Saturday, 22 February 2014

A large figurative portrait of a frail, distraught-looking lady set against the backdrop of Pattachitra paintings from Raghurajpur in Odisha adorns the wall at artist Vinita Dasgupta’s first solo show titled Storytellers. Although all her works on display were sold out, this is one piece that Dasgupta says she will never sell. “This is a portrait of my dida (grandmother) and she is my storyteller,” says the 30-year-old artist.

The series of paintings depicts a new pictorial style and artistic practice that she developed three years ago after visiting Raghurajpur. Although the village is known for its heritage of Pattachitra paintings that date back to 5 BC, to the artist, it is a cradle of early childhood memories and stories that her grandmother used to tell her. Much like the Pattachitra paintings that depict tales from Hindu mythology in a pictorial form, her grandmother too would narrate mythological stories and folk tales. As Dasgupta grew up and graduated from Delhi College of Arts, the memories of Raghurajpur faded, but not the influence of her grandmother, who continues to be an inspiration for her work.

“The biggest strength of a woman is her power to love,” says the artist. “And it starts with the ability to love oneself.” That’s one of the lessons that her mother and her grandmother taught her. No wonder Dasgupta’s early works have a deeply autobiographical touch. She used self-portraits to create metaphors of herself and her realisation of womanhood. These early works are characterised by broad, free-flowing brush strokes. “Here was a woman who painted like a man and that is what drew me to her work,” says curator Rahul Bhattacharya. “But that style comes naturally to her.” And she never changes her style until she gets bored of it.

Although a personal connect with Raghurajpur drew her to the village at first, the craftsmanship, detailing and precision of the folk painters inspired her to incorporate elements of their work into hers. “It was these artists who helped me realise that something ‘popular’ could also be deeply rooted in discipline and have a strong cultural dialogue,” she says. Since then, Dasgupta has adopted a more controlled technique and introduced new compositional elements in her work.

Artist : Vinita Dasgupta Photo: Vijay Pandey

Although initially she transposed motifs from the village onto the borders of paintings depicting popular personalities, they are now deeply entrenched in her artwork. For her latest series, the artist has painted Pattachitrakathas on small pieces of canvas, rolled them to create small scrolls and used them to create an intricate detailing in her latest series of portraits. “I have seen Vinita sitting in the corner making canvas rolls for hours together,” says Bhattacharya, who feels that Dasgupta’s drive to create art combined with her fidgetiness converts her art into a meditative practice. “What makes her work unique is that it is contemporary, yet embodies our heritage in the form of scrolls,” says artist Niladri Paul.

Although Dasgupta has never had trouble selling her work, the detailing in her work is time-consuming; a single piece of work can take her up to three months to complete. Her works can be bought for Rs 1-5 lakh. Though there are times when she has to struggle to make ends meet, that is about to change with her first solo show being a runaway hit. Perhaps she can now put her energies into refining her work.

(Report courtesy Published in Tehelka Magazine, Volume 11 Issue 7, Dated 15 February 2014)

Re telling a story teller:

The early works of the artist reveal a deep love for expressing an autobiographical narrative. Often using portraits; she created metaphors of herself and her realization of womanhood. Even at that point one can locate an attraction towards popular culture. Thus it was not surprising that her work has focused on fashion, cinema and popular icons. However, over a period one could notice many changes in terms of medium, style and technique. Her natural flair is towards a modernist gestural approach to figuration, but possibly the artist felt that that style came too easily for her. In an effort to challenge herself ,Dasgupta began ajourney into a more controlled technique, and began to introduce various compositional elements in her works. As the artist was going through a re-visitation of her personal understanding of style and technique, she also became more interested in telling stories about the world and her social empathies and engagements…

Yet the search continued, she discovered that to work with popular imagery she needed to re-present them with greater conceptual layering. The gestural modernist within her can only be deconstructed through a practice connected with tradition and discipline. Her (re) discovery of Raghurajpur folk painting tradition finally leadsto this search finding a resting place from where she can explore future directions. How do craft, storytelling and meditative practice become carriers of contemporary concepts? This body of work ‘The Story Tellers’ marks an important turning point in her journey, specially reflecting a sustained engagement with technique, inspiration and concept.

Odishahas been a part of the artist’s childhood, and that nostalgia has played an important role in Dasgupta being able to culturally respond to it’s artistic tradition. The Raghurajpur folk painting tradition also offered her adifferent access to the ‘popular’, a ‘popular’ that was deeplyentrenched in a disciplined and controlled approach to art. This art making is robust, colorful and yet deeply in dialogue with the culture of contemporaneity. The philosophy of craftsmanship attracted her deeply along with its notions of detailing, precision and the ‘handmade’. Moreover, Raghurajpur offered her an escape from the noise of mainstream popular culture as well as an alternative understanding of the narrative possibilities of art making. Since her (re) visit to Raghurajpur about three years ago, newer pictorial style and artistic practice slowly began to find space in her works. Initially it was just motifs coming into the borders of her paintings depicting Bollywood and popular personalities...and slowly it entered deep, deep into the artwork itself.

The encounter with Raghurajpur did not lead her throw away her personal love for the urban popular traditions, instead what resulted is a complex layering of both. Taking photographs of the Raghurajpur paintings,the artist painstakinglymakesnumerous canvas rolls and usesthem to make portraits of painters, performers and story tellersto make her world. Paint is given at a final layer of detailing that helps the artist to develop a language that challenges the boundaries of painting. This merging of boundaries makes her a child of postmodern eclecticism and also gives her meditative therapy of craftmanship that her soul has been looking for.

Apart from the artist’s natural flair for figuration and an ability to strike a chord with portraiture, what makes her current body of works significant is the possibilities of enquiries that they open and the complex layering of folk and urban they embody. This layering of folk and urban also mirrors the zone between art and craft that mark the physicality of her works. The inspiration behind these rolls has been earrings she discovered where in Coke and Fanta cans were cut and rolled. This dismembering and creation of a new identity opened up the possibilities for Dasgupta to assimilate the Raghurajpur paintings into her works and yet mask them. Over the last two years apart from the painters and performers of Raghurajpur, other prominent personalities have come in her artworks...almost as a continuation of her earlier subject matter. However even though sometimes these popular mainstream icons enter her work, their representation has completely changed. There is a fragmentation and realignment that happens, this breaks their iconicity and positions them within the vulnerability of popular storytelling.

As she moves deeper into understanding and practicing this direction in her practice, she is also beginning to realize that within this idiom there is a great possibility of conceptual fine-tuning and experimentation. These works have captured the imagination of viewers, yet the artist is looking for more, eager to walk a tightrope between making her practice more deeply personal, and universal. The journey is to entrench her works deep into the dialog of contemporary, yet go deeper into her love for craft and the handmade. The Storytellers is standing on the edge, rooted and yet ready to take off.

Rahul Bhattacharya

Curator and Writer

(From the solo exhibition : Story teller- stories told and retold… )

Wednesday, 19 February 2014

FLAG MARCH OF REASSURANCE- Art and Deal - Delhi

REVIEW

FLAG MARCH OF REASSURANCE
- SUSHMA SABNIS

Every once in a while, a nation chooses to display its strength as a reassurance to the citizens it houses, aptly called a flag march, where various streams of security forces parade in all their glory and finesse. These times of recession urged six artists to display their show of strength titled, ‘Flag March’ with a similar intent of reassuring the art world, at the newly opened Art Gate gallery, reviews Sushma Sabnis.

Artist : Ruhul Vajale

Conceptualized and organized by artist Tathi Premchand, the show he believes is a ‘flag march for safe investment in art’. Six eminent and upcoming artists from Mumbai came together to display an array of their works at the newly opened art gallery, Art Gate. This was the gallery’s debut show and its intent at showcasing these six specific artists was more than just a launch of their new space in an age when gallerists are closing shop. Owned and managed by Runish Chedda and at 3000 sq ft of display space and well equipped, the gallery is not just reassuring for the artists displaying their works, but anyone who walks through their doors and is connected to the art world. The show ‘Flag March’ displayed the works of six contemporary artists of our times, Archana Mishra, Gajanan Kabade, Pradeep Nerurkar, Prakash Waghmare, Rahul Vajale and Tathi Premchand. With an eclectic mix of the range of works on display, from abstracts to contemporary art and drawings, the show had a little something for everyone. The participating artists have been working in their chosen field and medium for the past 10-20 years and the works on display are a testament to theireffort and evolution of their art practices.
Artist Archana Mishra, reaches deep within her mind and heart to depict her abstractions on large scaled canvases. In this show however, along with her large format works, were a selection of small format works named, ‘Moon series’. Fluid and lyrical in form and colours, the abstracts descended over the viewer like a comforting gaze. The palette, unlike Archana’s earlier works, was replete with cool blues, pale yellows and luminous ochres. Archana believes in the influence of nature in everything and it reflected in her works as well.

Artist Gajanan Kabade employed a very unique method to layer his canvases or paper works. He used coloured cellophane tape. Multiple hued and varying in different width as per the necessity of the artist’s vision, the works were bit by bit layered. The translucency of these cellophane pieces ensured the textures and luminosity of the works. Contrasting the shades used the artist left minute crevices between the layering like lighted windows to peep into his art process and his thought processes. Some portions displayed a water colour treatment and appeared to be meshed behind the translucent tape. Raising the ordinary cello tape from a mere material to a medium of art, Gajanan aimed to show beauty in the mundane to the viewer. Once in a while an artist becomes so influenced by nature that instead of just depicting it through the paint medium, they engage in a seemingly tactile depiction of it, like artist Pradeep Nerurkar. One had to only look at the acrylic painted surfaces that were on display at the show to imagine the stages of art processes that went into creating the art work. The artist engaged in nearly covering the white of the canvas with another sharply emerging cotton mesh element which leapt out at the viewer in absolute boldness. There was little of gradual merging of the contrasting textures of the canvas and the treated, coloured, hardened cotton mesh which stood out almost as a pedestal. The artist drew inspiration from nature and its diverse secrets and his choice of cotton, a natural fabric cementedthe reliance and faith he harbours in nature.

The works of artist Prakash Waghmare were intense colour fields, reflecting depth of the artist’s art practice and thought process. An ardent practitioner of Yoga, this artist based his meditative and soulful canvases on the silence he experienced during those moments of practice. If one were to observe a silent river, one would encounter bits of floating elements now and then, which float and sink as the river ebbs and flows. Prakash’s canvases displayed a similar essence to that river in flow. Fluid, deep and hinting at the elements it encompassed, the canvases were large format colour fields with the occasional geometric shapes which surfaced only on closer observation by the viewer. Like the wind playing with a window grill and a curtain, the possibilities of the objects behind thescreen seem more hypnotic than the directly visible.

(Report courtesy Art and Deal - Delhi)

चित्रकार गायतोंडे यान्ची मुलाखत

December 12, 2011 at 9:55pm

चित्रकार गायतोंडे यान्ची मुलाखत....(2)

१९९८ च्या अनुष्टुभ दिवाळी अंकातील चित्रकार गायतोंडे यान्ची नीतीन दादरावाला यान्नी घेतलेली मुलाखत....

(चिन्हने २००६ साली प्रकाशित केलेल्या 'गायतोंडे विशेषांक' या वार्षिक अंकात पुनर्प्रकाशित झालेली हि मुलाखत मी येथे जशीच्या तशी टाईप केली आहे याची कृपया नोंद घ्यावी.)

(Report courtesy Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg)

वासुदेव गायतोंडे यान्चा जन्म १९२४ मध्ये नागपुर येथे झाला. १९४८ साली 'सर जे. जे. स्कुल ऑफ़ आर्ट' मधुन चित्रकलेचा डिप्लोमा घेतला. त्यान्ना एका वर्षाची फ़ेलोशीपही मिळाली, परन्तु चित्रकला शिकविण्यात त्यान्चे मन रमले नाही. प्रोग्रेसिव आर्टीस्ट ग्रुप आणि बॉम्बे ग्रुप अश...ा दोन्ही ग्रुपशी त्यान्चा सुरुवातीला संबंध आला; तरीही ते प्रोग्रेसिव आर्टीस्ट ग्रुपचे म्हणुनच अधिक ओळखले जातात. १९६४-६५ मध्ये त्यान्ना 'रॉकफ़ेलर फ़ेलोशीप' मिळाली. त्या अंतर्गत त्यान्नी अमेरिकेत न्युयॉर्क येथे काही महीने राहून काम केले. तेथुन परतताना त्यान्नी काही दिवस युरोप व जपान मध्ये घालवले. युरोप मधील समकालीन चित्रकलेशी त्यान्ची ओळख झाली. जपानमध्ये त्यान्ची 'झेन' तत्वज्ञानाविषयीची ओळख आणि ओढ वाढली. त्यान्नी झेन गार्डन्सना भेट दिली. १९७१ साली भारत सरकारने त्यान्ना 'पद्मश्री' हा किताब बहाल करुन त्यान्चा गौरव केला. देशविदेशातील अनेक चित्रसंग्राहकान्कडे व म्युझियम्स मध्ये गायतोंडे यान्च्या कलाकृती आहेत.

गेल्या पन्नास वर्षामध्ये 'गायतोंडे' हे नाव भारतीय चित्रकलेच्या जगात एक अख्यायीका बनून गेले आहे. ज्ञानेश्वर नाडकर्णी म्हणतात त्याप्रमाणे ते 'चित्रकारान्चे चित्रकार' आहेत. अनेकान्नी त्यान्च्या मुलाखती घेउन त्यान्ना जाणुन घेण्याचा प्रयत्न केला आहे. नरेन्द्र डेन्गळे, ज्ञानेश्वर नाडकर्णी, प्रमोद गणपत्ये, एस.आय.क्लर्क,अव्यक्त दास अशा अनेकान्शी गेल्या पन्नास वर्षात वेळोवेळी केलेल्या संवादातून गायतोंडे यान्च्याच शब्दात त्यान्चा परिचय करुन घेउ.

"माझे लहानपण गोव्यातील एका लहानश्या खेड्यात गेले. गायतोंडे कुटुम्बियान्चीच ती एक वसाहत. भातशेतीने वेढलेली. त्यातील एक गायतोंडे कुटुम्बीय तेथील देवळाच्या भिन्तीवर चित्रे काढायचा, कदाचित तेच बघुन मी चित्रकलेकडे ओढला गेलो असेन. त्याच सुमारास मी चित्रे काढुही लागलो आणि माझ्या लक्षात आले की आपल्यालाही चित्रं काढणे जमते आहे. विद्यार्थीदशेतच,पुढे मुम्बईत आल्यावर म्युनिसिपल शाळेत जाऊ लागलो आणि थोड्याच दिवसात आर्ट ग्यालरीत प्रदर्शने पाहू लागलो. घरुन अर्थात फ़ारसे प्रोत्साहन कधी नव्हतेच. वडिल तापट आणि आई शान्त, पारंपारिक वृत्तीची. 'वाटेल त्या' मुलान्मध्ये मिसळायला परवानगी नसे आणि आसपास चान्गली मुलेही विरळाच. आपसूकच एकटा पडलो. वाचनाची गोडी लागली.

'जे.जे.'चा परिसर भव्य. ऊन्च सिलीन्ग, ऊन्च खिडक्या, झाडे. प्रत्येक वर्गावर एक एक शिक्षक असे. अहिवासी हे आम्हाला एनॉटॉमी शिकवायचे. त्यान्चे आमच्या कामाकडे बारीक लक्ष असे. निसर्गचित्रे, पोर्टेट शिकवली गेली ती Statues and figures वर काम केल्यावर. दर शनिवारी आम्ही कॉलेजबाहेर पडून रेखाटने करत असू. मी शिकत होतो त्यासाठी मला कमवावेही लागत होते. कोठे शिकवणी कर, कोठे सुटीत काम कर असे चाले. 'जे.जे.' मध्ये मला शिष्यवृत्ती होती. पण सर्वाधिक शिक्षण झाले ते आम्हा विद्यार्थ्यान्चे एकमेकान्कडून. आम्ही परस्परान्कडून जे शिकलो त्याला तोड नाही. सर्वान्ना चित्रकलेविषयी कुठेतरी पोटतिडीक होती, शिकायचा उत्साह होता. कलेवर प्रेम होते... 'पळशीकर' म्हणजे भारतीय चित्रकलेतील महत्वाचा बिन्दू. त्यान्च्या चित्रकलेने एक वैशिष्ट्यपूर्ण पल्ला गाठला होता. त्यान्ची चित्रकला खर्‍या अर्थाने 'भारतीय आधुनिक चित्रकला' म्हटली जावी. सबंध 'जे.जे.' चे विद्यार्थी त्यान्च्या प्रभावाखाली आले. आणि याच काळात आम्ही आधुनिक चित्रकलेकडे येऊन ठेपलो होतो...

...शाळेमध्ये होतो तेन्व्हाच ध्यानात आले होते की आपण चान्गले चित्र काढतो, त्यामुळे चित्रकलेखेरीज इतर पर्याय पुढे आलेच नाहीत आणि म्हणुनच चित्रकला माझ्या आयुष्याचा केन्द्रबिन्दु ठरला.पण माझी रंगाची जाणिव तेवढी सुस्पष्ट नव्हती. डोळ्यानी जे दिसायचे ते मी रंगवू शके इतकेच. पण डोळ्यान्पुढे नाही आणि ज्याची जाणिव असे ते मी रंगात उतरवू शकत नव्हतो. संकल्पनात्मक, आकृतीबद्ध आणि अमुर्त, सर्वच त्यामुळे अवघड जात होते.

.... भारतीय लघुचित्रं आमच्या अभ्यासक्रमाचा एक भाग होता. मी मिनिएचर्सचे(लघुचित्रं) चक्क कित्ते गिरवले, त्यातून मात्र मी रंगाविषयी अधिकाधिक जागरुक बनलो. त्यान्च्याकडे नव्याने पहायला शिकलो. नंतर लघुचित्रामधील आकृतीबंध गाळून टाकून त्यातील प्रमाणबद्धता, रचनासूत्र, रंगान्चे संघटन आणि भाव मात्र ठेवला. कदाचित हीच माझ्या आधुनिक चित्रकलेची सुरुवात असावी...

....मी स्वभावतःच थोडा अलिप्त. एकान्तप्रिय आणि मितभाषी. आमच्या ग्रुपमध्ये मुद्दाम 'भारतीय शैली' बेतावी असे कधीच जाणवले नाही. चित्रकलेकडे माझ्या मित्रान्पेक्षा वेगळ्याच दृष्टिस पहात होतो. मी 'असा आहे' याची कारणमीमान्सा देण्याची गरज मला भासत नव्हती. म्हणूनच भारतीय मिनिएचर्स, पॉल क्ली आणि झेन माझी बंदीस्त क्षेत्रे न ठरता, मीच पलिकडे गेलो. या अमुर्ततेत मी स्वैर विहार करु शकत होतो. त्यात मला अखंड स्वातंत्र्याची जाणीव लाभली. माझी चित्रकला माझ्या शैलीची गुलाम न बनता, शैली व चित्रकला एकमेकास पुरक ठरल्या. माझी चित्रं Polychromatic नसून Monochromatic असतात. एका मुख्य रंगाच्या अनुषंगाने इतर रंगान्ची योजना होत असते. उदाहरणार्थ, हिरवा रंग वापरता वापरता क्यानव्हासवर त्या हिरव्या रंगाचे रुप हळूहळू साकार व्हावयास लागते. इतर रंगही मग त्यामध्ये कधी कधी येतात ते पुन्हा त्याच हिरव्या रंगाच शोध घेत....

'पॉल क्ली' मधून 'झेन'मध्ये आपण केन्व्हा शिरलो हेच कळले नाही; पण हे नक्की की 'झेन'शी ओळख होताना माझ्यात 'क्ली' नव्हता. या स्थित्यंतरात कुठलेच क्लेष नव्हते. एक मात्र खरे की आता एका विविक्षीत संकल्प्नेतून चित्रणाची आवश्यकताच वाटेनाशी झाली. एक विलक्षण मोकळेपणा आला. त्यातूनच रंग चित्रण घडू लागले...

चित्रकलेसाठी, तिच्या आस्वादासाठी आणि निर्मितीसाठी सदैव जागरुकतेची आवश्यकता असते. आपण सतत सर्जनशील असतोच. स्वयंपाक करताना, काम करताना परंतु नेहमीच्या जीवनात ही सर्जनशीलता पुन: पुन्हा एकाच चक्रात फसून जाते. ह्याच क्रियेने खर्‍या आर्थाने सर्जनशील व्हायला हवे. it is a constantly meditative action. रंगचित्रणाच्या प्रक्रियेत विचाराला थारा नसतो. सबंध शरिर,मन एक संघटीत झालेले असते...'झेन' म्हणजे एका क्षणात चित्रकार,रंग व कैनव्हास या सर्वान्ची युती होते. सर्व समलय होते. संपुर्ण सृष्टीच जणू रंगकामात भाग घेते...

जाणीवपूर्वक पुनरावर्तन टाळण्याची मला गरज कधी वाटलीच नाही. कारण, पुर्वीच्या रंग स्वरुपाचे नव्या चित्रणावेळी मला पुर्ण विस्मरण असते. तो रिकामा कैनव्हास मला इतका आवड्तो की केन्व्हा केन्व्हा मी त्यास पुष्कळ वेळ न्याहाळत बसलेलो आहे.! त्याचा आकार लहान मोठा झाला तरी रंग पद्धती व तंत्र बदलते जसे मोठ्या घरातून लहान घरात यावे व सर्व कुटुम्बियान्ची हालचाल पालटावी तसे होते. स्वत:च्या रंग चित्रणाची पद्धत मात्र उमजावी लागते, मग हालचालीत डौल येतो, कोठेही, कसाही कैनव्हासवर विहार करता येतो. जेथे अमुक एक असे उद्धिष्ट-ध्येय नाही तेथे कलेचा 'विकास' न होता त्याची उत्क्रान्ती होत असते. वाढ : उत्क्रान्ती : कला चित्रण : चित्रकार यान्चा प्रवास बरोबरीचा असतो. तेथे विकासाचा संबंध येत नाही...

माझ्या चित्रात रंग हा अत्यंत महत्वाचा घटक आहे. एका रंगाबरोबर दुसरा रंग आलाच तर तो पुरक म्हणुनच येतो. माझी चित्रे ही प्रामुख्याने अमुर्त असली तरी हा बदल हळूहळू झाला. चित्रामधील मानवाकृती मला अतिशय जाचक, बंधनकारक वाटू लागली. हळूहळू आकृती नष्ट होउन तिची जागा आकारान्नी घेतली. मी प्रामुख्याने लाल, निळा व पिवळा य तीन मुल रंगातून चित्र काढतो किन्वा ह्यान्ची सरमिसळ करून माझ्या चित्राची सुरूवात रंगानेच होते. मी रंगाला स्पर्श करतो व क्यानव्हासवर मुक्तपणे वाहू देतो. रंग आणि चित्रकार ह्यान्च्या परस्परसंबंधाने, सुसंवादाने चित्र घडत जातं. विचार करूनच काम होतं असं नाही. मी करत गेलो आणि होत गेलं. इतकं नैसर्गिक माझं काम होत गेलं. माझ्यावरही सुरुवातीला काही प्रभाव पडले पण ते पुढे टिकले नाहीत. मी माझ्याच प्रभावातून मुक्त झालो नाही.

समकालीन कलेविषयची मला काही सान्गता येणार नाही. मी गेली २० वर्ष कुठेही बाहेर गेलेलो नही. माझा संबंध कलेशी नाही फ़क्त माझ्या पेन्टीन्गशी आहे. पुर्वी माझ्या अवती भोवती खुप गर्दी होती पण मी एकटा एकटाच असे. हळूहळू मी माझ्यतील 'मी'च्या अधिकाधिक जवळ जाऊ लागलो. गर्दी हळूहळू नाहीशी झाली. परीघ सुटला. केन्द्राच्या दिशेने प्रवास सुरु झाला. आता फ़क्त 'मी' आहे त्यामुळे बाहेरचं जग माझ्यापर्यन्त येऊ शकत नाही. अंधार आहे म्हणून प्रकाशाचा शोध आहे पण एक काडी पेटवली की 'दृष्टी'ला दिसू लागतं. वस्तू सर्व आधी होत्या तिथेच असतात पण मध्यंतरीच्या अंधारामुळे दिसत नव्हत्या. 'vision' असली की सर्व स्वच्छ दिसू लागतं.

दोन पेन्टीन्गच्या मधली सर्वात महत्वाची गोष्ट कुठली असली तर आरामात वाट पाहणं. आयुष्यात कसलीच कधी महत्वाकान्क्षा नव्हती. बस जगत गेलो काम होत गेलं.

मी माझ्यातल्या 'मी'ला भेटलो हेच माझं मिळवणं. प्रत्येक चित्रं हे चित्रकारचे सेल्फ़पोर्ट्रेट असतं.

(Report courtesy unknown google)

J J Today and Tomorrow

From ancient times India was always known for its aesthetic culture and art forms across the world.

However the last hundred years saw a tremendous slow down in the art field because of the various socio economic reasons prevalent in this country. It has only been in the last few decades that we have seen a reasonable growth in the contemporary art scene of India. Economic growth, new media, technological advancements are considered some of the catalyst responsible for this growth. Even so India’s contribution in the world market has yet to grow to match its potential. Today India contributes to only 0.4% of the global art market share which in the coming couple of years is projected to grow to about 4%.

Esteemed institutions such as the Sir JJ School of Arts have been playing an ever increasing role in the growth and development of the art scene in India.

To quote India’s prominent art critic Shriram G. Khadilkar, you cant produce a painter, but an artist can be educated. There has been a long list of famous artists in world Art, who were great teachers like Paul Klee, George Brandt Bridgman, Frida Kahlo etc. The JJ School of Art too has a tradition of excellent painters and art teachers like M. V. Dhurandhar, Jagannath Ahivasi, Y. K. Shukla, S. B. Palsikar, Baburao Sadwlekar, P.M. Kolte and so on who through their relentless efforts have played mentors to numerous talented artists over the years.

Taking this great teaching tradition to the next level is a dedicated art teacher Mr. Rajendra Patil who is also an eminent artist himself (also known in the art scene as Para) Para in collaboration with a few associates from the business world has decided to do more than just cultivating aesthetic values and building opportunities for promising as well as prominent artists across India. From this collaboration was born “The Art Affaire”. A platform for artists and art lovers alike “The Art Affaire”was built with the objective of spreading the awareness of Indian art and Indian artist across the world.

The first edition of “The Art Affaire” is aimed at showcasing the works of some great artist cum teachers and of their students who aim to become great artists of tomorrow. Together they create a showcase of the Indian art scene to the world.

In the words Shriram G. Khadilkar it is in times like these when there is great unrest in the world of art that one must make effort to educate and prepare for the good times that will follow.

We welcome all artists and art lovers to be part of this noble venture aimed at giving Indian art its deserved place in the world art scene.

Thank you

Gerald Michael

Director – The Art Affaire

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FLAG MARCH-Mumbai

FLAG MARCH -Art Gate @ Churchgate last date: 28th/12/ 2013

December 17, 2013 at 12:00am

We are artists of Mumbai under Flag March are presented as a paradigm shift. This is march to revolutionize the art world Coordination of Drawing, contemporary and abstract all excellent art of artists together to show our endeavor is presented as a flag march. We are presenting the various facets of art in one place and it is our strong effort. Please you all join us in the march are firm in our raid, we'll incentives Flag March is concept of art movement from Mumbai artist last working more than 10to20yr in Mumbai city, flag March for their different era like Abstract, Contemporary Art and Drawing artist activity display in show.

An art movement is a tendency or style in art with a specific common philosophy or goal, followed by a group of artists during a restricted period of time, In the visual arts, many artists, theorists, art critics, art collectors, art dealers and others mindful of the unbroken continuation of modernism and the continuation of modern art even into the contemporary era, ascribe to and welcome new Philosophies of art as they appear.

GROUP SHOW OF CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS

1. Pradeep Nerurkar

2. Prakash Waghmare

3. Tathi Premchand

4. Gajanan Kabade

5. Archana Mishra

6. Rahul Vajale

Abstract

Mypaintings are not the subjects of interpretation but composed happiness.

The experiences derived from my paintings inspire me to live, give me distinct insight. Colors in my paintings vocalize realization and my colors may go beyond their conventional horizons.

While the truth of experiences peeps from paintings, they somewhere reflect the innate traits and therefore the shades which sway unconditionally and enthusiastically, being captivated by love of the rays of light and currents of breeze, prove their existence. Five elements of life Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Sky are present as the eternal sensations in my paintings and definitely establish communication with you -Prakash Waghmare

Endurance, patience, no cross-border issues, no discrimination and acceptability are the characteristics of Nature and its resources. I have dedicated myself and my art to explore these secrets and divulging these hidden aspects that guide our existence. Pradeep Nerurkar

Archana Mishra, is a scholarly Abstract painter with sensitive mind and heart; she presently lives and works in Mumbai. Though she lives in Urban environment, her thoughts always flow and swirl in the elements of nature. Her subject of painting is based on the undisclosed elements of nature that can be both, shocking and blissfully surprising. I believe that the things that influence nature and even ourselves are almost abstract - Archana Mishra

Abstract art is a visual representation in form, color and line to create a composition with totally different presentation from that of original visual references in the world. Abstraction is an imagery art. Henri Matisse, Wassily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich are the famed artists who developed their style in abstract during 19th and 20th century. Abstracts have geometric figures such as seen in work of Mondrain or fluid work like that of Kandinsky or Pollock and there is also figurative abstraction of non- visuals like emotions, spiritual experience.

Contemporary Art :

Contemporary variation is but natural in my paintings. Just as Heraclitus had rightly said, ‘It is not possible to step twice in the same river.’ My paintings too are most spontaneous expressions rather than well planned process so you will always find variety in the work. Every work has different appeal and presentation method, setting different moods with use of topic relevant colors, forms and style. Painting is not just passion for me; it is a part of my life. I paint when I get stimulated to do so. There are times when for days together I do not paint at all.- Tathi Premchand

This form of art developed after 1960 and raised to apex in 1900s, the period in which there were several and drastic changes in society, world economics, culture, politics and education. All these changes majorly reflected in art. So, in brief Contemporary art deals with issues directly related to its current worldly affairs. Racism, global warming, cloning and biotechnology, international politics, human rights, spirituality and economics are reflected in the work of contemporary artists. It is a major break away from the conventional form of art reflecting only beauty. It is closer to common man’s life, rather than spirituality and divinity.
Drawing

My recent work in Charcoal and Acrylic Colours on canvas and paper reveals my continuous Search of Unknown Genre in Visual language of expressions. The conceptualization of the thematic peculiarities and proper balance of anatomical details and asymmetry are mostly due to my research oriented approach and open mind to explore the unknown genre. Drawing in its perfect form and perspectives in charcoal is the centre focus of my work. I derive my inspiration from sentiments of human beings and other creatures in the world and their interrelations in my visual expressions- Rahul Vajale

Drawing is marking of lines and areas of tone onto paper. Dry media such as chalk or liquid medium applied with brushes and pens are used in drawing. Drawing categories include figure drawing, cartooning, doodling and shading. A quick, unrefined drawing is termed as Sketch. While composing a drawing placement of elements becomes important. It determines the aim of drawing and makes it aesthetic. It is a light and shadow play. When drawing an object or figure, the skilled artist pays attention to both the area within the silhouette and what lies outside.

Gajanan’cellotape Paintings

Heis originally from Miraj near Kolhapur. He completed his G. D. Art at Kalavishwa Mahavidalaya, Sangli in 1991 and Diploma in Art Education at SirJ.J. School of Art, Mumbai in 1992. He lives and works in Mumbai.There is nothing to the humble cellotape. It isutility in a muddy-brown color. It seals and secures cartons. It holds stufftogether. It is one of those objects in our environment we have trained our perception to gloss over. Or is it?
It turns out the cellotape had a secret life all along. All it required was an artist, Gajanan Kabade, to coax the story out. Artgate Gallery Present

FLAG MARCH MUMBAI ART-1: 10/ to 21/12/2013

Group show of contemporary works.

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Wednesday, 1 May 2013

कविता संग्रह- "मन पाखरू"

पहिल्या नजरेत, मुख्यपृष्ट पाहता, असे वाटते कि कवी विलास कदम हे इतर कविंप्रमाणे फक्त 'जे न देखे रवि, ते देखे कवी' या मुक्त रसिकतेच्या छंदात न्हालेल्या काव्यांचा वर्षाव करणार आहेत. पण कवितांचे वाचन करताच ही धारणा मिटते. असे दिसते कि कवी निसर्ग, मानवीय भावना, आक्रांत व आत्मिक निर्मलता यांची सांगड घालीत आपल्याला त्यांच्या भावविश्वातून सत्य आणि त्यात दडलेले सौंदर्य, उत्कटता आणि जगण्याचा हव्यास याची जाणीव करून देतात.

निसर्गाशी असलेले बालपणापासूनचे नाते आणि त्यात रमणारे मन 'मन पाखरू' या 'शीर्षक' कवितेत दिसून येते.

कधी उंच झुल्यावर,

मन अथांग सागर…

असे भुइवर आता जाई गगनी सत्वर

उंडरते जेव्हा तेव्हा

वार भरलेले वासरु.

असेच 'जीवनसागर', 'पाणी', 'जगणे', या कवितांतील जल, फुलं, वनराई, प्राणीमात्र यांचा आपल्या भावनिक आणि भौतिक जीवनावर होणारा प्रभाव व्यक्त करतात.

निसर्गाच्या रम्य वातावरणासोबत कवींना रोजच्या जगण्यासाठी केलेल्या मानवी संघर्षाचाही प्रत्यय आलेला आहे. हा संघर्ष फक्त त्यांच्या निसर्गरम्य आबलोली गावापुरता मर्यादीत नसून शहरातही याचा अनुभव कवी विलास यांना आला आहे, कारण ते समाज कार्यात सक्रीय आहेत आणि त्यांनी आपल्या बांधवांना गरिबी, दारिद्र्य आणि दीन जीवनातून मुक्त करण्याचा ध्यास घेतला आहे, त्यासाठी ते गोरगरीब समाजात वावरत असतात. पण कवींना एक गोष्ट जाणविली आहे कि, जगण्यासाठी करीत असलेला संघर्ष, बिकट परीस्थिती, बेआसरा असलेल्या आशा, या सर्वांवर मात करता येते. आणि ती मात त्यांनी कवितांतून स्पष्ट केली आहे. ही मात करताना आशेचा सूर्य मनात तळपत राह्तो. 'आशावाद' सर्व दुखी आणि निराश भावना आणि विचारांना घालविण्याचा जालीम उपाय म्हणून कवितांमधून प्रकट होतो. 'नवरी' या कवितेतील निरागस मुलीचा आपल्या गरीब आईला केलेला प्रश्न 'माय कधी ग आपण… चांगल्या घरात जाणार?' तिच्यासाठी तिच्या मातेची आशा कि तिच्या मुलीला हे सुख चांगल्या घरात लग्न केल्यावरच प्राप्त होईल आणि त्याबरोबरच सध्यास्थितितील सारी सत्ये, जशी, गरीब परिस्थिती, भीक मागायची लाचारी आणि तोडक्या-मोडक्या घरातही चांगल्या भविष्याची आशा जोपासण्याची हिम्मत सामोरी येते. आशावादी युवकांना 'पाखरे' असे संबोधून कवी 'घरट्यासाठी' या कवितेत नव- युवकांना नवी घरटी मिळाल्यावर झालेला आनंद व्यक्त करतात. उमेदीं अजून फुलून येतात व ठाम होतात. ह्या कवितांनी आपल्यालाही प्रेरणा मिळते, जेव्हा आपण वाचतो:

(6AM Drawing by Tathi Premchand)

'नव्या उमेदीन मारली भरारी

नव्या घरट्याकडे

जेव्हा मिळाले पाचूचे दाणे

रमले सारी आनंदाने नव्या घरट्यात"

किंवा

जीवनप्रवाहात तुम्ही

द्या स्वतःला झोकून

ठेवू नका झाकून आणि

बघू नका वाकून….

सांसारिक सुख, प्रेम, ऋणानुबंध जपताना अनुभवलेले आठवणीतील कित्येक क्षण सुरेख शब्दरूपात मांडून कवी वाचकाला मुग्ध करतात, भारावून टाकतात. दुखी क्षणांत आनंदाच्या आठवणी करून देतात. 'प्रवाह', 'संसार', 'रुपगर्वित' ह्या अशाच काही कविता आहेत.

कवीच्या जीवनातील कडू गोड अनुभव, व्यक्तिगत सामोरी अनुभवलेले प्रसंग आणि लोकांच्या स्वभावांचे झालेले दर्शन मांडतात. 'मन मनातले', 'अंतरी' ह्या कविता आत्मबोधक वाटतात. काही कविता सुरेख शब्दरूपात असल्या तरी त्या कुणाला उद्देशून आहेत ते स्पष्ट होत नाही, तरीही त्या वाचनीय आहेत. मला आवडलेली त्यांची 'माता' या कवितेचे वाचन करताना कवी सुर्यकांत खांडेकर यांची कविता 'त्या फुलांच्या गंध कोषी सांग तू आहेस का…" आठवते, जी निरंकाराला उद्देशून, त्याच्या सर्वव्यापी असण्याचा पुरावा देते. तसेच या कवितेतून आईच्या विविधी रूपांचे आणि सहनशील, प्रेमळ, सामर्थ्यवान स्वभावाचे दर्शन होते.

…कधी कोमल कधी सोज्वळ

रूप दिसे तुझे मनमोहक

चाण्डीकाच्या रुपी तुझ्या

विषारी विकार थरारले…

एकूणच 'मन पाखरू' कवितांचा संग्रह सर्वतोपरीने आसमंतात भरारी घेणाऱ्या पाखरासारखा आहे. कधी हे पाखरू एकाग्रतेने, शांतचित्ताने आपले पंख न फडकवीत आसमंतात विहार करते आणि कधी आपली उद्वेगना स्पष्ट करण्यासाठी पंखांचे आवाज करून चित्कारत झेप घेते.

कवी विलास कदम यांच्या कविता पहिल्यांदा प्रकाशित झाल्या आहेत, ही त्यांची पहिली झेप आहे आणि त्यात ते सफल झाले आहेत. ह्या साहित्यप्रकारात त्यांची वाटचाल अशीच होत राहो आणि त्यांनी स्वतःच्या विचारांना अजून कसून आपले विचार काव्य रुपात प्रस्तुत करावे या साठी माझ्या त्यांना अनेक शुभेच्छा.

मुंबई

दिनांक: २४ मार्च २०१३

"मन पाखरू" -विलास गणपत कदम.