Art allows one to explore a world which is beyond the obvious. Ambadas has been trying to just do that, while not moving away from reality. He has made efforts to showcase change in his works as a way of life. For him painting is a medium to present life and its reality on canvas in a way which is not traditionally figurative and not easy to comprehend.
He has made a mark on Indian art as pioneer of abstract paintings. For a layman his paintings may be difficult to understand, but as one stresses mind and focuses on his work, one can understand a sense of restlessness in his creations. His strokes, the way he uses his brush and it appears on canvas, we can see the message Ambadas wants to convey. And the message is dualism emanating from a feeling of constant hope and despair.
In life we are daily confronted with this sense of futility of our life and the very purpose of our existence. Many philosophers have given their view on the subject , yet life remains an enigma. Each night envelops us in darkness, yet it is followed by refreshing morning, which brings hope. We are daily confronted between forces of negativism and positivism, light and darkness, hell and heaven, rise and fall. Ambadas has presented that sense of dualism in his paintings. In his effort, he has made us witness the cosmic order on his convas.
Every artist is influenced by his surroundings and society. Ambadas has been inspired by Indian philiosophy and monasticism. He has been living abroad and has made home away from his homeland. Anybody living abroad suffers from clash of interest and longs for his roots. His paintings also reflect a sense of restless soul, who is in search peace and harmony. At the same time, his paintings make us believe whole universe is originated from one fountain, which seems to the direct influence of Monism. Though, his paintings are abstract in appearance and each lines are of different shape and direction, they seem to be united by a sense of unity.
The world is also full of negative and positive forces. On positive side, we have love, binding and harmony while on the negative side, we have to confront conflicts, hatred, and breakdown in relations. To present this universal idea on the canvas, Ambadas invented a new technique. In his own words, he uses Kerosene to break the color and uses varnish to bind it again. He is the harbinger of this technique in India and it gives his paintings a unique look, which needs to explore.
Unlike other artists, who have pre-conceived ideas before they start putting strokes on the canvas, Ambadas starts his work with an empty mind and allows the creation to make him think on the subject. He gets inspired by his creation and get his ideas from that. Interestingly, a bishop once told Ambadas that he could easily do the same paintings. Ambadas answered to the bishop that latter could easily do the same paintings, but would not remember it afterwards. Ambadas, on the other hand is stuck to his creations for all his life. He has used his strokes in very careful manner and each lines seem to have many layers beneath it. Working tirelessly on any painting, Ambadas has presented to us works which is not easy to decipher. Each line in his paintings is different in shape and size! They are not identical.
Ambadas has never trod the beaten track. He has created his own path and has enabled us to think over his style. His use of color and space has changed over a period of time and it looks in harmony with his work. Initially used to bright and vibrant colors, he has started using light and sober colors of late. On the canvas, his use of color and space appear to be in harmony with each other. Having a look at his work leads us to think that he does not leave any space blank. The entire canvas is breathing. Many of his works have been compared with Islamic calligraphy due to appearance and resemblance. His works are also synonymous for representing chaos and turmoil on the canvas, although it is not easy to understand his paintings.
The works of Ambadas present the realities of life using his own style. It leaves us with thousand suggestions and it is for the viewer to get to the meaning of the work. Life is always changing and it is continuous dialogue between present and past. Experiences of life are not easy to understand and have different meanings for us. The paintings of Ambadas invite us to explore a world which reflects ‘reality’ on canvas, as we experience it in our lives. For him, paintings are not only means to achieve creative satisfaction but to present cosmic order on the canvas.
Dealing with mysteries of life and exploring meaning in the cosmic order is not an easy task. Ambadas has devoted himself to present this in his work, and it gives his work a universal appeal.
Friday, July 27, 2007
GEORGE KEYT
Getting to see two cultures and living with it make people confused. Few take the best of both and make their own path to bring a fresh approach. So did George Keyt. Belonging to Ceylon, he has been inspired by Western and Eastern Art traditions while mixing them with local traditions.
An artist with poetic mind, Keyt went to explore his subjects with gentleness. Kandy, where he was born and brought up left lasting impression on his thoughts. He was deeply influenced by Buddhist life and the legends associated with the emergence of Theravada Buddhism, which was prevalent in Ceylon. The frescos painting of ‘Apsaras’ at Sigiriya temple also made its way into his imagination. His inquisitive mind also brought him in touch with Hindu mythology and traditions. Art critics have also found influences of Braque and Picasso’s cubism in his works. He had also met Rabindernath Tagore and was inspired by Bengal School of Art and its folk tradition.
His style is a blend of western and Indian influence. He has added new form to Picasso’s cubism and distortion with his line and choice of colours. His art attains sensuality. He was more interested in his structure while dealing with any subject. His paintings are similar to the poetry of Kalidas, who laid emphasis on details while explaining the beauty of Shakuntala.
The works of Keyt are celebration of human love in natural forms, which proclaim that world originated out of the cosmic union of female and male. Females are not only objects of desire but they are ‘Shakti’ which are so vital for the universe as preached and carried out in Hindu tradition with the manifestation of love between Shiva and Parvati, Krishna with Radha and seduction of Vishawametra by Menaka. All this traditional union and harmony of humans have been emphasized by Keyt. The romancing of Gopis by Krishna with its natural charm also provided the vision for the love of Keyt. Love has many sides and real love is divine love. The way to divine love lies in physical union of both the sexes. Women in his works are not objects to be desired, but they are source of all energy.
Women in his creations carry a look which is mixture of Sinhalese and Indian form of feminine beauty. He has beautifully presented women in ways which resemble Devdasis as represented in the Indian temples of Khajuraho, Ajanta and Ellora and Yakshinis. He was also married to an Indian woman. Carrying a voluptuous body with sensuous appeal, women in his paintings are celebration of love, passion, desire, legends and seduction. His structure and lines are in such harmony that curves of the body are highlighted in its natural form adding eroticism to its appearance. His women are liberated and freely express their feelings. Women putting make-up, bathing, waiting, and making love are depicted without any subversion of basic instincts. They are happy in union and unhappy in separation. Sorrow is a passing phase in his depictions and he celebrates the victory of good over evil in life.
He has also made Jatakas or the birth stories related to Buddha, his subjects. A keen follower of Buddhism, he championed the cause of Buddhism revival. He has also keen interest in Hindu mythology and translated Gita Govinda into english with illustrations. The poetry of this treatise is reflected in his drawings of women are shown seeking love out of sheer desire without any prudence. He has integrated Indian art with Sinhalese art and added new appeal to his work. While dealing with Hindu mythology he has stressed on women like Savtri or Draupadi. His murals, landscapes and drawings depict his native place, life of Buddhist monk and surroundings of Kandy.
In this picture, Keyt has presented an important phase of woman’s life. The woman is doing ‘Sringara’ looking into mirror. Her image is reflected in many ways and she is admiring her beauty and enhancing it by applying make-up. Many thoughts come to her mind. It is an example of woman waiting for her lover and thinking of her union with him. Her attire and style reflect local Ceylonese tradition. It is an apt example of woman full of desire.
Keyt has borrowed liberally from the Indian and Western schools of art to create sensuality in his works. His creations glorify and celebrate feminine beauty as fountain of all sources of energy and fertility, a concept presented in Indian art as ‘Motherhood’.
An artist with poetic mind, Keyt went to explore his subjects with gentleness. Kandy, where he was born and brought up left lasting impression on his thoughts. He was deeply influenced by Buddhist life and the legends associated with the emergence of Theravada Buddhism, which was prevalent in Ceylon. The frescos painting of ‘Apsaras’ at Sigiriya temple also made its way into his imagination. His inquisitive mind also brought him in touch with Hindu mythology and traditions. Art critics have also found influences of Braque and Picasso’s cubism in his works. He had also met Rabindernath Tagore and was inspired by Bengal School of Art and its folk tradition.
His style is a blend of western and Indian influence. He has added new form to Picasso’s cubism and distortion with his line and choice of colours. His art attains sensuality. He was more interested in his structure while dealing with any subject. His paintings are similar to the poetry of Kalidas, who laid emphasis on details while explaining the beauty of Shakuntala.
The works of Keyt are celebration of human love in natural forms, which proclaim that world originated out of the cosmic union of female and male. Females are not only objects of desire but they are ‘Shakti’ which are so vital for the universe as preached and carried out in Hindu tradition with the manifestation of love between Shiva and Parvati, Krishna with Radha and seduction of Vishawametra by Menaka. All this traditional union and harmony of humans have been emphasized by Keyt. The romancing of Gopis by Krishna with its natural charm also provided the vision for the love of Keyt. Love has many sides and real love is divine love. The way to divine love lies in physical union of both the sexes. Women in his works are not objects to be desired, but they are source of all energy.
Women in his creations carry a look which is mixture of Sinhalese and Indian form of feminine beauty. He has beautifully presented women in ways which resemble Devdasis as represented in the Indian temples of Khajuraho, Ajanta and Ellora and Yakshinis. He was also married to an Indian woman. Carrying a voluptuous body with sensuous appeal, women in his paintings are celebration of love, passion, desire, legends and seduction. His structure and lines are in such harmony that curves of the body are highlighted in its natural form adding eroticism to its appearance. His women are liberated and freely express their feelings. Women putting make-up, bathing, waiting, and making love are depicted without any subversion of basic instincts. They are happy in union and unhappy in separation. Sorrow is a passing phase in his depictions and he celebrates the victory of good over evil in life.
He has also made Jatakas or the birth stories related to Buddha, his subjects. A keen follower of Buddhism, he championed the cause of Buddhism revival. He has also keen interest in Hindu mythology and translated Gita Govinda into english with illustrations. The poetry of this treatise is reflected in his drawings of women are shown seeking love out of sheer desire without any prudence. He has integrated Indian art with Sinhalese art and added new appeal to his work. While dealing with Hindu mythology he has stressed on women like Savtri or Draupadi. His murals, landscapes and drawings depict his native place, life of Buddhist monk and surroundings of Kandy.
In this picture, Keyt has presented an important phase of woman’s life. The woman is doing ‘Sringara’ looking into mirror. Her image is reflected in many ways and she is admiring her beauty and enhancing it by applying make-up. Many thoughts come to her mind. It is an example of woman waiting for her lover and thinking of her union with him. Her attire and style reflect local Ceylonese tradition. It is an apt example of woman full of desire.
Keyt has borrowed liberally from the Indian and Western schools of art to create sensuality in his works. His creations glorify and celebrate feminine beauty as fountain of all sources of energy and fertility, a concept presented in Indian art as ‘Motherhood’.
RABIN MONDAL
Robin Mondal is an artist who uses art to express his reaction to what he is witnessing. In many ways such inner feelings acquire universal connotations as what one comes across in real life is in other way story of the world. His works presents to us with the dark sides of human life.
Born and educated in Kolkata, Robin had to face with poverty and human suffering. He has demonstrated with ease the suffering of people working in Howrah and Kolkata. It is pertinent to mention that grim faces depicted by him in his works showcase the workers, who were exploited by industrial houses for production. He was witness to a milieu where rich has it all and the poor were becoming poorer. He could hardly make any difference to the lives of the oppressed people, so he decided to bring it on the canvas in such a way that a personal chronicle could acquire universal color.
For Mondal art was the means to communicate his feelings to us. He has used all his energies to make it lively and meaningful. Not only he came across the daily stumbling of human lives but he was surprised at the greed of a section of society. He was unhappy to see how human beings could stoop to exploit fellow people for their own comfort and profit. The emergence of market fundamentalism with its disregard to human lives bothered him. His works show the plight of working class men and women of Howrah and Kolkatta.
Though he got art education in Bengal and was under the influence of Bengal school of art, he was also inspired by different schools of Indian art. The stamp of folk and tribal art on his work is obvious. Some of his works also resemble to tribal deities and other goddesses. In 1940s there was an exhibition of French artists in Kolkata and Robin was also benefited by interacting with artists. Jamini Roy and Tagore also left lasting impressions on his works. His technique and style are different with subject.
He has used sketches, drawings and paintings to convey his ideas to us through figures. He has experimented with watercolor, wax, ink, oil and acrylic to give varied look. In this way he is a versatile artist. Robin has used dark pigments of black, red and moss of green with use of charcoal to present haunting images. Exaggerations, distortions at some places have given way to destruction of the form. His women, heads, faces, deities, queens and landscapes represent the suffering of human beings. The fall of man and quest for complete man has always interested philosophers of east and west for generations.
Mondal’s works showcases the descent of Man. His art uses symbols to bring his reaction to realism. So human beings in his work acquire a different shape. This shape resembles demon, devil and even beast at some places. The bodies of human beings are distorted and stretched out of proportion. Faces have narrow forehead, wrinkles and in some mouth is wide open showing teeth. They are faces of pain, sorrow, and anger. Yet they have hope in their eyes and not ready to give up. The emotions in his works also bring moral decline to the fore with his paintings and sketches of brothels and lovers, His depiction of queens represent isolation, which we witness in our lives.
In this painting Robin is showing women at work. Though, we can clearly see two women working, we are not able to decipher the rest. That is Robin. He uses his imagination and feelings to react to any subject. Just two women are working various ideas come to their mind which are not clear and they are confused.
His art is not beautiful. But his works are communicating to the viewer that our urban existence is modern day jungle. Robin’s works are not only meant for decoration but they are relevance to our lives.
Born and educated in Kolkata, Robin had to face with poverty and human suffering. He has demonstrated with ease the suffering of people working in Howrah and Kolkata. It is pertinent to mention that grim faces depicted by him in his works showcase the workers, who were exploited by industrial houses for production. He was witness to a milieu where rich has it all and the poor were becoming poorer. He could hardly make any difference to the lives of the oppressed people, so he decided to bring it on the canvas in such a way that a personal chronicle could acquire universal color.
For Mondal art was the means to communicate his feelings to us. He has used all his energies to make it lively and meaningful. Not only he came across the daily stumbling of human lives but he was surprised at the greed of a section of society. He was unhappy to see how human beings could stoop to exploit fellow people for their own comfort and profit. The emergence of market fundamentalism with its disregard to human lives bothered him. His works show the plight of working class men and women of Howrah and Kolkatta.
Though he got art education in Bengal and was under the influence of Bengal school of art, he was also inspired by different schools of Indian art. The stamp of folk and tribal art on his work is obvious. Some of his works also resemble to tribal deities and other goddesses. In 1940s there was an exhibition of French artists in Kolkata and Robin was also benefited by interacting with artists. Jamini Roy and Tagore also left lasting impressions on his works. His technique and style are different with subject.
He has used sketches, drawings and paintings to convey his ideas to us through figures. He has experimented with watercolor, wax, ink, oil and acrylic to give varied look. In this way he is a versatile artist. Robin has used dark pigments of black, red and moss of green with use of charcoal to present haunting images. Exaggerations, distortions at some places have given way to destruction of the form. His women, heads, faces, deities, queens and landscapes represent the suffering of human beings. The fall of man and quest for complete man has always interested philosophers of east and west for generations.
Mondal’s works showcases the descent of Man. His art uses symbols to bring his reaction to realism. So human beings in his work acquire a different shape. This shape resembles demon, devil and even beast at some places. The bodies of human beings are distorted and stretched out of proportion. Faces have narrow forehead, wrinkles and in some mouth is wide open showing teeth. They are faces of pain, sorrow, and anger. Yet they have hope in their eyes and not ready to give up. The emotions in his works also bring moral decline to the fore with his paintings and sketches of brothels and lovers, His depiction of queens represent isolation, which we witness in our lives.
In this painting Robin is showing women at work. Though, we can clearly see two women working, we are not able to decipher the rest. That is Robin. He uses his imagination and feelings to react to any subject. Just two women are working various ideas come to their mind which are not clear and they are confused.
His art is not beautiful. But his works are communicating to the viewer that our urban existence is modern day jungle. Robin’s works are not only meant for decoration but they are relevance to our lives.
LAXMA GOUD
Our social upbringing leaves lasting impression on our psyche. There are artists who are also inspired by their surroundings. Laxma Goud is one artist whose works are deeply rooted in his homeland and rural traditions.
Hailing from Telengana in Andhra Pradesh, Laxma got his art education in Hyderabad. He is a versatile artist who has not confined himself to any one medium of art. He has dabbled into all mediums with equal ease and has left his own mark. His works carry his stamp and it is not difficult to recognize it. His sketching are distorted, disfigured, stretched and are blown out of proportion. He has also used other mediums like glass paintings.
Having lived in his native place, Laxma’s works appear to be rustic, raw and potent.
He started his career painting in black and white and later on took colors. His figures are not individuals living on their own. His men and women loose their freedom as they enter into relation. Some critics have found his art provocative due to his stress on human genitalia and its mutilation, piercing, and decoration. His idea of sexual union seems to be derived from local traditions, which is sensuous, earthy and erotic. His couples have no inhibition in expressing their feeling in open. There appear to some cruelty and fantasy in his portrayals of figures.
He is an artist whose subjects are Indian people and its traditions. His portraits carry dynamism of Indian ethos. At many places his human figures amalgamate with beast and plants to create a new spirit. Here humans seize to be simple humans and acquire some devotional and supernatural powers. Some sketches also depict rural gods and goddesses. In most of his works, humans have are half-naked or naked. The images showcase figures who have only bones and faces carry wrinkles, lines, open mouths with one eyes shut. It appears that Laxma is trying to present the plight of peasant class on the canvas. His lines are eloquent in its expression. A viewer can look upon his creations with intimacy. Other works of his also include colorful landscapes, which depict countryside.
Laxma’s strength lies with his style which is a bridge between traditional folk art and modern imagery. Riding on the bridge he explores his subjects without any boundary in free and frank manner, so that his creations become passionate, intimate and vivacious.
Hailing from Telengana in Andhra Pradesh, Laxma got his art education in Hyderabad. He is a versatile artist who has not confined himself to any one medium of art. He has dabbled into all mediums with equal ease and has left his own mark. His works carry his stamp and it is not difficult to recognize it. His sketching are distorted, disfigured, stretched and are blown out of proportion. He has also used other mediums like glass paintings.
Having lived in his native place, Laxma’s works appear to be rustic, raw and potent.
He started his career painting in black and white and later on took colors. His figures are not individuals living on their own. His men and women loose their freedom as they enter into relation. Some critics have found his art provocative due to his stress on human genitalia and its mutilation, piercing, and decoration. His idea of sexual union seems to be derived from local traditions, which is sensuous, earthy and erotic. His couples have no inhibition in expressing their feeling in open. There appear to some cruelty and fantasy in his portrayals of figures.
He is an artist whose subjects are Indian people and its traditions. His portraits carry dynamism of Indian ethos. At many places his human figures amalgamate with beast and plants to create a new spirit. Here humans seize to be simple humans and acquire some devotional and supernatural powers. Some sketches also depict rural gods and goddesses. In most of his works, humans have are half-naked or naked. The images showcase figures who have only bones and faces carry wrinkles, lines, open mouths with one eyes shut. It appears that Laxma is trying to present the plight of peasant class on the canvas. His lines are eloquent in its expression. A viewer can look upon his creations with intimacy. Other works of his also include colorful landscapes, which depict countryside.
Laxma’s strength lies with his style which is a bridge between traditional folk art and modern imagery. Riding on the bridge he explores his subjects without any boundary in free and frank manner, so that his creations become passionate, intimate and vivacious.
CHITTOPRASAD BHATTACHARYA
Artists can not be reformers but they can express their reformist concerns through their work. We can also express our helplessness and frustration by reaction. Chittoprasad Bhatttacharya did just that through his portrayals of Bengal Famine of 1943 and succeeding events in the world. He is reactionary painter with deep concern for his society. His paintings are a satire on the society.
Famine is the main theme of his caricatures and sketches and it provokes us. His sketches are not silent but they remind us of a time when people plunged into moral decay and while some were making money, poor people and peasants died of hunger and starvation. On the one hand there were traders who were minting money and supplying grains to the military as prices soared. Famine led to other evils as people sold their near ones and corruption made its way into the lives of the people. His impressions are real and he himself visited from one place to another enquiring about the people. He was deeply pained after witnessing the catastrophe and used canvas to communicate this pain, which has found its place in text books and are the one of the few reminders of the bygone time.
Like many great artists, he was a self-educated and did not have the luxury to attend a formal school of art. His creations are simple and easy to understand. We do not come across unwanted exaggeration in his works. He has deep sense of history and great understanding of events as is reflected in his works. He was a great artist and adopted himself to the needs and subjects. People may find some similarities between his works and those of Picasso, yet Chittoprasad’s creations are more influenced by Indian art and paintings of Jatakas which tell stories. Like ancient Indian paintings, his sketches are tell us stories and they are communicating. His lines are simple and forms near to nature in appearance as he presents human suffering.
Like other intellectuals of his time, he was under the influence of Communism. A keen observer of events he has also made communalism, colonialism and events related to world war his subject.
However, Chittaparsod has become synonymous with his sketches of human suffering from the Bengal Famine. And if we know the depth and nature of the famine today, we owe a lot to him and his moving images of the suffering.
Famine is the main theme of his caricatures and sketches and it provokes us. His sketches are not silent but they remind us of a time when people plunged into moral decay and while some were making money, poor people and peasants died of hunger and starvation. On the one hand there were traders who were minting money and supplying grains to the military as prices soared. Famine led to other evils as people sold their near ones and corruption made its way into the lives of the people. His impressions are real and he himself visited from one place to another enquiring about the people. He was deeply pained after witnessing the catastrophe and used canvas to communicate this pain, which has found its place in text books and are the one of the few reminders of the bygone time.
Like many great artists, he was a self-educated and did not have the luxury to attend a formal school of art. His creations are simple and easy to understand. We do not come across unwanted exaggeration in his works. He has deep sense of history and great understanding of events as is reflected in his works. He was a great artist and adopted himself to the needs and subjects. People may find some similarities between his works and those of Picasso, yet Chittoprasad’s creations are more influenced by Indian art and paintings of Jatakas which tell stories. Like ancient Indian paintings, his sketches are tell us stories and they are communicating. His lines are simple and forms near to nature in appearance as he presents human suffering.
Like other intellectuals of his time, he was under the influence of Communism. A keen observer of events he has also made communalism, colonialism and events related to world war his subject.
However, Chittaparsod has become synonymous with his sketches of human suffering from the Bengal Famine. And if we know the depth and nature of the famine today, we owe a lot to him and his moving images of the suffering.
F N SOUZA
Some artists are known for one particular style of paintings. Other are known for painting different styles. Francis Newton Souza falls into latter category with his figurative art, with so much variations and yet creating works which are repetitive in nature.
Born in Goa and brought up in Mumbai, Souza has been influenced by many ideas. He has to suffer the agony of loosing his father and then his sister and battled for his own life when he got small pox. He was brought up in devout catholic milieu and it left lasting impression on his ideas and imagination, which are reflected in his paintings of Saints and churches. Though, he could not become a priest as wished by his mother, he went on to portray divine power in various forms on the canvas. He was expelled from the Missionary school. However, he continued to paint his work on the lives of saints and divine power. A look at his church paintings shows that Souza was trying to showcase fear, Day of Judgment, social unrest and catastrophe on the canvas. Death, as witnessed by him, finds a prominent place in his works. Just as the thought of all this make us lost in our thoughts, his works are lost in landscape.
In pre-independence India, Souza was witness to the Indian freedom movement and also the Russian revolution of communism. He even joined Communist party and was one of the founding members of the Progressive Artist’s Movement. He however, soon became disillusioned with the communism when he was forced to portray the plight of proletariat on the canvas and left it as well. His association with the movement makes it clear that Souza was not a romantic painter. Though enrolled at JJ School of Art, he could not complete his education and was expelled due to his association with communist movement. Lack of fulfillment, it seems is in integral part of his life. He has to cope with this, though he never allowed this to affect his work and went ahead with his life and imagination.
Souza started his artistic career with nudism where women were the prime subject of exploration. The day he was expelled from school, he painted ‘Blue Lady’. His nudism are seminal works and it appears that Souza took great care to handle women in gentle manner, although distortion has also found its way in some of the works. His works of 1950s also depict love-making and women longing for love. In his other works of nudism, Souza creates women who look similar in terms of their curves, contour, style and glamour. He repeats himself while dealing with his women subject. His ‘Mother and Child’ (1962) and Standing Nude (1962) appear identical with same hair style, hair color, eye brows, body curves and the shape of the body. His nudism may appear provocative to persons of Victorian taste, but he has created a path for himself between the sculptures of Indian temples and European conventions. He seems to be fascinated by female body and deals with the subject in sensual manner so that women appear natural in most of the paintings. In some of his work, he has also tried to add glamour by showing women wearing crosses, bracelets, undergarments and shoulder –level tresses.
The complex issue of man-woman relation is also reflected in his works. In modern times, society has opened up and with it has come sexual tension and friction. This theme is reflected in his works. He captures each and every detail of women in his forms. His strokes are very careful and of soft nature.
Distortion is also prominent feature of Souza’s creations. His works are manifestations of fear and horror. In his personal life, he has to face many problems and most of the time he has to live with little money. He also faced tragedies in his personal life, which left their scar as well. At one time, his drinking also became a problem for himself. All this gives fear a permanent place in his mind where he creates his works! Hence, we find figures which are distorted out of proportion. Women with swollen bellies, disfigured face and eyes lead us to believe that he was trying to go beyond distortion. Men with beard and distorted appearance brings us near to demon and evil forces. Here, we find that Souza also was under the influence of Picasso and other contemporary European artists.
In his works, Souza was inspired by Indian classical art and European style. His women seem to be the mirror-image of ‘Yakshinis’ and women engraved in Khajuraho temples. His creation of love-making in sketch form and women applying make-up on the face, or simplying laying on one-side are reflection of Indian classical art as one can witness in the paintings of medieval India. Just as any artist is inspired by his surroundings, he was also inspired by the Portuguese architecture in Goa, life of a priest and the intermingling of two different cultures.
The work of Souza is the figurative representation of his own life and as he imagines it on the canvas. His is a synthesis of the Indian and European style and tradition, where he is trying to evolve as an artist without borrowing blindly from any of his influences. He is a reactionary without being a cynic.
Born in Goa and brought up in Mumbai, Souza has been influenced by many ideas. He has to suffer the agony of loosing his father and then his sister and battled for his own life when he got small pox. He was brought up in devout catholic milieu and it left lasting impression on his ideas and imagination, which are reflected in his paintings of Saints and churches. Though, he could not become a priest as wished by his mother, he went on to portray divine power in various forms on the canvas. He was expelled from the Missionary school. However, he continued to paint his work on the lives of saints and divine power. A look at his church paintings shows that Souza was trying to showcase fear, Day of Judgment, social unrest and catastrophe on the canvas. Death, as witnessed by him, finds a prominent place in his works. Just as the thought of all this make us lost in our thoughts, his works are lost in landscape.
In pre-independence India, Souza was witness to the Indian freedom movement and also the Russian revolution of communism. He even joined Communist party and was one of the founding members of the Progressive Artist’s Movement. He however, soon became disillusioned with the communism when he was forced to portray the plight of proletariat on the canvas and left it as well. His association with the movement makes it clear that Souza was not a romantic painter. Though enrolled at JJ School of Art, he could not complete his education and was expelled due to his association with communist movement. Lack of fulfillment, it seems is in integral part of his life. He has to cope with this, though he never allowed this to affect his work and went ahead with his life and imagination.
Souza started his artistic career with nudism where women were the prime subject of exploration. The day he was expelled from school, he painted ‘Blue Lady’. His nudism are seminal works and it appears that Souza took great care to handle women in gentle manner, although distortion has also found its way in some of the works. His works of 1950s also depict love-making and women longing for love. In his other works of nudism, Souza creates women who look similar in terms of their curves, contour, style and glamour. He repeats himself while dealing with his women subject. His ‘Mother and Child’ (1962) and Standing Nude (1962) appear identical with same hair style, hair color, eye brows, body curves and the shape of the body. His nudism may appear provocative to persons of Victorian taste, but he has created a path for himself between the sculptures of Indian temples and European conventions. He seems to be fascinated by female body and deals with the subject in sensual manner so that women appear natural in most of the paintings. In some of his work, he has also tried to add glamour by showing women wearing crosses, bracelets, undergarments and shoulder –level tresses.
The complex issue of man-woman relation is also reflected in his works. In modern times, society has opened up and with it has come sexual tension and friction. This theme is reflected in his works. He captures each and every detail of women in his forms. His strokes are very careful and of soft nature.
Distortion is also prominent feature of Souza’s creations. His works are manifestations of fear and horror. In his personal life, he has to face many problems and most of the time he has to live with little money. He also faced tragedies in his personal life, which left their scar as well. At one time, his drinking also became a problem for himself. All this gives fear a permanent place in his mind where he creates his works! Hence, we find figures which are distorted out of proportion. Women with swollen bellies, disfigured face and eyes lead us to believe that he was trying to go beyond distortion. Men with beard and distorted appearance brings us near to demon and evil forces. Here, we find that Souza also was under the influence of Picasso and other contemporary European artists.
In his works, Souza was inspired by Indian classical art and European style. His women seem to be the mirror-image of ‘Yakshinis’ and women engraved in Khajuraho temples. His creation of love-making in sketch form and women applying make-up on the face, or simplying laying on one-side are reflection of Indian classical art as one can witness in the paintings of medieval India. Just as any artist is inspired by his surroundings, he was also inspired by the Portuguese architecture in Goa, life of a priest and the intermingling of two different cultures.
The work of Souza is the figurative representation of his own life and as he imagines it on the canvas. His is a synthesis of the Indian and European style and tradition, where he is trying to evolve as an artist without borrowing blindly from any of his influences. He is a reactionary without being a cynic.
M F HUSSAIN ( Artist in Exile)
Undoubtedly one of the most celebrated artists of India, Maqbool Fida Hussain is one of the rare artists, who is a household name in India. Not always in the news for his paintings, M F Hussain has given Indian paintings fame. He has also added glamour to Indian art by dabbling with motion pictures and doing many series on famous actresses of Bollywood. Needless to say, each act of his noticed with rare enthusiasm and people wait to know his latest subject of inspiration. Behind this lies MF Hussain, the artist who is a self-thought genius.
In many ways he appears to be eccentric to us, yet he continues to generate same amount of attention in all circles. Whether it is his paintings on Hindu gods and goddesses, or his secular paintings with objects of various faith standing together, Hussain has been inspiring with his creations and has not shied from portraying controversial subjects on the canvas.
Although in nineties, Hussain has been an artist of concern throughout his career spanning six decades. No artist generates so much curiosity for his art, as Hussain. His technique and style is unique and he uses large canvas and large brush. His strokes are lengthy and he has taken great care to instill energy and passion in his art. His creations are still but they seem to be breathing. His works are not so difficult to decipher although distortions are ubiquitous in his paintings. Unlike other artists, he is used to do series of painting on a particular subject. Be it Mother Teresa or Madhuri Dixit, he has handled his subject with equal ease.
In this picture, Hussain has created urban fear by distorting the face of a well dressed office going urban man. It seems to convey the fear of the urban life, where people live in isolation and insecurity. Then we find one hand with fingers spread, haunting the man. The hand looks like a hand of an angel or some unseen force. Urban life has its share of phobias and human beings have to face it alone!
A self-taught person, Hussain’s paintings has remained an integral part of contemporary Indian art. Just as people wait for the next movie from their favorite director, people eagerly wait for the next series of paintings from Hussain. In June 2007, he received back his paintings worth 50 Crores INR from his former friend. In May he was selected for Raja Ravi Varma award by the Kerala Govt.
He is the global face of Indian art.
In many ways he appears to be eccentric to us, yet he continues to generate same amount of attention in all circles. Whether it is his paintings on Hindu gods and goddesses, or his secular paintings with objects of various faith standing together, Hussain has been inspiring with his creations and has not shied from portraying controversial subjects on the canvas.
Although in nineties, Hussain has been an artist of concern throughout his career spanning six decades. No artist generates so much curiosity for his art, as Hussain. His technique and style is unique and he uses large canvas and large brush. His strokes are lengthy and he has taken great care to instill energy and passion in his art. His creations are still but they seem to be breathing. His works are not so difficult to decipher although distortions are ubiquitous in his paintings. Unlike other artists, he is used to do series of painting on a particular subject. Be it Mother Teresa or Madhuri Dixit, he has handled his subject with equal ease.
In this picture, Hussain has created urban fear by distorting the face of a well dressed office going urban man. It seems to convey the fear of the urban life, where people live in isolation and insecurity. Then we find one hand with fingers spread, haunting the man. The hand looks like a hand of an angel or some unseen force. Urban life has its share of phobias and human beings have to face it alone!
A self-taught person, Hussain’s paintings has remained an integral part of contemporary Indian art. Just as people wait for the next movie from their favorite director, people eagerly wait for the next series of paintings from Hussain. In June 2007, he received back his paintings worth 50 Crores INR from his former friend. In May he was selected for Raja Ravi Varma award by the Kerala Govt.
He is the global face of Indian art.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Digital India: E-Governance
Much has been said of e-governance in India. Daily we hear the story that in the next couple of years, India will become an Information Technlogy (IT) powered state. Some peopl say, it has already become! The face of government offices will change. No more to files, piling up on Babus' table for approval / advise. We will have every thing in digital form. Things will move faster, and at the click of your fingers, you can get your work done!
Having heard much about this, I wanted to test it. The moment came when we were travelling in Bihar, from Patna to Gaya, by a rented four -wheeler. As we were about to enter Gaya town, the road was blocked, by angry villagers. Later on, we came to know that a villageman was killed in a road accident, and that the villagers will not remove the blockade unless, they get the compensation. The road was blocked around 9 am. For more than three hours, the blockade could not be removed! Around 1: 00 PM we were able to enter Gaya town.
Coming back to Patna, I sent an e-mail to the chief Minister, Mr. Nitish Kumar. I got a reply from his secretary, saying mail was received and I would be informed about the action. This is end of June, and I have not heard from either of them! If this is e-governance, well, we can live without it.
Having heard much about this, I wanted to test it. The moment came when we were travelling in Bihar, from Patna to Gaya, by a rented four -wheeler. As we were about to enter Gaya town, the road was blocked, by angry villagers. Later on, we came to know that a villageman was killed in a road accident, and that the villagers will not remove the blockade unless, they get the compensation. The road was blocked around 9 am. For more than three hours, the blockade could not be removed! Around 1: 00 PM we were able to enter Gaya town.
Coming back to Patna, I sent an e-mail to the chief Minister, Mr. Nitish Kumar. I got a reply from his secretary, saying mail was received and I would be informed about the action. This is end of June, and I have not heard from either of them! If this is e-governance, well, we can live without it.
President of India
When A P J Abdulkalam was nominated and subsequently elected as Indian President, it was hailed by all sections of society. Kalam has the deadly combination of being a scientist and philosopher. He could easily guide a missile to its destination and play Veena with the same expertise. He was the first Muslim to hold a high office, who could not write or speak Urdu, a good example for Hindu communalists. Kalam also recited Geeta! All this made him a good choice for the ruling alliance led by the Hindu Party. Despite all this, there was a consensus on his name among all the political parties.
He started off well, discarding many traditions. He changed the way the Head of the nation used to dress! We saw a complete change in the wardrobe. He covered his favorite blue shirt with Bandgala coat. But he did not cut his hairs! This long hairs later became a subject of laughter to self-styled Bal Thackery. During his tenure, we saw many firsts, which a included a visit to Prime Minister, visit to author Khushwant Singh and others!
Kalam went all his way to make Rashtrapati Bhavan, a People's Bhavan. He was described as people's president, who despite having no kid of his own, was popular with kids! At College functions, University convocations, he was seen giving oath to kids to become the best citizens and work towards making the country a developed nation by 2020. These actions were welcomed like breath of fresh air.
As the election year neared, Kalam was heard saying that he would not seek a second term, and instead devote himself to research and study. His alumni University even offered him a place to work! The nation was looking forward to say goodbye to its President, when the political parties started playing dirty game over the issue of the next Head of the nation. And when a newly constituted third front, comprising group of powerless politicians asked him to contest for second term, Kalam got confused and issued a 'Yes' statement. This made the Presidential election more confusing and picture became hazy. The ruling Party refused to budge and Kalam had to eat his words! It was a big fall for a man, who had over the years become an example of simplicity, honesty, integrity for the nation. This is a good example of power corrupting!
He started off well, discarding many traditions. He changed the way the Head of the nation used to dress! We saw a complete change in the wardrobe. He covered his favorite blue shirt with Bandgala coat. But he did not cut his hairs! This long hairs later became a subject of laughter to self-styled Bal Thackery. During his tenure, we saw many firsts, which a included a visit to Prime Minister, visit to author Khushwant Singh and others!
Kalam went all his way to make Rashtrapati Bhavan, a People's Bhavan. He was described as people's president, who despite having no kid of his own, was popular with kids! At College functions, University convocations, he was seen giving oath to kids to become the best citizens and work towards making the country a developed nation by 2020. These actions were welcomed like breath of fresh air.
As the election year neared, Kalam was heard saying that he would not seek a second term, and instead devote himself to research and study. His alumni University even offered him a place to work! The nation was looking forward to say goodbye to its President, when the political parties started playing dirty game over the issue of the next Head of the nation. And when a newly constituted third front, comprising group of powerless politicians asked him to contest for second term, Kalam got confused and issued a 'Yes' statement. This made the Presidential election more confusing and picture became hazy. The ruling Party refused to budge and Kalam had to eat his words! It was a big fall for a man, who had over the years become an example of simplicity, honesty, integrity for the nation. This is a good example of power corrupting!
Politics on Women
The ruling United Progressive Alliance has fielded Mrs. Pratibha Patil as the next president of India. It has been hailed as a turning point in the history of India. For the first time, India is set to have a woman head of state. But her nomination has not helped in bringing the opposition and ruling combination together. Instead, the opposition led by right wing BJP, has started a campaign against her and in favour of its own man, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
At first opposition lost no time in dismissing the nomination of Patil as gimmick and issued statements to halt her candidature. Ms. Patil also made herself subject of intense debate when she made a sweeping remark on Indian Purdah system. Since then Patil has been advised to not speak directly to media. The ruling Congress party dubbed the campaign of opposition as anti-women.
After loosing the first round, the BJP decided to reserve its 33 Per cent seats to women. It is to be seen if this can help them in the second round, where the battle is slated between Patil and Shekhawat.
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