On the Threshold of ‘A Portrait’

Review

‘On the Threshold of Time’ is a group show of four young fresh graduates from Delhi College of Art, New Delhi. Mounted at the Heritage Art Gallery in the city, this show attracts the viewer with its emphasis on ‘self-portraits,’ feels Nisha Aggarwal.

Why do artists paint self-portraits, is an age old question in art history. When asked Frida Kahlo once, the artist replied, ‘because I am the subject, I know best’. Answer to this question varies as artists have responded to this in their own ways. The first ever believed to be found portrait was by the Ancient Greek sculptor Phidias, who inserted a likeness of himself in the frieze ‘Battle of the Amazons’ at the Parthenon in Athens. The Early Renaissance artists of the mid-15th century can be more frequently identified depicting themselves as either the main subject, or as important character in their work.

A Rare Self-Portrait by Adolf Hitler
(Photo: Caters News)

Italian Renaissance painters avoided producing formal self-portraits, but tended to insert images of themselves in their painting. Instances can be seen in the paintings of artists Simone Masaccio, Piero della Francesca, Sandro Botticelli, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Raphael, and Titian. Some Florentine artists like Gentile Bellini and Leonardo da Vinci executed more formal self-portraits. The 20th century sought the painters like Henri Matisse, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Marc Chagall, Paul Klee and Max Beckmann producing stylistic portraits of themselves. Likewise, the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo executed 55 self-portraits depicting her personal torment. The great Spanish artist Pablo Picasso painted a wide range of autobiographical portraits depicting himself at various stages of his artistic career. All these artists used self-portraits either to advertise their skills, to explore inner turmoil or to stake a place in history. Beyond representing one’s physical and inlying attributes, self-portraiture can also announce one’s style. The reasons may be whatever but it can be deciphered as a painting with art of writing.

A Work by Akshay Sethi

Once again ask the question; why do artists paint self-portraits? This question comes to me again as I descend the stairs of the Art Heritage gallery, which is located at the basement of the Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi. There I confront a huge portrait of a young man wearing a Shaktiman costume. This one is by Rahul Gautam, one of the participating artists in the group show. The question refuses to fade as I walk along the aisle of the gallery, where Akshay Sethi’s works are displayed on either side. Sethi’s works focus more on the plight of the middle class caught in the metropolitan cities. These self-portraits are not heavily detailed, however, they tell me about the issues of the aam aadmi in his/her efforts to survive in big cities.

Naughty Boy by Dipanker Pramanik

Inside the main gallery, I see the works of Dipanker Pramanik, Sambodhi Ascharya and Rahul Gautam. Dipanker revels in the immediate and he gives expression to his visuals responses in small paper works. These are windows kept open to his life, to his family and the life that floats by. Sambodhi dares to bare as she paints female nudes though she blurs the nudity by photoshop act. For the artist, female body is not different than the landscapes and the natural aesthetics they carry in them. But what attracts me more is a series of self-portraits by Rahul Gautam done mostly in oil and acrylic on canvas or pencil on paper.

Shakti-Shakti-Shaktiman by Rahul Gautam

In Rahul’s works the perceived reality around him meets the imagined reality inside the artist’s head. Hence one could see a lot of popular images in his works. He gives iconic status to the ordinary individuals; at times to his own self and at other times to his family members. The characterization of these works is crucial to the artists as several of them are ‘living’ people; his family members or friends. Rahul’s dependence on autobiography could be read out as a need for self-validation felt by the artist himself. He repeatedly changes the ambience of the locales where these protagonists are seen and this changing ambience in a way suggests his thoughts and desires. For instance, in ‘Lovely One’ he depicts the union of college mates in a birthday party or something. By the mere enlarging of the scale of the painting, he underlines the importance that gives to a mundane occurrence.

Lovely One by Rahul Gautam

‘Hey! What’s Up?’ is from the series of works on his facebook addiction and relations. These pencil portraits are profile pictures of his facebook friends (his real life friends too) and the text written with them is taken from facebook chat-box, which defines their character or personality. His other work ‘Cold War’ also promulgates his relationship with one of his closest friend, penning how after having some misunderstandings a cold war began between them. She has some resemblance with Mona Lisa, so Rahul portrayed her as Mona Lisa while erasing her facial features. Same whittling of the facial features is indicated in his sculptural portrait of that friend (in one portrait among a set of four portraits). Before portraying her as Mona Lisa, Rahul had created her portrait in clay and sequence of these four portraits shows the creation to destruction of a relation.

Hey! What's Up?, A Set of 9 Portraits by Rahul Gautam

In the work, ‘Babu, You will be a star one day’, an old family photo with his father and siblings but one who is wearing Shaktiman’s costume is Rahul himself. He ‘edited’ his dress in the old photo while converting it into a large painting. The title is taken from his father’s refrain. In another painting he portrays himself as Shaktiman; it is a sort of searching for the self therefore an act of self-discovery.

Cold War by Rahul Gautam

His selection of the pictures that he paints has a similarity. The gaze of his characters look directly into the eyes of the viewers as to create a relation with them. Technically Rahul is inspired with hyperrealist artists, but his concepts of portraits are more near to the contemporary aspects of it as ‘selfies’. The selfie is a smartphone-produced version of the self-portrait, which has been a staple of art and photography history since artists first began seeing or examining their own images in the mirror. Shot mostly with smartphone cameras, a way for the one shooting the picture to see themselves the way they would like to be seen. Thus far, the selfies have concentrated mostly on the philosophical implications of disseminating them via social networks and the internet, wherein the selfie can receive validation from their social circle.

Babu, You will be a Star one day

This is the fourth exhibition by Art Heritage Gallery in the exhibition series of ‘On the Threshold of Time’, which majorly includes the young artists or fresh graduates from fine arts colleges. All these artists have portrayed the image of their alternative self that shares and reflects their intramural core, just like the words of Pablo Picasso that, ‘we are to paint what’s on the face, what’s inside the face, or what’s behind it’.

Picture Courtesy: Art Heritage Gallery & Rahul Gautam

The exhibition is on view till 29th May, 2014.

(First Appeared Online in CartanArt Magazine, Issue-IV, May 2014)

Of Creative Diligence

Interview

The art world today witnesses a rapid change as artists tend to move towards creating quick, commercially palpable art work, rejecting their conventional art practices. Veteran artist Paramjeet Singh, teaches by his own example and stresses the need for consistency in art practice for ensuring longevity, in an interview with Nisha Aggarwal.

Recipient of President of India’s Silver Plaque Award among many others, veteran artist Paramjeet Singh has been an active member of Group8 and Delhi Shilpi Chakra. Presently he is an Executive member of All India Fine Art and Crafts Society, New Delhi. Paramjeet’s consistent and persistent work in painting and printmaking, and contributions in art education as Principal and Professor at College of Art, New Delhi, begets a pry to recognize him as Paramjeet Singh the artist. Here he speaks: 

Artist Paramjeet Singh

Nisha Aggarwal: You as a prolific artist, worked untiringly both in painting and printmaking with variety of media. Artists often feel themselves astray in initial phase of their career due to availability of various options. What are your suggestions?

Paramjeet Singh: I started silk screen printing in late 60s, to find out what is a silk screen print in fine arts, I studied print media that was European, but I wanted to find out it in an Indian context. It was the time when graphic arts such as lithography and etching were carving a niche and silk screen printing was being diminishing. In such an era I stuck to serigraphy by practicing it consistently for 30 years. Print medium requires a lot of stress and physical hard work. In 1979, I got a National Award by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi. Gradually I shifted to oil colour medium and afterwards to acrylic. But present scenario is little different. People are hunting for the change to avail the demand and opportunities. Artist’s mind is polluted. The shift to one medium to another should be piecemeal. One should take a medium or style seriously for certain time period and should master it. The development will come successively and conclusion point will be sought for a shift in medium or style. Then only one could be able to mature one style of working and master it.

Blue Vision, Silkscreen 1974

NA: Would you put an emphasis on the gradual development or shift in your style of working?

PS: Late 60s marked the beginning of my artistic career with abstracts. For 8 to 12 years I continued with abstracts that may be as a symbolic phase with geometrical shapes and lot of in-lighted colours. That time’s work emphasized on geometrical shapes. In forms I preferred squares, ovoids and floral motifs. In the 80s I started adding clouds, leaves, butterflies, birds, rainbows and human figures in my compositions. In 1983 I started using a very coarse 60-80 mesh screen with conventional printer’s colours through which I succeeded in producing exceptionally flat opaque surfaces and delicately gradated shadings rarely possible with a brush. 1984 I attempted silk screen on canvas combining a painterly effect with serigraphic technique. In the last decade of my artistic life my endeavours have moved towards reconciling the human world with nature. My human figures notably the female figures set in indoor scenes with mundane household objects. I have been delving into the human form on and off for over two decades now.

Passage to Hermitage, Silkscreen 1983

From basic shapes to natural elements and afterwards human figures, was an experience in itself. It was a journey exploring my inner self. I gradually started realist after abstract but basic study was always there that converted one style into another. The process of unifying birds and human beings with geometrical shapes came with constant experimentation. As thoughts and images change as the experience grow but the stagnant application with technique and images is the reason behind achieving the signature style.

Blue Mountains, Silkscreen 1986

NA: From your earlier work on symbolism and geometrical shapes, nature and form related, to human/ female forms, how are you able to create such ‘personal space’ and to find the serene surroundings while living and working in restless world of Delhi?

PS: See Delhi is not just a wild area (laughs) or concrete jungle only. You see landscapes everywhere. You can’t ignore that among the buildings, gardens are there. You can make your own subjects. Even a single tree can make a beautiful composition. It is so decorative and balanced. So, one has to have observation.

Green Carpet, Silkscreen 1995

NA: Do you feel any impact of your teaching career on the artist in you?

PS: It helped me and gave me a support. It never bound my creativity.

NA: What are your views about Art Education in India in today’s perspective?

PS: We cannot say exactly as its very mixed now. Many things are done and more is needed. Art education today is growing and a manner of precipitation is there. People think that they have to learn faster and faster. But I believe that art cannot be learnt so rapidly. This way sometimes you feel that education remains incomplete. But if somebody is clever enough to learn and mature cursorily, one can hold it or carry on. So some sort of deficiency in art education is there.

Camp Observer, Silkscreen 2002

NA: What are your views about contemporary art practices in India?

PS: It’s good and growing. It’s a kind of documentation of the society. So many people are hunting here and there thinking what to do and what not to do. They are incorporating a lot of modern technologies in it. And I think there is a need of time also because one has to work with time. One cannot go with the convention which was created by our forefathers and mastering in all those. With modern times, modern technologies and modern instruments has to be interflowed. I think experimental works are coming out.

Lady on Green Sofa, Oil on Canvas 2007

NA: Would you like to convey any message to young artists/art practitioners of India?

PS: My message to artists and students is that they have to work. They have to work and work and work. The time will come when a certain development and maturity will be there. Understanding will come by working only. That is more important instead of running here and there, finding sources, finding market and all those things. That is what I feel and want to convey.

(First Appeared Online in CartanArt Magazine, Issue-III, May 2014)

‘Green’ that paints the ‘Red’

Review

When artists address social and environmental issues organically, a new age art practice is born, as is the case of Jonathan Longuet, in his show titled, ‘Jungle Me : Green Graffiti’ at Niv Art Centre, New Delhi. Developing a green paint made from algae, the artist intends to paint the world a lively green, reviews Nisha Aggarwal.

Life size human figures and more than life size portraits on canvas and on light boxes could catch the attention of anyone. I first saw these in the form of images in facebook. They looked monochromatic dark green at first glance enthralling aesthetically. Knowing more about their medium as algae (in Hindi known as ‘Kai’) created more interest in them. This zest and curiosity made my visit to NIV Art Centre. Niv Art Centre situated near the IGNOU Campus, New Delhi was hosting a show titled ‘Jungle Me: Green Graffiti’ of works by French artist Jonathan Longuet curated by Elizabeth Rogers.

Algae Painting with Light Box

Born in 1984, Jonathan Longuet is a Bordeaux, France based artist who was part of the residency at Niv Art Centre. ‘Jungle Me’ was a series comprising Green Graffiti, Installations, Photography, Laboratory and street interventions including workshops with children. The works showcased in the exhibition were a calculated display of all these activities done by artist in India during his residency. The first floor gallery was displaying the paintings done by algae (Green Graffiti) and a machine showing the process of algae cultivation (Green Machine). The second floor gallery consisted the photographs of the works done in a workshop with children (Green Workshops of Reverse and Water Graffiti). His medium of painting is refined algae plus water on pure cotton made canvases.

Artist Jonathan Longuet showing 'Green Machine' to School Children

Jonathan is a regular painter and around ten years back he decided to use organic material for his paintings instead of using chemical paints like acrylics and oils. He wanted to find out a solution to the ‘chemical’ problem. Bordeaux is a city in France classified by UNESCO, as made out of stones. Jonathan wanted to make it Green. The problems of global warming and pollution also urged him to catch the carbon dioxide in an artistic way. When he saw the algae living and growing on the stones in his building, the idea of using it as a material for his paintings arose. Also it could give him the solution to all those issues which were undulating in his thoughts.

A Reverse Graffiti by Children in Workshop

Algae, a type of seaweed lives and grows on stones, walls or in their rifts, near to drainages or on the surfaces wherever water/moisture is extant. It is easily available anywhere. Jonathan harvests it from the base of buildings and other surroundings, cultivates and applies to canvases or other surfaces. But making this harvested plant usable as a paint medium needs various methods of filtering in order to extract pure algae. Because while harvesting the ‘stock’ contains the bacteria, viruses, microorganisms, insect larva along with algae. Jonathan could successfully make it his medium of painting through his personal research and cooperation with biologists. The filtrations result in purified algae, ‘the living paint’ with a quantity of water.

At The Mall

This prepared ‘Green paint’ is dripped drop by drop onto canvas throughout the stencils (made according to the drawings). The dark and light areas/shades which give these/any painting a three-dimensional look decides the quantity of dripped paint. Dark areas require more dripping than the lighter ones. The algae may not be difficult to use but it needs a careful scientific process. And also requires maintenance and good conservation conditions afterwards. I remember while my visit to the show Jonathan was spraying water onto all the paintings to keep them alive. He told me that it’s necessary for not letting the algae/paintings dry or die. In this sense his paintings are alive and this algae grows over time depending on conservation conditions.

Fille Rayure (In Collaboration with Manou)

Jonathan’s subjects of paintings are Indian people. These human beings are captured in their various casual posture/dresses while their daily lives as old man wearing ‘lungi’, a girl with a dog, young girl and boy at shopping mall, the rickshaw puller/laborer, people of different costumes/religions etc. these subjects and the medium ‘Green paint’ connects and explore the points of population explosion, neglected growth, fundamental/biological necessities of living, existence of different identities and their struggle to survive and how their environment impacts them. Algae as a medium itself reveals a lot about our environment. And giving human shapes to it is an endeavor to establish a dialogue between human beings and their environments. They have forgotten it even being a part of it. It interrogates the notions of urban jungle, density, movement and survival.

The Old Man (In Collaboration with Manou)

The seven works presented in this collection were the photographs taken by street fashion photographer Manou (wearabout) which Jonathan developed in his own ‘ecofriendly’ process. Manou also deals with similar issues of inventory of originality, difference and evolving identities which interests Jonathan. The similarity of ‘flavours’ resulted in the collaboration between both. Jonathan started the drawings of the displayed works in France and did his paintings in India at NIV. It took eight months to present the works showcased in the show. And availability of the space of two long galleries perhaps helped Jonathan to execute his ideas the way he wanted to.

Square Head (In Collaboration with Manou)

As Jonathan’s efforts were to invite people to feel/realize their environment they have been neglecting. Apart from the display of his own works he made the show a project which directly involves people. And children are just in the best age to develop the interest/awareness for their surroundings. The artist started a workshop with children of Neb Sarai in February 2014 which continued till April 2014. He showed children his artistic practice and explained how to do street art. In his Reverse Graffiti and Water Graffiti workshops with children, they made stencils and used them in various locations in Neb Sarai. These were the small interventions in the street drawn with water pressure on a wall covered of algae. The last series of Reverse Graffiti were conducted in collaboration with ‘The Green Lab Delhi’ group of the Neb Sarai children during Jonathan’s residency at Niv Art Centre. These works were photographed and displayed with Jonathan’s paintings during the show and the original ones can be seen while walking through the Neb Sarai’s streets. Perhaps they will be visible some more time until the rain arrives. The children of G. D. Goenka Public School and Birla Vidya Niketan also visited the show and Jonathan showed his process of work to them too. A workshop with Art Muse Academy also took place.

I would say it a ‘Green Riot’ played with ‘Green Paint’ showing the concerns for ‘Red’/the environmental dangers.

The show was on the view till 20 April, 2014.

Image Courtesy: Niv Art Centre

(First Appeared Online in CartanArt Magazine, Issue-II, May 2014)

Where ‘A Knot’ says a lot

Profile

In pursuit of becoming a fully trained artist, Manesha Deva Sarma S N, has endured existential issues on personal and public realms. This has never hampered the gusto of creativity. The artist carefully ties up loose ends in his ‘Knots’ of time, says Nisha Aggarwal.

Artist Manesha Deva Sarma S.N.

‘Better late than never’, is a prevailing proverb, but believing in it with inlying credence is a different quest. Manesha Deva Sarma S N is one such artist, whose artistic journey lies in this engagement. Born in the village Pattazhi, Kollam district of Kerala, Manesha completed his early graduation in Commerce from University of Kerala. While pursuing another Bachelor degree in Law, he came in touch with artist friends in Kerala, helping him discover his artistic interest, urging him to enter Fine Arts. Climbing up with this ‘settling’ spire of his educational career, Manesha started being drawn towards art. Although before starting any academic training in Fine arts he had a solo show of his works in Kerala in 2002, but being eldest among his siblings was another hindrance for entering into art field as a full time pursuant. At the same time his application was rejected for Bachelor level course in Fine Arts College, Trivandrum, Kerala due to age criteria. Then somebody told him about Kala-Bhavana, Visva-Bharti University, West Bengal. He heeded the suggestion and applied to enroll in a BFA course to become a practicing artist. Finally at the age of 23, Manesha got in to Kala-Bhavana, Santiniketan. From there he completed his Bachelor and Master in Fine Arts in Sculpture in 2007 and 2009 consecutively.

The Plant (Fiber Glass, Terracotta, Iron & Soil)

After completing his Post Graduation, he moved back to Kerala, his hometown. Need of a regular income urged him to take up a job and he found an interest in teaching. He joined in R. L. V. College, Thrippunithura, Kochi, Kerala as sculptor/teacher for one year. Since the family needs and his own work demanded financial stability, where he could work uninterruptedly irrespective of fluctuating art market scenario, he took up a job of Art Teacher in Kendriya Vidyalaya and was posted in the IIT Campus, Chennai. His works have been included in various group shows held in Santiniketan, Kolkata, Kochi, and National exhibitions of Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi. He is the recipient of scholarships from Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy in 2008-09, from Visva-Bharti University in 2008 and Junior Artist Fellowship from Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India in 2010.

Onathumpi (Mix Media)

Manesha is primarily a sculptor, who has recently turned to painting since he shifted to Chennai. Although he has been doing drawings during his study at Kala-Bhavana, his early drawings and sketches for sculptures are replete with painterly potency. His imagery works in a similar manner both as a sculptor and painter however his paintings hold more narrative resonance. Manesha is a prolific sculptor who started with life size/and more than life size portraits in clay, terracotta and fiber glass and slowly brought his realistic sculptures into conceptual territories with the use of various different/ experimental mediums. His figurative sculptures comprise masculine human body parts (legs and hands mainly). These body parts are knotted, standing rationally, walking confidently, lying self consciously and sometimes in confused complexity. A few among them carry spades while some others are divided by skewer or sword (mainly in the series of sculptures ‘Avatar’ and in other works). The sturdy legs and spades are a metaphorical transcription of his father’s memory, who was a farmer. The multiple legs attribute to a powerful role of a farmer.

Avatar-2 (Fiber Glass, Iron & Paints)

His later sculptures seek a respite from the rigidity of three-dimensional sculpture. They are movable objects where he gives a car the shape of a human brain, putting wheels to it. They are displayed with relief onto walls on slabs, especially when he executes the form of human brains connected to each other. They sustain the stance of installations (in ‘Avatar’ series, The Homo Erectus, Sleep Walker, The Plant and Onathumpi etc.). They hold the performative gestures of a living body where two knotted hands are displayed lying on the floor with puffed rice (‘mudi’ eaten mostly in Bengal).

Untitled (Wood, Fiber Glass, Iron & Soil)

His sculptural work ‘Onathumpi’ is his childhood memory of the important Malayali festival ‘Onam’ widely celebrated in Kerala. He remembers the dragonflies hovering all over spreading their colorful wings in that season. Being born and brought up in Kerala the cultural background influenced him a lot as an artist. The visual experience of Kerala’s traditional art forms played a vital role in the nurturing of his inner artist, especially the festive celebrations, rituals pertinent to these celebrations and the characters of violence and faith aligned to these rituals. For instance another painting ‘Vayillakunnilappan’ is a portrayal of religious allegory from Kerala. It’s a story of a migrant Brahmin whose one son was believed to be God.

Vayillakunnilappan (Oil on Canvas)

Along with soft memories, the nuances of his cruel contemporary world come into his works. The violent problems of terrorism, communal riots, wars (industrial development) etc. make him fearful and anxious to lead a peaceful life in present world. The political and socio-economic structure of his village and other places serves as a background for his works.

The Tale (Oil on Canvas)

Here ‘Knot’ is having a primary presence in all of his works ranging from sculptures to paintings.  As Manesha sees all things in this world are knotted or related to each other. The knots is a ‘relation’ for him. The man in him is knotted with this world and his struggle to break that knot and set free has resulted in such an idea. He tries to explore the knots as concepts and forms. By knotting legs or hands and other objects he is getting an easy way to present a gesture or action. By using different knots he tries to explore the nature and character of different kind of knots through his works.

Another noticeable and interesting feature of his works is the human anatomy; how it changes from outwards to inwards slowly from sculptures to paintings. His earlier sculptures are masculine human body parts, then inner body parts like brain, and recent paintings open up these masculine bodies and make the viewer visit its internal junctions. His paintings largely speak of the environmental issues that he has observed while living in the peaceful space of his village and in his current location where entire landscape is on the verge of a complete ‘makeover’.

The Mutant (Oil on Canvas)

(First Appeared Online in CartanArt Magazine, Issue-I, May 2014)