Go Astern!

• 1. Cicadas Whirlwinds

Imprints of this print smells the combustive illusionistic vibrations of skeletonish   architectural structure drawing, seeming with body topology and convulsion of natural form- trunk of insect cicada. The oceanographic   composional   division with erosive rusting coastline and the living relation between land and water. 

• 2. Autostereosopic Wavefronts The unearth intrinsic traces of vessels and the uploads of newer trajectory trails, ship goes –comes, the burials and cleavage remains, captured by curious cannon. The nerves of sea-body finds its way out,forming a white cap, foggy surf juxtaposed on autotrophic algae and the pictorial cosmos thus created by it. 

Recent work by  Shrinivas Mhatre

• 3.  Aerial Thermo sensitivity

The Energized visual engraves with rippling pyrotechnical essence merged in hydro moss. The manoeuvre of technical drawing emerges through topographical glimpse the leeway composition indicates to the projectile rowing motion.  

• 4. Thermo sensitive Topography 

Its parallax comes up with the twist and turns of ship’s trunk steering fierce of scarletish hues in cerulean blues of aqua and leafy outrigger. In such a surrounding there exists a wounded resolute structural body; the buoyancy of aqua keeps it in tension of surface...splashing magnitude waves.

• 5. The Reverberation of Gulf 

The visual Sonic Reverberation between edges of gulf created by spontaneous strockes spinning out from a insectum manned solid. The path continues to be a hollow drill by rustic land on both sides which leeway’s the nuance of ultra waves.

• 6. Aerodynamic Geology of Marine 

Nostalgic glimpses of flight travel imprints in a dioramistic form. Then imitation of chopper view is pictorially assembled by the help of technical aesthetic and acoustics is thus created by topo- effect bringing up suitable lush green and aqua marine colours.

Recent work by  Shrinivas Mhatre

• 7. Microscopic Introspect 

Out of the selective drawing study of warrior ship here the artist investigates one of the smallest part zoomed in, out of curiosity of its detailed design. Here smells the attrition of solid body and its archaic minute. This comes out, not to be recognised accurately but a support structure to animate inner emotions on surface.

• 8. Sedimentary Schooner 

Semi-hovering schooners, sedimenting on robust early stain, aroused in sea body, by whiplashing in tempest. The hide and seek play on an abandon curvature of ship yard, holding the memories of past.

• 9. Impulsive Radar 

Indication through waves direction the path of travel .This devise Radar used as a metaphor of ‘Life’ and ship as ‘Thoughts ‘ in a motion , that travels in ‘n’ numbers of directions and creating dimensions. That proliferates the journey.

• 10. Reverberating Resonance

Sporadic out bust of Ultra-Sonic visual vibes spreading triangular palpitations, its resonance which infinitely reverberates from spin of apt (the back part of ship).The apt here is imaginarily overlapped by ship trunk’s imprints which centrally divides the composition into symmetry releasing propulsive energy forces in all directions.

• 11. Propulsion
Kinematic propulsion generated by syntactic structure in a space. Where the form or object amalgamates its features with terrestrial where as aquatic, manned as well as natured forms like bird-insect -aeroplane, fish-ship.The space, in which they dwell, the motion created by them, is researchably observant.They share common features like horizontal caudal keel which helps them in motion.  Here an object (a form) is in a space which is likely to be similar with aerodynamic propulsion which is against gravity, or a motion of fish in water, or the ripplesion created when ship body movin in water.

• 12. Emergence of Submergence

Buoyancy that resists the floating to sink scattered that becomes ship wreck, a motion that has left its breadth on bay converting it to foliage. The aftermath of seismic wave’s collusion leaves it in a constant dance of sub-merge-emerge.

 

Artist: Shrinivas Mhatre

Go Astern!  

reckons up in trajectory of Shrinivas Mhatre’s journey of projecting as an artist.Being the resident of ‘Mumbai’-India, which has a nourished surrounding of hydra-coast, the artist smells the city in different essences, adding his own intuitive sensations through Print Making’s ‘Viscosity’ process.Occasions like art camps, awards and art exhibitors made him travel through air; these newer cannon registered an unforgettable memory in artist life.An Aerodynamic, dioramatic  perspective of imagining things from bird’s eye view was then implied in his prints and forms of ship entered in his expressions.The drawings which help marine architects and mechanic where taken as reference point ,and the glimpses of scenes from various movies relating to sea and ship comes in pictorial representation of his artwork. In this various moods of the cosmos and different physicality of sea and air body is carved. Observing every detailed texture, colour, forms; composing them and giving it an autosterioscopic glance.  Shades of lush green emerging by rolling yellow-blue in particular colour density and time span, this is an advantage of viscosity’s achieved experimental effects; on which try to similaiarate with form of an outriggering aqua algae. Interesting part of forms which are used in are- the animation of it which generates the visual vibes seeming with the motion of cicada, damselflies, dragonflies,of insects family. Topographical view is key interest of his work, intersecting the blending of common mechanism of aquatics well as aerial manned and god gifted; imprinting this in one geological space compounds an art work.                                                                                                                                        


- by Harshda Nirgun.

Hrishikesh Mukherjee: A Counselor in disguise of a Director.

Art is reflection of society. I have been writing about various genres of art and find that every genre is interrelated. Visual 2D can be animated in motion media in 3D form. The society that reflects in cinema can be captured on canvas or paper by a painter. Dance can project a whole life of a particular character. Songs emote various emotions and feelings and so on.

Hrishikesh Mukherjee

Today the movies of Hrishikesh Mukherjee kindled me to write about his non glamourized directorial brilliance. Hrishi-da, as he was lovingly called in Bollywood is a well-known and one of the most loved directors. He is a common man’s director. Though he is dead I still feel his presence through his cinema. And it is also a well-known fact that an artist never dies, he lives in his art, so do Hrishi-da. The magical effect continues to linger over our minds through his awesome movies like, Chupke Chpuke, Bawarchi, Khubsoorat, Satykam, Aashirwad, Guddi, Mili, Anurdha, Abhimaan and others. These films are amazing and mind blowing even though non-glamorous. These films bind us with warmth and simplicity.

 

I do not wish to analyse his movies into comedy and serious dramas, instead I am presenting the common thread that runs through these films.

The most common factor is his association with common man’s life and that makes us relate to his films.

Why do I call him counselor? Because, I had read somewhere that Hrishi-da had said that he would better have been doctor than a film-maker.

I think he was not less than practicing doctor. He touched human mind and psyche. He understood human nature better than any film maker. His observation and analysis is closer to that of psychologist. His every film touches upon both these aspects and a viewer tends to learn or take a healing dose from it. To start with, the best example is ‘Anand’ where he subtly suggests to live every moment happily even if under distress, here critical ill Anand (played by Rajesh Khanna) shows the spirit of living. It is like practicing happiness, or controlling your own happiness in transitory feelings and circumstances.

No one is perfect. The imperfection of human nature is perfectly projected in his film ‘Anuradha’, a story of an idealistic doctor who neglects his wife or Ashok Kumar in Satyakam who has treasure of religious and philosophical knowledge but fails in practical life to accept his own grandchild due to wrong notion.  

The characters of all his films seem real. Many of the characters are the reel presentations of real life. According to his daughter-in-law Swati loves western music. Hrishida asked her about Ustad Zakhir Hussain, she showed her ignorance of Indian Classical music and told him that Ustad was very famous and very handsome. Hrishida was shocked at her knowledge of Indian music. He himself was very finely tuned in Indian classical music, the songs from his films are hummed till date. But who can ever forget the first Indian Rap song by Ashok Kumar, ‘Rail gadi, rail gadi…bich wale station bole ruk ruk ruk ruk…’?

His films have protagonists who are staked by circumstances, but as human nature every person tries to win over negativities by hook or crook.

Two realities of life are the recurring themes of Hrishi-da’s movies; Happiness and Death. According to him, all the attempt of humans is to make life happy and secondly, death is inevitable. Humour is followed by pathos and also there is a silver lining to every cloud. Unlike, main stream cinema which gives us larger than life picture and many a times unrealistic modus operandi, Hrishida lets us confront reality and accept the facts of life.

Hrishi-da was a simple man in real life just like his simple films. He believed that artist reflects himself in his art. He followed his instinct to project common man, his feelings, deeds, follies and foibles and all the virtues that makes up his life. Simplicity has influenced almost more than three generations and even today’s techno generation is awed watching his movies.

I think the mantra behind his dedication lies in his reflective thought: Your own glory is better than reflected glory. (As told by Swati Mukherjee, his daughter-in-law).

-  Pankaja JK

(Courtesy image and video: Google- shemaroo) No right of image from Art blogazine, 
ALL pictures are for illustrative purpose

   

Art Gate Gallery

About the artist: other artist work details coming soon and please contact more details about show and artist work Enquiries 
022 4213 8855 Time 11am to 7pm only 
 
The artist lives and works in Mumbai. 
Art Gate Gallery  can be contacted Dear all artists : Share your idea with us ..Email: artgate.sc@gmail.com Mobile: +91 98 92 229477 Tel: 022 4213 8855/56

Art Blogazine - Upcoming Event

About the artist: other artist work details coming soon and please contact more details about show and artist work Enquiries 
022 4213 8855 Time 11am to 7pm only 
 
Art Gate Mumbai. 
Art Gate Gallery  can be contacted Dear all artists : Share your idea with us ..Email: artgate.sc@gmail.com Mobile: +91 98 92 229477 Tel: 022 4213 8855/56

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.

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:

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.

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. 

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.

Artist Manish Nai, Gallerist Dadiba Pundole, Professor of Architecture, Mustansir Dalvi and Cultural theorist Ranjit Hoskote

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.

Today's Artists- Cartoon

Today's Artists- Cartoon 

( Copyright by Art Blogazine.com )

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.

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.

SAVE FTII Pune Film Institute Students Protest After Actor-BJP Member is Appointed Chief

Save FTII (Pune)
Film Institute Students Protest After Actor-BJP Member is Appointed Chief

( Copyright by Art Blogazine.com/ 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.

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.

 

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. 

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.