Docile 2

Soft Pastel & Charcoal on paper

3.5' x 2.5'

In the fast paced life of today the handloom is aptly monumentalized as an extraordinary feature in the midst of the city life and visual culture that now prevails around us. This simple device that sustains many through their small scale industries has grown to become an icon that is honored and glorified as in this illustration itself. Its large size and absurd position on a street is very intriguing in that it has become a monument but doesn’t dissociate itself with the common, the everyday. Though it has grown in position it has not lost touch with the earth (pun). It boldly identifies itself with those very few who are magnified yet not moved. In fact its bars are well grounded in the earth and even appear to be deep rooted. All its intrinsic mechanisms are intact and functional. Being so well grounded, it does not fear coming in the way of the traffic of the street, instead it has established its authority to redirect the traffic just by it rooted position irrespective of whether it is functional or not. In fact its position itself carries out a function automatically by virtue of itself. It even seems to challenge the structures around itself by its dominating presence in a silent, non-violent fashion. There is a mutual co-operation between the different structures even if there is an air of hostility. Even in (or because of) its simplicity and transparency the handloom has become an icon in through the artist whose attention it has managed to captive to the point of such an intense and magnificent expression.

12/1/2011

This diptych of roots against a backdrop of books almost seems to compel the viewer to establish the link between them. The labyrinth of root projections resembles the maze like structure of the brain where thousands of impulses are constantly shooting back and forth. Interestingly it is the labyrinth of the human brain which is the instrument that turns experience into books as well as books into experience. There is also the link of the material where trees are the source of the paper of the books. The history of the relationship between the roots and the books goes far beyond the history of the history of the creation of these books where their word content is concerned. They seem to meet again in this picture not for a functional purpose but rather as friends. The silent dialogue between them is not one of strangers but one of estranged friends.

Over the neat beds lie the remains of something that was once alive. Suspended from a bamboo stick lie the bones, particularly the head of creatures that were once moving and breathing as if the artist wants to emphasize something of the past in as loud a manner possible. There is something about the past lingering in our present like a ghost that is invisible but strongly experienced. It is usually in the quietness of the bedroom that the ghost of the past comes to touch the senses of the living. If one’s present condition is secure and strong, the remains of the past will either have to surrender to the present or disappear into oblivion which is just another form of surrender. Something very encouraging about these skeletons of the past is that they are bound yet they boldly threaten one like as if they have some legal or birthright in this bedroom. The serenity of the bedroom is so empowering that the hanging skulls seem to be finding themselves out of place. Perhaps they presumed that they could create a presence here but instead they experience a sort of intimidation that was not planned but has turned out to be so due to the difference in stature of the bones and the bedroom. Perhaps the gap between the beds is due to these remains of the past that are lingering even after the passage of time.

The most outstanding and intriguing feature of Madhu’s work is the depiction of a contemporary image in a conventional medium. Instead of keeping his artwork as an installation, he seems to take the image of an installation and turn it into a painting in such a meticulous manner almost like he is trying to drive a point in. He seems to take the present (installation) into the past (pigment on paper), considering new media to be more contemporary that painting, thus projecting a very new idea in an old window that belongs to a different position in the timeline. The dry leaves support this idea as something of the past coming into the present in that it has been created with paint only a few days ago. Madhu is playing with the whole human concept of time to dismantle it and bring in some new perspectives on the idea of time itself. He brings the past and the present together in a methodical manner with such ease of flow that one needs to be very careful in concluding that he has just fabricated something. One must see deeper to know that he is actually throwing light on something that already exists but needed to be unveiled in the way he is doing it here. The human concept of time is a superficial one that is followed for the sake of convenience. But Madhu with his shuffling of the then and now seems to be poking this thing called contemporary art to reconsider its name. He defies contemporary art while parading in the sphere of it fooling those who do not care to look beyond his surface. Thus contemporary art has embraced its rebel in its disinterest to discern those it calls its own. Fortunately here the rebel is closer to the truth than the community he is in. He has the potential to win the community not just because he is true but due the way he carries himself in their midst.

Trumpets and Seeds?

Madhu’s creations throw light on the relationship /link/interdependence between the natural and the fabricated (from the natural). Normally what do trumpets have to do with germinating seeds? But Madhu’s painting challenges one to dig enough to see their co-relation. As they hover over these sprouting plants they seem to inspire life and energy into them to follow the upward direction of the trumpets themselves. Correspondingly the growing plants seem to support the trumpets (visually and in essence) through their co- operation. In a very subtle way the growing shoots seem to be upholding the trumpets. It is something not seen but sensed. The way the trumpets are positioned breaks the monotony of the linear walls in a very assertive way yet they are not there of themselves but have been placed there by another. They assert themselves not in an imposing way but rather in an obliging way. The dialogue between the sprouts and the trumpets is peaceful but not intimate. It is obvious that as they grow there is going to be intimacy. There is a strong likelihood that the mature plants will interfere with the position and function of the trumpets unless there is mutual respect and compromise. Here Madhu brings out the point that with growth there must be increasing mutual understanding, respect and compromise for the growth to be sustained.

Neha Jiandani
18/10/10

Off -beat Art in Off-beat Venus II

Samuha( 3rd Floor, A.D.A. Rangamandira, J C Road, 26th -31st Aug 2010) is currently hosting a show of eight women artists (Smt.Y Jayama, Smt. Devaki, Smt. K. S. Bharati, Smt. Sumitra Y. Putti, Smt. V. Vijayalaxmi Sundaresh, Smt. Nanda R. Putti ,Smt. M. A. Umalaxmi and Smt. Bharati G) who have no formal training in art. Their productions are childlike spontaneous expressions that are untainted by academic education. Their visual language and style is raw. They are emotionally charged with the enthusiasm of a child.
Charita (Mysore), the curator was inspired by the artworks produced by her aunt who is part of the show. Being impressed by the passion of her aunt she had the idea to have a solo show of her work which gradually developed into a group show including seven other women like her. The ambience of Samuha is charged with life as screens displaying documentaries of the artists work keep viewers engrossed.

Mysore Palace Entrance Portrait
-Nanda Putty -Vijayalakshmi

Even the arrangement of the artworks is raw and informal which seems to be deliberate to assist in emphasizing the overall essence of the work. They break some rules/norms of an exhibition which has been and intrinsic character of art ever since it existed. Nanda Putty’s ‘Mysore Palace Entrance’ uses water colours in different methods throughout the picture . The convenience of expression is what determines the strokes rather than technically correct way of using them. Vijyalakshmi’s portrait is not based on rules of anantomy but purely on observation as is evident in the strokes.



Slender Loris (thread) Bharati
Sumitra Putty Poster colour on paper

Bharati’s work is one that reminds the viewers of their own childhood or some drawing of their children done with great vigor and placed in front of their faces for appreciation. The fantasy image of bold strokes on notebook paper reveals some part of the woman that remains untouched by the discipline of demands of her environment.

Charita, through this show was keen to bring to light the intense artistic expressions of these mature women who are ignored in the mainstream art industry. Her passion to not allow this art to die in oblivion is what inspired the art event.

Neha Jiandani
28/8/2010

Off -beat Art In Off-beat Venus

“Behind The Seen” at 1.shantiroad(27th Aug- 1st Sep 2010) digs into visuality and the very idea of ‘a show’. It has successfully attempted to turn the canvas to face the wall and coax the viewers to see what is hidden behind that beautifully painted picture. This is the display of the productions of four individuals who work as technicians doing numerous odd jobs at four dynamic art spaces in the city.

Prabhakar D.R. (Goethe Institute, ‘Max Mueller Bhavan’) has been exposed to art and artists for the past 40 years. His sculptures made of scrap machinery parts display a skill and commitment that far exceeds those of some trained artists. The symmetry and balance of his sculptures are striking in their imitation of traditional Indian lamps.


Mohana ,( No. 1 Shantiroad, art studio) the caretaker for the past decade looks like an excited little girl as she animatedly describes her artwork to viewers. Her sculptures, made of fabric, plastic bottles and old saree material look like puppets that are about to do a performance. Mohana inspires life into these dolls through her dynamic expressions and gestures. These dolls are the representation of coolies, vegetable vendors who are her friends.

Artist: Subbaiah
Subbaiah (Samuha, a one-year long artist collective) who has been assisting Samuha is also a vegetable vendor and mason from Iglur. He says ,” Once he began assisting the artists, he was lured to make art which resulted in photographs.” He portrays his world of flowers, cows and rabbits…..his experiences that the consumer world is missing.

Artist: Shivaraju Artist: Shivaraju
Shivaraju (No. 1, Shantiroad) has been managing this place for a while now. He is from a farming community and is a cop by profession. Due to the inevitable circumstances of his life, he could not pursue a formal education in art. But this has not deterred him from expressing himself through the medium of photography. “Physical Labour” is the thematic concern that runs through his pictures.
Curated by city based artist Surekha, “Behind the Seen” is in honour of the quiet ones who work behind the scenes making many of the major shows in the city possible. The joy and satisfaction on the faces of each of these four artists proves that this show has served to appreciate their constant services better than mere words would have.