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Sunday, 19 July 2015
Art Blogazine - Upcoming Event
To Say Something According To My Conscience- by Premjish Achari
The fifth voyage of Sinbad the Sailor
is important for us. It is in the fifth voyage that he encounters the wicked
‘Old Man of the Sea’. The rest as we know is a tale of Sinbad bearing the
burden of the physicality of viciousness. But finally he tricks the old man to
drink and kills him in an inebriated state; not only to escape but also to end
that burden forever. This tale from Arabian Nights was narrated here to
illustrate two points – one is to highlight the incidents which follow after
Sinbad listens to his conscience and second to point out the structural
similarity in the way Sinbad carries the old man and K.S. Radhakrishnan’s Musui
carries Maiya in his latest works. Sinbad follows his conscience and rescues
the old man but later on the old man sitting on his shoulders become his
conscience. He controls Sinbad but the execution of the old man redeems Sinbad
from that perpetual agony; hence this struggle of Sinbad is symbolic of the
tussles to overcome external influences and set norms of the society. Visible
here is an inherent tension between control and autonomy. The comparison drawn
here, as I mentioned earlier, was done for structural similarities because
Maiya sitting on the shoulders of Musui is not conceived as a burden. She
rather impersonates his conscience to guide him. He is seduced by her,
influenced and moved by her.
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| K.S. Radhakrishnan |
Like the benevolent Happy Prince of
Oscar Wilde who gives away the golden leaves that cover him to end the misery
of many and finally sacrificing his eyes made of precious stones; like the
mythical Arjuna from Mahabharata halt himself in the moments of self-doubt and
guilt, only to be enlightened by the reception of a new philosophy from his
friend and charioteer the Lord Krishna; like the turbulent Hamlet who ponders
painfully about the options between death and vengeance, the human mind
perpetually is motivated by the principles, is guided by the conscience, and at
times is also in a battle with the conscience to do what he wants to do.
K.S. Radhakrishnan’s latest works are
an example of his intellectual versatility, dynamic imagination and also a
willingness to experiment with newer themes without compromising on his craft.
In one of his latest exhibition Radhakrishnan has presented us with the idea of
‘Terrafly’. These are air bound sculptures first exhibited in Shantiniketan
presents us with philosophical thesis executed in sculptures on the themes of
conscience, control and actions. Terrafly is the guiding light, like a
lighthouse standing atop a tall pillar Radhakrishnan’s ‘Terrafly’ stands on a
pillar made of tiny figures crawling on them. Musui and Maiya are the Terrafly
above us. They are watching us and are a figure that have an aerial view on our
lives. Way back in 2008 Radhakrishnan executed a sculpture with the similar
theme titled ‘Terrafly on the Human Square’ which was displayed in Lalit Kala
Akademi, depicted the ‘Terrafly’ in its full glory. He was placed above a
pillar and there were many figures on the square platform moving towards and
away from the pillar. The sculpture resembles the Biblical Sermon on the Mount.
With a prophetic demeanour Terrafly encounters the multitude holding the pillar
like an acrobat displaying his physical flexibility. Terrafly reminded me of
Jesus Christ as if he is in an act of delivering a sermon, narrating a parable
or inviting children towards him. Like all prophet’s he too gets the attention
of some and faces the ignoring of others. The ‘Terrafly’ is imagined both as
Maiya and Musui. These live size sculptures signify the larger than life
presence of Terrafly in our lives. His style is lucidly classical. These
sculptures characterise Radhakrishnan’s ability in showing how one can make
profound philosophical statements while executing a sculpture. What remains
central to his repertoire is the way he has used a host of ideas to convert
into sculptures. He invites us to congregate in the presence of this shamanic
figure. The invitation is for a mysterious ritual to witness the power of this
figure. Hence, the Terrafly is also a totem. The experience is spiritual. As
Freud had observed:
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| K.S. Radhakrishnan’s latest works |
“In
the first place, the totem is the common ancestor of the clan; at the same time
it is their guardian spirit and helper, which sends them oracles and, if
dangerous to others, recognises and spares its own children.” (Totem and Taboo).
Therefore it is this
figure’s extreme excess and its gratuity that make it totemic. Its physical
manifestation does not disturb us. They exist as an emblem which has symbolic
value in them. Terrafly is the tower of power. It is not a Foucauldian
panopticon which is there to torment the soul and monitor the prisoners. It is
not the technology of surveillance. Terrafly is the centre of power rooted to
its ground. In a way Terrafly is Radhakrishnan’s own idealistic conception
about power where we a guiding light is needed but it should stand for the
people. It should be accountable to its citizens. It is the vision for a
foreseeable future of a utopian democratic global state without a hegemonic
institution to control all of us.
The exquisitely smooth
yet somewhat porous surfaces of Radhakrishnan’s sculptures exudes a sensuous
pleasure and are telling imitations of extra-ordinary bodily shapes. These
monumental figures are often complicated by a sequential movement, a
strategically placed arm or leg or twisted body movements. In Radhakrishnan’s
imagination his Musui and Maiya floats above this world; watching it all and
experiencing it all.
Radhakrishnan’s works
speaks loudly and persuasively about the redemptive qualities of sculpting. He
is an influential sculptor and, at the same time, an influential analyst of
sculpting. Few sculptors are as willing to adopt the role of commentator of
their craft. He has done his best to dismantle the conventions by which the art
world has lived for many years. Terrafly stands for the entire humanity. It
shines atop and watches over the individual to society.
In another group of
sculptures we see Maiya in various positions above the head of Musui. They are
again live size sculptures. The movement of Maiya is varied. She is sitting,
standing, and sometimes seen in acrobatic actions. I would like to bring in Freud again on the
issues of conscience. The visual similarity between the Sinbad story and these
sculptures is remarkable but the conceptual contrast is also magnificent. Here
Musui is not burdened by the presence of Maiya. He is calm and serene. There is
stillness in his face acknowledging his surrender to his conscience. The lure of
its charm is erotic. But it is not tense. It is tranquil.
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| K.S. Radhakrishnan’s latest works |
Again I would like to
begin with some strong Freudian ideas to ruminate on the psychological dealings
of the conscience. According to him ‘conscience is closely associated with a
sense of guilt, in that we feel guilty if we go against our conscience. This
was of particular interest to Freud, who sought to give a psychological
explanation for it. He argued that, through our early upbringing, we learn
values that continue to influence our moral awareness and our conscience later
in life. He distinguished between three elements in the mind - the ego, the id
and the super-ego. At its simplest level, the ego is the rational self, the id
is the self at the level of its physical and emotional needs, and the super-ego
is the controlling, restraining self. Clearly, conscience is an aspect of the
operation of the super-ego. For our purposes, the importance of this view is
that it challenges the role of the conscience, and also raises questions about
our freedom.’ (Mel Thompson)
Here Radhakrishnan
tries to represent this dilemma which Freud is also baffling with. Is
conscience innate or acquired? Though we cannot dismiss the role of the social
in our lives but we also have to assume that we have a mental faculty which
allows deducing and processing our actions. It is always alert. How much
socially constructed it is and guided by the principles of society it also
allows the individual to overcome it. If Acquinas argues for the functionality
of conscience as an agent to decide between right and wrong, Joseph Butler
ascribes conscience, superiority in hierarchy which could over-rule the
impulses. Maiya here represents this hierarchy in their relationship. Radhakrishnan
has been successful in burrowing after the deeper emotional realities in their
relationship. He tries to break a Kafkaesque aphorism, “The inner world can
only be lived, not described.” Radhakrishnan’s works abound in these narratives
where imagination will not be denied. He executes the portrait of their world
by portraying the interiority of human mind itself. One must not forget the
value of thinking as observed by the Jewish scholar Hannah Arendt, “The sad truth is that most evil
is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil.” The
movement of Maiya is the movement of the conscience and the stillness of Musui
is the stillness of introspection like Oscar Wilde has observed, “He who stands
most remote from his age is he who mirrors it best."
Apart from these works there are five seated figures with
tilted movements. They have the facial expression as if they are punished or
questioned by their own conscience. The tilted position is the final surrender
before the conscience. They are Durga like images conceived to project this superiority
of conscience over us. Its superiority, the god like nature, the totemic
relevance and the mythic connotations are projected in them.
‘Terrafly’ is Radhakrishnan’s most intellectually ambitious
endeavour where he explores the role of conscience in human life through the
language of sculpture. It has admirably, resulted in works of unique brilliance
and beauty. Sensuously rendered this exhibition is a significant achievement by
one of the greatest sculptors of our time. While engaging with philosophy, he
decorated his propositions as sculptures which are strenuous and
unconventional.
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| Premjish Achari |
by Premjish Achari is an independent curator, writer ad translator based in Delhi. Previously he has been a Contributing Editor for Art and Deal magazine. He has written extensively on modern and contemporary art for Art and Deal, Art Etc., Lalit Kala Akademi, etc. His catalogue essays on Akbar Padamsee, KS Radhakrishnan, Vanita Gupta, Devraj Dhakoji, etc. has featured in the exhibitions of Art Heritage Gallery and Akar Prakar.
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
Artist Manish Nai, Gallerist Dadiba Pundole, Professor of Architecture, Mustansir Dalvi and Cultural theorist Ranjit Hoskote
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It is time once again to look at our current exhibition "Ram Kumar: Works in the Jehangir Nicholson Collection" from different perspectives. Our next event -
"The Futures of Abstraction" - a panel discussion, gives us the chance to do just that.
Artist Manish Nai, Gallerist Dadiba Pundole, Professor of Architecture, Mustansir Dalvi and Cultural theorist Ranjit Hoskote will explore the potential futures of abstractionist art, which has a substantial presence in the Jehangir Nicholson Collection. The 20 works of Ram Kumar that Nicholson put together over the years, are a wonderful example of this.
Do join us on the 29th of July, 2015, at 5.30pm.
Tea will be served at 5pm.
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Friday, 19 June 2015
join us for the screening at the Visitor's Centre, CSMVS, on the 23rd of June 2015, at 5.30 pm. Tea will be served at 5 pm.
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The Jehangir Nicholson Gallery, CSMVS, will host the first of its events planned around the current exhibition at the gallery, Ram Kumar: Works in the Jehangir Nicholson Collection.
Ram Kumar, Nostalgic Longing, explores the philosophy, the views and the life of one of the country's most renowned abstractionists, connecting it to his astounding body of work. The documentary is part of a series of four films made by the French Director Laurent Bregeat, on India's modernists.
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Monday, 15 June 2015
SAVE FTII Pune Film Institute Students Protest After Actor-BJP Member is Appointed Chief
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Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Overcoming Loss...
Before one
touches down at any of the two airports, dinghy houses with roofs wearing
plastic sheets is the first thing that one can notice. Some 100 kilometers off
the metropolitan limits, Adivasis in Tansa and other protected forest areas use
these very sheets as a rain cover on their bodies. Thus in the regional
context, a single large sheet pf polymer is a ready-made object primarily used
for protection. SmitaKinkale knows the purpose and usefulness of these sheets,
and her larger artistic project has been about replacing the function, purpose
and utility with an aesthetic statement.
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| Recent Artwork by Smita Kinkale |
With her
own upbringing in Tansa forest area as an Adivasi girl, she remembers moods of
the forest, the many rain-flowers that punctuate meadows that go green in
monsoon but would turn golden brown in October and show the bear black soil in
summer. While these wildflowers and monsoon orchids could have been a part of
her imagery, she chooses to negate many aspects, including the use of colour
and canvas.
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| Artist : Smita Kinkale |
Arguably,
it is not a coincidence if a viewer, looking at Smita’s work, is reminded of
Jackson Pollock’s “Lavender Mist”. Some may think of the red work as a Gulmohar
or others might think of it as bougainvillea, yet others might not think of any
flower but will arrive at a joy of witnessing the red abundance. Same with the
blue works that delve the viewer into aquatic ecstasies, or the white works
that reveal a riot of colour.
Such
experience is elusive, and the presence of the material overtakes it. This is
the precise moment when one arrives at SmitaKinkale's work. As an artist, she
does not celebrate nature or even her past. Instead, the works seem to be
asserting the human capacity of overcoming loss by reconnecting the present and
absent in passage of time.
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| Recent Artwork by Smita Kinkale |
Smita’s
art-making practice looks differently at the notions of craft and artistic
intervention at one end and the conceptual context of “the ready-made” on the
other. Spreading the plastic sheets on one another, welding them to make a
multi-layered picture-plane and then excavating hidden layers from the
picture-plane are studio processes that define her intervention that is
intrinsically artistic. She chooses the layers that inform each different
picture-plane, and with some defined cuts with a knife or scalpel, she operates
one the picture-plane to make her clues visible. The cuts often resemble with
the primitive art-making practice. A triangle is repeated not as a geometric
form, but as an abstract unit that gives way to other forms.
To
be sure, the work negates bipolarity of urbane and primitive, of organic and
inorganic, of presence and absence.These works pave pathways to a multi-layered
experience. The works make us aware of the realms of memory and reality that
cohabit
in our
senses.
Abhijeet Tamhane,
Mumbai,
summer 2015.
Tuesday, 2 June 2015
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Monday, 1 June 2015
'Ram Kumar - Drawings from the 60's' at Gallery 7 Multiple Happenings in a Meditative Space
The legendary artist Ram Kumar needs no introduction. An equally legendary conceptual solo show of Ram Kumar's drawings from the 60s will be displayed at Gallery 7, Kala Ghoda's favourite art space starting from 8th June, 2015 onwards. Done in pen and ink on paper, these paintings have a mesmerising presence with a substance which touches our heart and mind the moment we fix our gaze at them. The lines have an immediacy of their own and they start taking us to a journey and alert us with each drawing enabling us to be experience a visual delight.
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| 'Ram Kumar - Drawings from the 1960 |
The drawings belong to the celebrated Varanasi Phase of Ram Kumar's career which transformed his figurative period into a non representational one. His paintings move towards abstract landscape forms and images. Yet, these drawings of the same early sixties period have a different tale to tell.Some of the drawings shows the traces of architectural constructs and some images, shapes and figures immerge in certain drawings, some contain a geometrical familiarity but even this has a germinal essence of their own.
Ramkumar says that, "An artist shows the entry point to his creative world and the rest depends on the onlooker, what he sees, feels and interprets. He has to make an effort to find for himself what he is seeking and what the artist wants him to see."Ramkumar has in fact created here a meditative space by the use of lines, where one can also build and re build ones own space to ponder over ones feelings. For Ramkumar, if the Varanasi phase or that period has been a turning point in his paintings, it has been no less an inspirational period, for his drawings, which came on their own magnificently: giving him an 'expressive way' to grasp and say certain things, which could not be transmitted by his paintings.
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| Gallery 7, Kala Ghoda Mumbai- (Courtesy: Mid-day) |
These drawings independently and intently, have unique flavour, and flair within the oeuvre of Ramkumar. To be with them is to be with serene, calm and sublime feelings, and is to enter space, where multiple movements, gatherings and sensations are awaiting us!
Title: 'Ram Kumar - Drawings from the 60's' at Gallery 7
Date: 8th June 2015 onwards
Where: Gallery 7
G 3, Ground Floor, Oricon House,
12/14 Rampart Row, K. Dubhash Road,
Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 400 001
G 3, Ground Floor, Oricon House,
12/14 Rampart Row, K. Dubhash Road,
Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 400 001
Days: Monday to Saturday , Sunday closed.
Timings: 10:30 am till 7:00 pm
Contact: +91 22 22183996; +91 22 22189520
Please contact Raena on 9920857444 for all media queries.
Wednesday, 20 May 2015
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