Review: ‘Torrents’ at Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore

Art Review:  ‘Torrents’ - Conflicts of power, self and society at Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore

Six young artists from Southern India, some of whom have recently passed out from art college and others who are still studying in their final year have brought together an exhibition of their recent works in Bangalore.

Although, it might be considered a tad early for them to think about exhibiting their works, I feel that it actually gives them a head start. Based on critical opinion and other feedback from visitors, these artists have an excellent opportunity to expand their oeuvre and fine tune their skills. How they choose to use these inputs is of course entirely up to them.

Gandhi as an image and an icon is revered universally, but at the same time the name is often racked by controversies and scandals by a certain segment of the population. Anthony Joseph explores and portrays these paradoxical elements. One of the works titled, ‘The Story of My Experiments with Gandhi’ is quite apt for most of his works on display. Collages made of currency notes folded in a manner similar to Origami question the relevance and interpretation of Gandhian values in today’s context.

Anju Acharya’s fantasy world imagines humans and mutants, symbolizing a mutating world perhaps the effects of environmental degradation. A glimpse into a future, which may well be taking shape. After all, we are playing God!

Vikas S draws inspiration from the simple beauty of patterns in nature and recreates the rhythm and form through shapes, symmetry and movements of primitive organisms such as snails and centipedes. Pleasant works!

P Ramesh has sometimes borrowed figures from Greek mythology to represent and emphasize contemporary urban issues. Male dominance, violence against women, literacy and again the burden of decay in environment are some of the issues highlighted here.

Ashil Antony's paintings appear to be spontaneous sketches of birds, placed stark and dark against a white background. Ebey Edassery paintings are based on human emotions - angst, greed and desire which are depicted through a few figurative works and others which on the surface appear to be constructed from repetitive patterns and motifs.

Overall, the exhibition is a good attempt to reach out to a larger audience and there are a few interesting works here. However, I feel the disjointed effect could have been completely avoided by careful selection of the works either through a self curatorial effort or with the help of an external advisor.

On view till August 31st at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore. 
Let me know if you visit the show. And, which works did you like?

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• REVIEW: Drawing essence of thought - The Power of Line
• REVIEW: The Big Picture

Art Park Bengaluru: Meet the Artists on July 6, 2014

Art Park Bengaluru: Meet the Artists on July 6, 2014/11 am to 5 pm/ Ravindra Kalakshetra

Art Park is an 'initiative by contemporary Bengaluru artists that takes place in the Sculpture Park (between Town Hall & Ravindra Kalakshetra) on the first Sunday of every month - to bring art closer to the Bengaluru public & take it out of the confines of the gallery'.

 

"The day-long event enables artists and the public to engage in critical conversations that can help lay people to develop a deeper understanding of art and artists across time, location and culture. In the process members of the public will be able to develop an awareness and appreciation of visual art, which can lead to recognition of the power of creativity in constructing, defining and shaping knowledge. An important purpose of the Art Park Bengaluru initiative is to bridge the gap between visual art and the general public by providing a stimulating environment that provides the necessary exposure to contemporary visual art, fosters the creative spirit that exists in every individual, and challenges people to question themselves and find answers for themselves in contemporary art."

Artist SG Vasudev at Art Park, Bangalore

Artist Jasu Rawal at Art Park, Bangalore

I feel it's a wonderful initiative and a fabulous opportunity to meet artists in an informal setting, outside their studio space. You can watch them work and interact with them. You could even buy sketches and paintings at unbelievable prices! In fact, the artists will price their first five drawings (drawn on acid free paper and with the ArtPark Bengaluru seal behind it) at Rs 500/=(Rupees five hundred only) for each drawing, while the prices of paintings will vary.

Let me know if you visit ArtPark this Sunday  (July 6, 2014) and if you would like to write a note (approx 250 words) on your experience, go ahead and send it to me {nalini(dot)indianart@gmail(dot)com}. If it reads well I will publish it on my blog (don't forget to send 2-3 images as well)!

 All photographs of the Art Park courtesy Ravi Cavale

Workshop on Practical Aspects of Art Marketing

I'm conducting a workshop on 'Practical Aspects of Art Marketing' on June 21st, 2014 at Bodhi Art Gallery, Bangalore. The workshop is geared towards artists - students, beginners and mid-level.

 

Topics to be covered:

1. What is Art Marketing?

2. Essential Tools to Promote and  
    Support Your Art Practice
3. Artist Statement

• What is it?
• Why do you need it?
• How to write - tips and exercise

4. Artists' Media/Press Kit

• Contents
• Writing a press release - exercise

Other details in the ecard

Documenting the Bangalore Art Scene with Perfumes!

Suresh Kumar, an artist and self-appointed documentarian has documented several years of the Bangalore art scene, when collective groups and spaces were at a nascent stage.

 

Suresh Kumar of Samuha fame, who most people in Bangalore will recall had initiated a collective project run in 2009 in Bangalore, where over a period of one year a number of artists had slots for exhibitions in a space that was collectively rented. The project was widely appreciated and Suresh went on to present his ideas and vision about Samuha on various fora. Then, Suresh went on to video record events in Bar1, Chitrakala Parishad and Ananya Drushya (you can read more about this initiative here).

Perfumed Arts all over Bangalore

Calling it the Perfumes project, Suresh explains, “I was trying to present Bangalore artists and the scene online in a more organized way. The name Perfumes is a combination maybe of Performance and an idea of a bouquet…”

Suresh writes a detailed introduction on how he took up the role of a documentarian and how he views the current art scene, especially in Bangalore. He laments about the current state of art matters, how art students are going back to their native towns after graduation and how Suresh had to step up and adopt the role of a ‘recordist’.

He has recorded events at Samuha, Jaaga, 1Shanthi Road and the government-owned Venkatappa Art Gallery. You can read about his experience here and then follow the link to view the videos here.