated over the years for the artist’s individualistic take on a city that left a lasting impression on him. Benaras, Ram Kumar felt, blurred the line between life and death. An abstract, dated 1993, has the artist painting the ancient city standing witness to all that happens on the river, teeming with people and boats.

(A view of the new gallery by Kalakriti at Trident, showcasing an exhibition of paintings by Ram Kumar)

Though the Benaras series has been discussed by art critics over time, observing these images at close quarters is an experience to be cherished. The artist draws attention to the many facets of the city with his astute use of colours and textures. A cityscape showing rows of houses in muted shades of beige, brown and yellow juxtaposing the water is the artist’s way of emphasising the plight of widows who came to the holy city to die; it is an impression of the sombre side of the city where dead bodies await befitting funerals.

In some paintings, Ram Kumar uses solid hues to denote the vibrancy of the city and in others, using black, grey and white, he paints sordid images, reflecting on what he perceives to be ‘a ghost town’ with its narrow, crowded alleys. The strokes vary with the hues, meditative in some cases and turbulent in others.

In his later paintings, dated 2010 and 2013, Ram Kumar chose happier tones to showcase landscapes, perhaps denoting his shift in views. ‘Trancescape’, featuring a selection of works by Ram Kumar, will be on display till April 30, at Kalakriti’s new gallery, Hotel Trident, Madhapur.

( Report by Sangeetha Devi Dundoo for The Hindu)

Painternet Collection Show, The Meaning of Return and more..

NEWS

Painternet Collection Show

( Works on display)

India’s 1st Online Art Gallery Painternet.com is all geared up to showcase its 3 decade collection of Master artists such as Hebbar, Vaikuntam, Madhvi Parekh amongst others at the Hirji Jehangir Art Gallery. This is also accompanied by the evocative work of Mr. Prashant Shah that brings alive the ancient and sacred tradition of Jain Heritage. 

It is an initiative to identify with the range of artists they have across different genres, the work and their humble stories. Painternet.com intends to design a creative interaction between artists, collectors, enthusiasts, critics and investors and create an ambiance that connects art to many hearts!

The show is on view from 19th March to 24th March 2014.

The Meaning of Return

( Work on display)

Mumbai Art Room presents a solo show of art work by artist Scott Myles. The show is titled, ‘The Meaning of Return’ and is curated by curator, Zasha Colah. The show presents a suite of prints made directly onto the walls of the Mumbai Art Room, which will be whitewashed away at the end of the exhibition, depicts an array of sculptural objects laid out across an expansive floor. 

In the current presentation by Scott Myles, (born 1975 in Dundee, Scotland) the public space of the gallery is likened to a ballet studio, a space of private performative gestures - like the artistic studio - for rehearsal, and trial. In the ballet studio, dancers were replaced with sculptures, composed of found objects like a wheelchair, or the wheels of a swivel-chair, and parts he fabricated himself to form his choreography of anthropomorphic performers in the space. The barres running horizontally may be read as a kind of horizon line, a bar for support and a line of stability, within a space of unlimited choreographic possibility for movement. 

The show is on view till 30th April 2014.

Living in Our Times

Open Palm Court Gallery, New Delhi presents a solo exhibition by Asmita Rajiv.  Asmita Rajiv, an International award-winning artist, focuses on depicting the stories of people, thereby transporting viewers from their comfort zones into a contemplative frame of mind. 

In her current series of paintings, titled, ‘Living In Our times’ she has brought on canvas the pains, triumphs, struggles, aspirations, joys and sorrows of common men and women in the urban space, thereby unraveling the poignant issues plaguing humankind. Her paintings have elements of symbolism, and each painting is accompanied by a poem that describes the story behind the painting.

The show is on view from 17th March to 21st March 2014.

Ode to the Monumental

(Workby Laxma Goud)

Hirji Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai and for the first time Saffronart, will treat Mumbai’s art aficionados to a group show dedicated to large scale,  life-size sculptural tableaus, paintings 25 ft tall and a 45 ft high video installation by the stalwarts of modern and contemporary Indian art.

The show ‘Ode to the Monumental:Celebration.Visuality.Ideology’ will feature canvas, sculpture and installation works by artists such as Jogen Chowdhury, KG Subramanyan, Krishen Khanna, Ram Kumar, Anandajit Ray, Jagannath Panda, Nataraj Sharma, Thota Vaikuntam, Satish Gujral and Laxma Goud, among others.

The show is on view till 18th March 2014.

(News reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

Art in a nut shell

Saleem creates art from coconut shells

( Saleem; photo by Athira M)

On a hot afternoon on Eve’s beach, Kovalam, Saleem is busy working, polishing a coconut shell to perfection. Waiting patiently and conversing with him in English is Jarnne, a French tourist. Saleem is all ears and carries on the conversation in English, even as he tries to cut the coconut shell into small pieces. Apparently, Jarnne wants him to make a pendant for her chain. “He is very good…,” says Jarnne, who had met Saleem during one of her earlier visits to the beach.

As another tourist season is about to get over, Saleem is among the many craftsmen on the beach who will take to the sea to make a living. He is a well-known figure on the beach, thanks to his craftsmanship in making strikingly aesthetic curios and jewellery from coconut shell. “I have been doing this for 15 years,” says Saleem, who hails from Kovalam itself.

In fact, the self-taught craftsman is a fisherman who goes fishing in the sea off Kovalam once the tourist season gets over. “I was 35 when I first began experimenting with coconut shells. I just felt that I could make something out of this. Candle stands, ash trays and finger rings filled my home. A few tourists happened to see the products and were impressed by my work. They encouraged me to make more products. Gradually it became a source of income during the tourist season,” he says.

Now at 52, he seems to have got quite a good clientele. “People buy the products because they know it is handmade,” he says.

However, he doesn’t market the products through any outlets. “I prefer to work like this, taking my own time to finish each item. I don’t think I will be able to meet the deadline if I take orders from shops or other places,” he says.

He makes delicate containers with filigree-like work, candle stands, flower vases, pendants, bangles and the like. One of his standout pieces is a metal container adorned with finely crafted coconut shells on them. “I buy a regular metal tin. Coconut shells are cut into square shaped pieces and stuck to the tin. Sometimes I make a small hole on each piece which is then filled with small pieces of the shell of tender coconut. These containers can be used to keep anything, be it tea dust, coffee powder, trinkets, jewellery…,” he says.

Axo blade, sand paper and saw are used to make the products. The craft is something that Saleem holds close to his heart, so much so that he doesn’t allow us to take photograph of his products. “They are exclusive…,” he says with a smile.

Saleem also takes tourists for a ride on his catamaran. “I have got the licence issued by the Port Office. I, along with my partner, take two tourists at a time for the ride,” he says.

The father of four has studied till class nine. But he can speak English and Tamil quite well. 

( Report by Athira M for The Hindu)

The Baroda March 2014, A A Raiba Felicitated and more..

NEWS

AA Raiba honoured with State Award

(Artist Abdul Aziz Raiba)

The Fine Arts Department of the State of Maharashtra honoured the painter Abdul Aziz Raba with a Lifetime Achievement Award towards his immense contribution to the field of Art. The event was held at Jehangir Art Gallery, and the Chief Guest, Honorable Minister Rajesh Tope presented the award on behalf of the state to the senior artist.

Also accompanying the event was The Maharashtra State Art Exhibition 2013-14 which previewed on the 5th March and will be on view till 11th March 2014 at the AC-3 gallery.

The show is jointly curated by Prof. Shashikant Kakade and Prof Anant Nikam of JJ School of Art and Zasha Colah and Sumesh Sharma of Clark House Initiative.

Traces and Tears

( Work on display)

Project 88, Mumbai presents a solo show of artist Sandeep Mukherjee, titled, ‘Traces and Tears’. Working in painting, drawing and installation, Mukherjee positions his work in abstraction that is both phenomenological and ontological - where aesthetics informs experience and art researches its own specific conditions. Improvisational and process based, Mukherjee's work investigates materiality and the body as a means to resist identity and conceptual determination. The work asserts pleasure and embodied criticality in order to inhabit an expanded field of structural logic and subjectivity. Following multiple paths through figuration, the performing body, architecture as site and abstraction, the work continues to explore the tension between process, image, affect and meaning. 

Mukherjee received an MFA from UCLA, and a BFA from Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles. Born in Pune, India, he lives and works in Los Angeles and is a Professor of Art at Pomona College. 

The show commences on 13th March and will be on view till 19th April 2014.

The Baroda March 2014

(Work on display)

Rukshaan Art presents a show at the Coomaraswamy Hall of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai, titled, ‘The Baroda March 2014’. The show will display paintings and sculptures made by upcoming as well as established artists.

This is an annual event, a brain child of gallerist and curator Rukshaan Krishna, where she involves and displays the works of the newer and the older generation of Baroda based or Baroda educated artists. The show aims to bring out the freshness and novelty of thoughts and skill of the artists.

The show previews on 8th March at 5:30pm and will be on view till 16th March 2014.

Fragment Nature

( Work by Maruthi Paila)

Icon Art Gallery, Hyderabad presents a solo show of art work by artist Maruthi Paila. The show titled, ‘Fragment Nature’ features abstract art works by the artist.

Abstract art is personal and subjective and Maruthi Paila explores those possibilities of expression in myriad ways. Moving away from figurative imagery, Maruthi dwells in the non-representational world. The acrylics and small format works are geometric, with criss-cross lines forming haphazard, asymmetrical patterns perhaps resulting from an outpour of the artist’s emotions. It’s like a mosaic of lines and colours. Yet, there is a sense of harmony in the composition. Maruthi has been seeking to find a language of his own working and exploring different types of imagery, figurative and non-figurative - a continuous exercise to develop his visual vocabulary for growth and perfection. 

The show previews on 7th March at 6:30pm and will be on view till 20th March 2014.

(News reports by Sushma Sabnis)


FEATURE

Bridging the distance

As an exhibition of astrophotography goes on in the city, Ajay Talwar, a participant and one of the few belonging to the tribe, explains why he loves to demystify the celestial world.

(SKY IS THE LIMIT: Dolly and Pankaj)

Demystifying the skies and bringing the celestial bodies closer to people are three photographers — Laurent Laveder, Thierry Legault from France and Ajay Talwar — at Jantar Mantar. The site, an 18th century astronomical observatory, couldn’t have been more appropriate, even though in recent years it has come to be first registered as a site of protest in our minds. But the exhibition “Astrophotography” — organised by Institut Francais en Inde, the French Embassy in India and the Alliance Francaise as part of “Fete De La Photo 2014 — A Photo Festival in Public Space” — in which science meets art, sits in perfect harmony with the space. Ajay Talwar, one of the few astrophotographers in India, talks about practicing this niche genre.

On astrophotography in India

Its popularity is growing at a good pace because of digital SLR. There are about 200-300 practitioners of it because digital SLR allows long exposures and full control over apertures. You have to expose your photograph for the right time to create star trails and that’s how you get an image. When I started 27 years ago, we used to shoot on film and we would come to know of our mistakes only later and it would take long to correct it. Amateur Astronomer Association of Nehru Planetarium (Talwar is its vice-president) has also popularised the genre. Members discuss different aspects of astronomy there.

On the technique

(Temple Moon Full Rise)

While in the daytime everything is done by the camera itself, when you are shooting at night, the photographer has to do a lot of things. The focus, the framing and the exposure, you have to decide everything. To do something like star trails, you have to keep shooting long exposure, say about 30 seconds through the night, but at Nanda Devi where the shoot lasted for three hours, I kept exposing for two minutes. It was a cold night and three cameras with timer remotes attached to them were placed at different locations. It is an interesting experience because the photographer spending the whole night beneath the sky can see it move.

Shooting night landscapes like I do doesn’t require telescope but yes when I do deep sky objects, I do work with telescopes. Otherwise I shoot on 35 mm lens, 50 mm lens or 200 mm lens in special cases like my image of moonrise above the Kalkaji temple. I was one-and-a-half kilometres away from the temple in a house in Sant Nagar. I had to plan the shoot in advance because I had to calculate the day and the time of such an alignment between the moon and the temple.

On bringing the human element into his photographs

The structures, temples and human presence entered my frame after I was invited by TWAN (The World at Night), a platform for photographers who shoot earth and sky in the night. I realised that to get people to relate to this world, it is important to have a relatable presence. Viewers are very receptive to such images. In the “Dolly and Pankaj” image which has become very popular, it is just my friend sitting under the sky at Hatu Peak in Narkanda, Himachal Pradesh, against the moving stars captured through exposures. I would tell my friend to stay still for five minutes, then ten minutes and then fifteen minutes in such biting cold.

Future projects

India’s largest optical telescope is coming up at Devasthal in Nainital and I have been documenting its creation. So I plan on doing a time-lapse video on it.

(Report by Shailaja Tripathi for The Hindu)

EDITORIAL - Holla-Mohalla -An Exhibition Made on Order.. and more..

EDITORIAL

Holla-Mohalla- An Exhibition Made on Order

( Work on display. Image for illustrative purposes only)

In fact I do not want to say anything negative about the art exhibitions that I see these days. But sometimes I cannot help saying what I really feel. ‘Holla Mohalla’, a two persons’ show at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi is a ‘made on order’ show. I know this comment would hurt both the artists; Cop Shiva, the photographer and Suresh Muthukulam, the painter. Their point of departure is the Nihang Sikhs, the followers of the ideals of an army founded by Guru Gobind Singh. Holla Mohalla is a celebration of the Sikhs that often heralds the beginning of the Sikh New Year. You will get more about it if you google; so there is no point in me telling it. What surprised me is the absolute naivety of the exhibition. First of all I do not find any logic in Cop Shiva, a Bangalore based policeman doubling up as a photography artist, and Suresh Muthukulam, an acclaimed mural artist from Kerala, taking a very serious interest in Holla Mohalla. Now the ‘curators’ of this show; Jaya Mani and Sumati Sondhi. Jaya Mani is a gallerist who sells anything from paintings to brass vessels. Sumati Sondhi is an interior decorator. If you have already googled, Holla Mohalla falls in the month of March. Something clicked? If not let me tell you, Sikhs revere their gurus and most of them are extremely affluent. In the month of March, every affluent Sikh cannot go to Punjab to celebrate Holla Mohalla. So what do they do? They buy a work of art that celebrates Holla Mohalla, period. It is a well timed show, especially when it is inaugurated by none other than the flying Sikh, Milka Singh. Of course not Farhan Akthar.

( Work on display. Images for illustrative purposes only)

Is there any problem if someone creates a custom made show? For me, absolutely  no problem. But I am concerned about these two artists who are my Facebook friends. When I say, I am concerned, I mean it. First of all Cop Shiva. He is Basavaraju, a cop by profession and artist by choice. Being a cop helps his identity of becoming an artist. Had there been no cop tag, I wonder whether we would have gone into superlatives with his first show? But the world is like that. When he presented his first show, ‘Face Two Face’, media hailed him as a new finding. In the show Cop Shiva had documented the life of two people, who impersonated Gandhi and legendary actor-politician late M.G.Ramachandran. The works had made a good show; at least the theme was curious. It was a quarter anthropologic, a quarter documentary, a quarter aesthetical and the fourth quarter was the place where Cop Shiva could have improved himself. But before that people came in to cash in on his popularity. I am surprised to see that noted alternative art promoter Suresh Jayaram also has endorsed it by ‘jointly’ writing the catalogue text with Jaya Mani. I can forgive Suresh because Cop Shiva is his cousin. In these days of a dried up market, it is always good to have cousins who could sell art, whether it is on Sikhs or Marwaris. 

(Work by Suresh Muthukulam. For illustrative purposes only)

Suresh Muthukulam is a mural artist. His works have been very faithfully following the mural tradition of Kerala. But what about a Sikh buyer who would like to flaunt Guru Gobind Singh or virile, athletic and warrior-like Nihangs in fluid lines and dreamy eyes? He would definitely not like it. So here goes Suresh, out and out ready to water down his style which is neither Kerala mural style nor anything to do with Punjab or India in general. If Cop Shiva is depending on his camera, Suresh is depending on the pictures that he might have clicked for himself during his visit to Punjab. But let me tell you Suresh, the paintings look funny and caricature-ish. I was appalled to see a portrait of Jaya Mani in one of these paintings. The painting is sold as the red bindi tells me so. But isn’t it so ‘made to/on order’?  I feel sad. Because both Cop Shiva and Suresh Muthukulam are not supposed to be working like this. There are occasions when even a writer like me writes for the ‘clients’. But even then the writer’s self or style is not compromised. If my name goes along with an article, irrespective of the greatness of the works that I endorse, I take all care to be sincere to the hilt and well meaning. But here, both Cop Shiva and Suresh seem to be indulging in something that they should not have even touched. 

(Work on display. Images for illustrative purposes only)

Cop Shiva’s entry into art has already become folklore by repetition. He came to the city with his ailing father and Suresh Jayaram accommodated him at his 1 Shanti Road, the hub of alternative art practices in Bangalore. Cop Shiva, like many other cops who do not have IPS rank (for IPS and IAS people know everything including painting and poetry), initially did not understand art. But slowly he took a fascination for clicked images. He got hooked soon to the camera. Rest is history. Such a history needs to be embellished with sincere works. Frankly speaking, the works on display could be taken even by me provided I have an inclination to take it or have a good camera with me. Why I say me, because I am an art critic who has complete disdain for most of the images. To evoke liking in me is a difficult task. Cop Shiva should be left alone. It is easy for him to become a travel photographer and let me tell you can make sure someone is a travel photographer if he has long hair and an Enfield bike; I hate my own stereotyping, but I can’t help it. In a nutshell, Cop Shiva has put a load of virus in his clear thinking. Clear them up as soon as possible. Suresh Muthukulam should think about better projects if he wants to become a good artist. Mural paintings had led revolutions in Mexico in modern times. In our own context, they have registered history for us. Degenerating into hagiography and work on order would actually demean the medium that you use. I do not have any problem if it is all about making some money. 

Hope the parties discussed here would not file a defamation suit against me. Also, Karnataka Police will not frame me in some drug case when I go to Bangalore next. Whatever said above is in good and right spirit. Rest is up to you, guys. 

JohnyML

NEWS

Neon Temples, Masala Maggie and Iphoned Monks

( work by Sana Javeri Kadri)

Gallery Beyond, Mumbai presents a solo show of photographs by Sana Javeri Kadri. The show is titled, ‘Neon Temples, Masala Maggie and Iphoned Monks’. The show has on display a range of photographs which try to capture the versatile concoction of what India as a country represents. 

Balancing its religious roots and traditions which go along with the influences of the modernity and the new age, the photographs present the ironical flux, the coexistence and the symbiotic relationships of multiple ideologies flourishing under one roof of a tolerant society and nation.

The show is on view till 28th February 2014.

Hamnashee

( Work by Nisar Ahmad)

Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi presents a solo show titled, ‘Hamnashee’ of art works by artist Nisar Ahmad. Nisar is an Indian modern Urdu calligrapher and abstract Sufi painter. He is inspired by Nakshbandi and Chishty Sufi orders. 

Hamnashee portrays an expression of a lover, who is highly inflammable and consuming his self in love. At the exhibition, patrons can see the feelings expressed in colours, which reveals the powerful feelings recollected in tranquility. Metaphorically it is expressed as the anarchic expression of a true lover's heart and mind. The sublimity of Greek goddess trances in calligraphy, like a dimple cheeked celestial dame of a rosy hue transmuting the inner felt. The beloved, who is posing like an iris of genial desires, coming out in senses with gentle whispers. Hamnashee is not a guest, but a search within.

The show is on view till 1st March 2014.

Vibrant Hues

Jehangir Terrace Art Gallery, Mumbai presents a group show of art works by six upcoming contemporary artists. The show is titled, ‘Vibrant Hues’ and features the paintings and ceramic sculptures.

The participating artists are Ruchi Chadha, Sameer Sarkar, Subrata Das, Drishti Vohra, Mahhima Bhayanna, Shashikant Charbe. The works on displaya re vibrantly hued and portray figuratives and some abstract art styles. A few works have a spiritual bent in depictions. The show commences on 27th February 2014. 

The show is on view till 5th March 2014.

Nature Scapes

( Work on display)

The latest exhibition at Magnitude Art Gallery, Bangalore presents works of art which are original and exquisite in rendition. Following a new theme based on nature and its many bounties, the thoughtful paintings, would be best suited for anyone with a taste for good art or a keen art collector or buyer. 

The new theme titled, ‘Nature Scapes’ gives the city’s art lovers a beautiful respite from the mundane and morbid concrete jungle. The wide ranged subject has been dealt with very thoughtfully and many glimpses of nature have been captured in these original paintings.

The show is on view till 28th February 2014.

(News reports by Sushma Sabnis)

In-Between, Two Worlds, Ageless Art and more..

NEWS

Graceful Ageless Art

( work by Dr Nalini Bhagwat)

Jehangir Auditorium Art Gallery, Mumbai presents a group show of senior artists from different parts of Maharashtra. The show displays the art works of six painters. The works range from landscapes to portraitures and figuratives. The figurative works delve into mythological and historical narratives. On display also are abstracts rendered in water colour on paper. 

The participating artists are, Sukhasil Narayan Chavan, Dr Nalini Bhagwat, Jaysing Dalvi, Sudha Madan Uplekar, Shyamkant Jadhav and D V Wadangekar.

The works are a reminder of the rich art culture of India and present a definitive learning experience for the younger generation of artists today, in terms of techniques and variety of art practices. 

The show is on view till 18th February 2014.

9 X 9 Show

Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat, Bangalore presents a unique show titled, ‘9X9’. The exhibition has on display paintings and sculptures. The show displays works of contemporary artists in the country.

The participating artists are, Asurvedh, Braj Mohan Arya, Isha B.Bawiskar, Ramesh Thorat, Karthik Poojappa, Suresh Kumar, Vimal Chand, Vijaya Ved and Dr. Sneha Lata.

The show was inaugurated by Dr HV Madhusudhan, and Dr Preethi Kale. A catalogue was released on the occasion by Vani Manohar of ALEY on the 14th February 2014.

The show is on view till 20th February 2014.

In-Between

( work on display)

Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai presents a group show titled, ‘In-Between’. The show displays works by eminent artists from India and abroad. The participating artists are, Chuck Close, Dhurva Mistry, Gigi Scaria, Noriko Yamaguchi, Pablo Bartholomew, Ravinder Reddy, Rekha Rodwittiya, Shirin Neshat, Sunil Gawde, Surendran Nair and Vasudha Thozhur.

The show is on view till 3rd March 2014.

Two Worlds

Shridharani Art Gallery, at Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delh presents a two person show titled, ‘Two Worlds’. The two participating artists are Neha Talwar and Satish Sharma. 
The show displays the acrylic on canvas paintings of the two artists.

Employing different styles and techniques, the artists display a series which are exclusively their own. While Neha’s works have a dream like lyrical quality to them, the works of Satish border on figurative abstractions. Vibrantly coloured and replete with narratives the works are representations of the inner workings of the variations of artists’ minds and art practices.

The show previews on 24th February 2014 and is on view till 5th March 2014.

(News Reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

For the people

Of late, many art practitioners have been feeling the need to engage with people who are beyond the white cube.

(The art wall at T2 terminal in Mumbai airport)

The optimists will tell you that something is better than nothing but the unforgiving few continue to lament the absence of public art in this country. So where do we stand? Despite several years of debate, the government has done little to address the issue; whatever has happened is largely due to private initiatives.

Of late, many art practitioners feel the need to engage with people who are beyond the white cube. “How many people go to the galleries? The same set of 500-600 people go for different kinds of cultural events. What about the others? We want to reach out to people irrespective of class, age, group,” says Aruna Adiceam, Cultural Attaché of the French Embassy in India, which organised the Fete de la Photo 2014, a huge photo-festival in public spaces in Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Goa, Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram. In Delhi, different activities like astrophotography, mobile photo-booth, exhibitions will take up public spaces in and around Connaught Place. “I think photography needs to be outdoors. Art is for everybody,” adds Aruna.

A statement that Rajeev Sethi, the brain behind “Jaya He” at the T2 terminal of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, would agree with. The Delhi-based curator and scenographer created a massive piece of public art that brings together artists, craftsmen, designers, architects in a merger of traditional and modern India. A three-kilometre art wall split into six themes displays thousands of artefacts and art works by the likes of Vivan Sundaram, Nilima Sheikh, Jogen Chowdhury, Riyas Komu, Manu Parekh, G.R. Iranna and Chittrovanu Majumdar.

“Art can’t be confined to godowns. It has to be shared with people. It’s not easy for a common man to just walk into an art gallery. So, yes we have more and more examples of public art, but there is a danger of it all being mediocre. How to select an art work and choosing a site are important issues. Different mechanisms have to be put into place,” says Sethi.  

Art has been taken to the streets literally in Delhi with the first edition of St.ART Delhi. Besides talks, workshops and discussions, an important element is the painting of around 80 walls in the city. One is the life-size mural of Mahatma Gandhi on the Delhi Police headquarters, a joint effort by Indian artist Anpu Varkey and German street artist Hendrik Beikrich. “It took six years for us to feel confident enough to put together a festival like this. People have become more responsive and tolerant of not just the street art but also the street artist. While there was some resistance to our Mahatma Gandhi work, Delhi Police really stood by us,” says Hanif Kureshi, the Delhi-based typographer behind the festival.

Public art could be a propagator for issues affecting the public as demonstrated at the just-concluded India Art Fair where Kolkata-based photographer Leena Kejriwal launched her public art campaign “M.I.S.S.I.N.G”. The eight-foot female figures will soon be taken to various public spaces in different cities to sensitise the public to the problem of disappearing girls. 

For sculptor K.S. Radhakrishnan, it is imperative that people are able to engage with the piece installed in a public space. His guru, the iconic sculptor Ramkinkar Baij, had given the country its most significant public art work: the two monumental figures of Yaksha and Yakshini, who flank the entrance of the Reserve Bank of India in New Delhi.

Even though Radhakrishnan recently created two huge public art works in Goa and Kerala — both were commissioned by the State — he isn’t particularly thrilled with the scene. “The sun-dial at a round-about park in Delhi or the steel mushrooms near AIIMS are not particularly great examples of public art. There was a lot of hope before and after the Commonwealth Games but nothing happened. In the name of public art, we still have statues of political figures and a few murals done long ago.” A few noteworthy additions in the last couple of years are Subodh Gupta’s “Line ofControl”, a giant steel installation at South Court Mall in Saket and Anjolie Ela Menon’s mural in an already arty Terminal 3 at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

While the ambitious “48 degree Celsius: public.art.ecology”, the country’s first public art festival, was supposed to push the case of public art, not much happened. Pooja Sood, who curated the festival, was also part of an advisory panel constituted by the Delhi Urban Arts Commission to advise public bodies on commissioning public art pieces. “But nothing came of it. These bodies have no problems spending on art but they need guidance on how to go about it,”says Sood, who heads Khoj, an alternative space for art in the city. 

In a country where corporate support to art is minimal, the Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art’s (FICA) public art grant is crucial. All seven projects that it has supported so far had strong societal dimensions. “We want to encourage projects that explore ideas of working with communities, building societies and developing a healthy dialogue with the public on how they imagine shared spaces. Our aim is to engage with projects that have a strong social angle and allow interaction and engagement with the public,” says Roshini Vadehra, head of fundraising at FICA. 

( Report by Shailaja Tripathi for The Hindu)

Raghu Rai Collection, Paradoxes, Delhi International Arts Festival and more..

NEWS

Raghu Rai at Gallery Veda

Raghu Rai, one of India's most celebrated photographers will be displaying his works for five months at Gallery Veda, Chennai. He started his profession of photography in the year 1965 and started working as a freelance photographer after a few long stints in a newspaper and a magazine.

He is well known for his books- Raghu Rai's India: Reflections in Colour and Reflections in Black and White, The Sikhs, Calcutta, Khajuraho, Tajmahal, Tibet in Exile, Mother Teresa and more. He is known for his deep research and photographs of the Indian states. He has served three times on the jury of the World Press Photo and twice on the jury of UNESCO's International Photo Contest and has won many awards.

The show is on view till  28th March 2014.

Paradoxes

Jehangir Art Terrace Gallery, Mumbai, presents a unique exhibition of photography works by photography artist Pierre Poulain. The show titled, ‘Paradoxes’ will display a range of photographs taken by Pierre, who started his journey of experimenting with the camera in 1976, driving a taxi in Paris by night to support his passion for photography during the day.

The photographs selected for this exhibition aim to capture a ‘paradoxical tension’, by a contrast of forms, of situations, of light, or of feeling. In photography, the paradox is always dynamic. It appears suddenly in a gaze, in a ray of light which illuminates a background, or in the movement of a person or object which enters the field of the lens.

The show is hosted by New Acropolis which is a global non-profit organization, represented in over fifty countries.The show previews on 13th February 2014, 7:00pm and is on view till 19th February 2014.

Glass Installation Art

Dakshinachitra, Chennai presents a solo show of artist Anjali Srinivasan. The works on display are glass installations. She is a full time artist who has over 15 years of experience in this field. Having completed her basic degree in India, she then moved on to other countries to gain in depth knowledge of the subject. 

A NIFT-ian who wanted to specialise in accessory design, Anjali decided to take a detour to glass as a creative medium with infinite possibilities. It was the beginning of a journey that took her to the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design and later across the globe to various artist residencies. She has also lectured and demonstrated her work/findings at various institutions, before returning to Chennai. She is also the creative director of her studio Chochoma.

The show is on view till 16th February 2014.

Delhi International Arts Festival

Delhi’s much awaited prestigious International Arts festival is back. The iconic festival showcases all art forms from music, dance, theatre, visual arts, films, International performances and traditional arts and crafts from several countries will run in the capital  until the 23rd of February, 2014.

The Union Ministry of Culture is the main collaborator of the 7th Delhi International Arts Festival. Several organisations that come under the Ministry of Culture are organising events in their premises under the canopy of the Festival.The opening saw ethereal and colourful performances by the Manipuri dancers, Egyptian National Dance Troupe, Sri Lankan National Dance Troupe, Kashmiri dances, vibrant music by the Langas & the Manganiars from Rajasthan who performed in fusion with the ‘Kings of Creole’-Hety & Zambo from Columbia.

Literature events include panel, discussions and talks at the Sahitya Akademi. Iranian illumination artistes and craftsmen demonstrated at the National Museum and the Crafts Museum.Classical music lovers can enjoy Dhrupad Festival will be held at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts on the 21st and 22nd February.

DIAF, a platform for artistes, writers, thinkers and others to congregate in Delhi, India’s Capital city to participate in India’s biggest arts Festival.

(News reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

It’s raining art in the city

Cholamandal Artists’ Village recently played host to an unusual art mela as part of the ongoing Art Chennai. Akila Kannadasan & Anusha Parthasarathy on the artist-art lover meet

(Artists at art mela)

Thirty-three senior artists, more than 300 paintings and colour-soaked conversations — Art Mela (by Artworld) at Cholamandal Artists’ Village, the first of its kind in the city, had art lovers and artists mingling in the afternoon sun, over drinks, vadais and samosas. The congregation was part of the ongoing festival, Art Chennai. And what’s more anyone attending the mela could pick up fresh works by masters such as C. Douglas, M. Senathipathi, P. Gopinath, Viswanadhan and G. Raman for just Rs. 500!

(At Art Chennai (by Artworld) at Cholamandal Artists’ Village)

The paint on the brush of the artist who painted the big-eyed dancer had not dried yet, but the visitors were privileged to purchase it straight off the drawing board. By the end of the hour, more than 300 pieces of art were sold. The mela was aimed at taking artists closer to people. “Art Mela is the first of its kind in this city,” said Biswajit Banerjee of Artworld. “The idea is to take the art out of the gallery and initiate a dialogue between artists and art lovers.”

(At Art Chennai (by Artworld) at Cholamandal Artists’ Village)

“This is a happy get-together,” said artist Ramachandran. “I really like this approach to art.” For Rm. Palaniappan, the regional secretary of Lalit Kala Akademi, “when the artists and their admirers connect in spirit it leads to a perfect ambience for creativity.” Meanwhile G. Raman was seen assuring one of his admirers who could not buy his work, as they were all sold out, to paint one for her by the end of the day. “To get 30 artists under one roof is difficult. So it feels wonderful,” he exclaimed.

(At Art Chennai (by Artworld) at Cholamandal Artists’ Village)

Through most of the morning, the visitors at Art Mela peered over the shoulders of the artists as they painted. And it was not just the big names who drew in the crowds, budding artists such as Inbavalli and Mokshitha too came in for appreciation. According to artist Muralidharan, “Such initiatives expose a new set of people to art apart from the regular gallery goers. Nothing can equal a live show. We want to connect with people. And this is the best way to do it.”

(At Art Chennai (by Artworld) at Cholamandal Artists’ Village)

Said Asma Menon, adding pink acrylic to her canvas, “It’s similar to an atelier and the concept of a walk-in mela is fascinating. Unlike a gallery, anyone can walk in here without feeling intimidated. We have even had children from the nearby slums come and watch us work.” As the day progressed, the artists slowly began to move to the lunch hall after a morning of hard work. And you could see visitors holding their newly-bought paintings close to their chests. As you left, the smell of fresh paint and colourful strokes and conversations lingered.

(Report by Akila Kannadasananusha Parthasarathy for The Hindu)