Tuesday 25 November 2014

'LOUDspeakers' Titled The Great Indian Promises, artist C Ganacharya's installation


Titled The Great Indian Promises, artist C Ganacharya's installation at Carter Road promenade takes a satirical look at the promises netas have been making election after election since the first Lok Sabha election in 1951. In his installation, the water tap and fan symbolize drinking water and electricity respectively that the successive governments have not taken to every Indian.
“Even after 60 years of Independence, the politicians' promises sound same as they had made during the first general election,“ says Ganacharya. “They have sold false dreams and duped the countrymen. I try to highlight this duplicity.“ The word “promise“ is translated in many different Indian languages to emphasise its wide prevelance.


Nov 25 2014 : The Times of India (Mumbai)
Of empty vessels and politicians
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Sunday 16 November 2014

‘The sense of quiet that pervades his work invites contemplation, not a gaze’- Sham Lal on Ramkumar

Drawings from the 60s

An exhibition of drawings by Ramkumar

8th-29th of November’2014


Ramkumar, is regarded as one of the first-generation of post-independence artists in India. His contemporaries included the likes of M.F Husain, F.N souza, SH Raza and Akbar Padamsee.  He began his artistic journey studying at Sharada Ukil school of Art. He later went to Paris and trained under Andre Lhote and Fernand Legar.

The 20th century modernisms in Paris, Vienna and London served as an inspiration for him, combined with a desire to ethnically belong to the homeland- in its inherent Indianness. Ramkumar’s search for an Indian identity has transcended mere motifs and figurations. As an artist he evolved from his short lived figurative phase into a master of abstractions. Having renounced the active engagement with the state and civil society that had earlier characterised his position, the artist had turned gradually inward, choosing to be in an internal exile of the spirit. This withdrawal gave him the space to reflect upon the great natural forces that had enthralled him, to gauge their metaphorical import: through his art. The 60’s and 70’s mark the phase of his career which was the beginning of his transcendence into abstract landscapes.

 Aakriti Art Gallery, New Delhi is hosting the exhibition 'Drawings from the 60’s ‘by the legendary artist Ramkumar, from 8th-29th of November’2014.The show would be curated by poet and art-critic Prayag Shukla, a close associate of Ramkumar for five decades, who has written extensively on him in Hindi and English. The drawings to be exhibited mark his transcendence from figurative works into abstraction. The drawings reflect sheer beauty through lines creating an experience rather than a discourse.The works presented in the show are sensitive charting of momentous happenings, in fine lines, and speak volumes for Ramkumar’s delicate rendering quality. These drawings take us into a memorable aesthetic journey through ‘wondrous paths, which can be seen, treaded and found only by the caliber of an artist like Ramkumar, to engage our mind, as well our hearts.

The exhibition simultaneously can be viewed on the website www.aakritiartgallery.com. The exhibition would provide a glimpse of Ramkumar’s works which directly connects with one’s inner self and reveals a world of infinite depth and beauty.

-


Aakriti Art Gallery Pvt. Ltd.
F-213/A .Old M .B Road, Lado Sarai
New Delhi 110030


Sunday 9 November 2014

‘Chitradarshani’ – Exhibition of paintings organized by 3H Art Society.


TRIBUTE to MASTER Prafulla Dahanukar  and M F Hussain 
Opening show at 6pm 15th Nov 2014 Art Gate Gallery 
ARTIST 3H, a brain child of Dhiraj Hadole, is a multipurpose Art Society aimed at nurturing the Art heritage of India and increase Art awareness among the people. The name itself shows the great admiration for three prominent features of all the artists who knowingly or unknowingly create masterpieces- 3H are Heart, Head and Hand! Dhiraj Hadole thinks that Art is as expression for purpose and every artist does it in his own style which stimulates the thought process of the viewer; therefore it would not be right to discriminate between famed and novice. He gives equal platform and exposure to both and highly respected and budding masters of Art who are instrumental in making Art an inseparable part of the Society.

The present show by 3H is called ‘Chitradarshan’, one of its kind displaying and showcasing masterpieces by various Indian artists. It also pays tribute to M.F.Hussain and his serigraphs and prints are displayed in the exhibition. The show also includes rare art works of Prafulla Dahanukar, K.K.Hebbar and Badri Narayan.   

The unique feature of this exhibition is that it does not have a particular theme running through the art works by various artists involved in it, instead there is a magnanimous effort made by Dhiraj, the organizer to bring various themes under one roof. It features over 20 artists and their art. It includes abstract, figurative, realistic and landscape themes on canvas and mix media. Some of the masterpieces are displayed for the first time in India.

Recent work Pankaj Khalode 

Artists like Pankaj Khalode and Laxman Ahire have very well shouldered their responsibility to bring out the pros and cons of the Indian traditional society and create social awareness. Nurturing tradition and following the culture is a pride of India, admired by the whole world. But one realizes that it has a cruel side which is evidently ignored by our society. Among many other issues on of the most grave and ancient issue is of ‘prostitution’ which is the subject of study of artist Pankaj Khalode. He calls it ‘Desire and Disgust’. It is the social institution throughout the recorded history. It is unanimously accepted and developed by the society, to fulfill the immorality, lust of men. Women are ruthlessly used for men’s sexual satisfaction and reduced to being ‘mindless and heartless thing’ She is just ‘a worker’, a sex worker that all. Artist finds the root cause of this dehumanization in domestic set-up; usually a male dominated institute, where women are suppressed from speaking against infidelity and womanizing. So it is a grave question - Is the respected institution of marriage and family a malice or the outcome of failure or dissatisfied marital relation that gives rise to prostitution, is a malice? The artist also explores the issue of homosexuality that is considered as a tragedy in a gender conscious society. Again, it is not a new trend but hidden and deeply rooted in society. Pankaj discloses the bitter truth of suppressed human feelings, so as to extend sympathy and develop awareness of being fair and just towards these dumb, harasses souls.



Laxman Ahire feels the complicated social structure does not only affect the ill-considered men and women, but it has always been cruel to women in general. The progress has not total taken charge of chauvinism in Indian male. We still find animal-instinct in most of them. He brings into lime light the torture of sexual discrimination in the form of Sati, female infanticide, child-marriage, dowry deaths, sexual molestation and rape. Through his art he intends to create an awareness to stop all these bad practices, respect woman in every form, as a mother, sister, daughter and wife. She is not a thing to be played with. She is a Human being. Violence against woman should be stopped only then our society will be truly progressed. A progressive attitude is but a true sign of progressed society.   

Insight into the core of existence is the topic of two artists, Manoj Parturkar and Anuja Parturkar. Manoj gets his inspiration exclusively from the Nature. He compares nature to Mother and feels all the evolutions in nature is motherly phenomenon where from life begins, the potential energy in the womb, blooms out to being active and ready to explore the Universe. At all the steps this energy is supported and guided just like the mother in animate state who is protective about the child. The relations between existing things develop automatically as the interdependence is the need of natural elements just as it is the need of the human living in the society. Nature does not waver from its role of being energy provider and has strong hold on every thing that evolved from it.

Anuja Parturkar works on abstract, because for her, it is an emotional and spiritually rich expression. As we can see it in her paintings there is an unfathomable depth. The more you delve into interpreting it into totality, the more it expands its horizon of expression. The paintings touch and stimulate your heart and head (mind) just as the horizon which gives an illusion of touching the sea waters. So close yet, so far. The mysterious and indefinable relation that abstracts create is absolutely unconditional and completely an inner sight.

Abstracts are mysterious, but reality also holds many subtle outcomes. Narendra Tatkare’s paintings are realistic expressions and pictorial investigations of the truth of metro life which is full of inanimate objects like sprawling concrete comfort zones, symbols, signs, artificial ambience to make feel- good, crowd yet isolation of every individual. Narendra’s artwork is an effort of creating an iconography for a city metro growing in the womb of urbanization.

Recent work Swami Sitaram

Swami Sitaram who hails from the city of beautiful landscapes, Odisha, looks at the beauty from a realistic point of view. For him landscapes are not just a natural set-up, but acquire importance and meaning only due to the external influences of politics, economics and social conduct. All these in turn influence the architecture of the place. So architecture becomes the focal point in his paintings. According to him architecture is visually challenging and recites the social and political background. He presents his own home town Odisha and tells that he closely associates himself with the architectural materials like stones, bricks, cement et al. The visual abstractions in the arrangement and overlapping layers of imageries are the interpretations of human beliefs and myths into the particular space. We find the conceived or unperceived influences that make an impact on people and his paintings represent this juxtaposition.

Shil Ramteke expresses his emotions, thoughts and daily life experiences. Basically human actions are dependent on conscious and subconscious thoughts. The conflict is never ending. One tries to find a balancing act for better living. His paintings represent these conflicts in form of lines, colors and forms. One of his acrylic on paper creations projects his mind taking an elephantine leap. There are many inhibitions and hurdles that controls ones emotional and physical outburst and these remain locked in sub conscious mind. The painting thus opens up one of such thoughts in form of elephant. The blue color may be the projection of gratified and composed and unruffled personality; a superficial appearance. But the leaping mind is the real self and every individual’s dream and aspiration. Thus Shil Ramteke brings out the perplexity, especially as requiring a choice between desired and obligatory.

Visuals of human and animal skin patterns are prominent in work of Prakash Gaikwad. For this exhibition, he presents the condition of Vitiligo affecting human skin. Vitiligo is a condition that causes depigmentation of parts of the skin. It occurs when skin pigment cells die or are unable to function. Vitiligo is neither infectious nor contagious but still in India, society discriminates people suffering from these disorders. He points out to negative and biased attitude of Indians to discriminate people by their looks and appearance without knowing the reality and facts.
Recent work at Art Gate Gallery : 15th Nov 6PM Opening 

Swapnil Godase has specialized in Metal Craft. Having achieved excellence with Canvas, Copper, Brass, Metal Scraps and Fiberglass, he experiments frequently with new media. His core profile revolves around developing techniques of reposes and shaping sheet metals like Copper, Brass and Steel. The artist is currently developing Experimental Art concepts depicting inspirations from daily life. For this exhibition he has crafted metal hand bag, a compulsory accessory of every working class common man. Bag is the proof of modernization and progress.
Recent work Prashant Anasane 


Prashant Anasane highlights the fact that human progress was and is possible only due evolution and development of Things. And these material things were designed according to needs of people and based on same working theory as that of living being’s body. There is a similarity of structural theory in animate and inanimate things. Things too, civilized with times; they were further modified to make human life comfortable. Therefore, advanced things add to progressive and developed human lifestyle. Prashant highlights this interdependence in his paintings.

The only artist without a particular theme who attracts attention of the viewer only with his Medium of Expression is Dhiraj Hadole. He handles various subjects in his creations. His medium and techniques plays an important role in highlighting his thought. Like, in this exhibition he has used punch mark for creative expression. The creation does not specify a particular symbol but one can relate to it in sublime. The vibrancy of creation attracts the attention. The artist purely aims to enjoy his creation and looks for new avenues to explore and express.

Recent work Rohan Pawor 
Rohan Pawar makes us nostalgic with his installation of bicycle molded in brass, with its reflection under the heading ‘Reflecting Childhood’. It is blissful to go back into memories of innocence and spontaneity of energy which is completely opposite to matured attitude that involves crafted actions and circumstantially induced energy. 

15th to 21nd Nov :  opening 6PM 15th Nov at 12 pm to 7pm Art Gate Gallery, Churchgate Mumbai
Art Gate Gallery can be contacted at:022 4213 8855
or emailed at artgate.sc@gmail.com
 


(Note : This PRESS RELEASE for all Indian news paper and Media, leading PR Agency  and online social media, please share )

Monday 3 November 2014

‘Energy in Void’ ‘Something’ implied in ‘Nothing’

 

Shalaka draws inspiration from the Indian metaphysical concept of ‘Shunya’ which is based on the paradox of maximum potential contained with an irreducible minimum that is Emptiness. Thus her creations are but attractive, distinct visuals. Paintings also incorporate scientific theory of Quantum energy of Universe. Quantum energy is an Energy which burst to form into innumerable galaxies, constellations and other components of Universe.
Shalaka Patil
‘Energy in Void’, completely mystifies us by imbibing the concept of the evolution of Universe, its progress and expansion and ultimately the dissolution in itself without disturbing the movement of harmonious whole of the elements of the Universe.
Painting series by Shalaka Patil.

The paintings have various forms on the single plain or textured surface of paper; the forms on paper seem to be evolving non-stop, having life and movement. As we keep mulling over them, they also seem to dissolve. But at the very moment the similar one seems to replace the prior one. This evolution and dissolution represents the cyclical concept of creation, preservation and destruction/dissolution.  Every component of painting- form or colour is unique metaphoric representation of space merging into a related whole. Thus the physical appearance is a Visible Reality but Actuality of an entity is beyond physical or visible reality as put forward by Quantum theory for creation of Universe.  

To speak about it in regards to her paintings, we find that the form and colour refer to Nothing other than itself, but still it has some value in totality that emerge in unison on the Nothingness (here paper canvas becomes a total void or quantum energy  with its plain surface, on which painting is done). This art of the artists can be best described with the help of illustration by Lao Tzu. While explaining the importance of Nothingness or void he said, ‘‘We shape clay into a pot but it is the emptiness inside which holds what we want”. So even though the paper dissolves its identity with emergence of colors and elements on it, still its emptiness plays a major role in shaping the externally visible objective reality.   
Painting series by Shalaka Patil.

Thus, the plain spotless paper forms the base of her creation. It becomes the releasing point of energy to give meaning to various colors and forms on it. And if we associate this interplay with concept of ‘Shunya’, we find that existence of forms and colors get their meaning only due to empty space or Nothingness of paper which is nothing but only a plain textured surface. This surface itself has the potential energy to absorb the colors that are brushed on it. So it is ‘Something’ that appears on ‘Nothing’. Hence, that what is perceived, has negligible scope compared to the unperceived or the emptiness that actually becomes meaningful and important. Thus, there are limitations to what is perceived. When meditated upon this reality with no center or edge gives rise to infinite possibilities. We realize that forms and space are interchangeable according to perception.  

We are interconnected to everything in Nature through the medium of this ‘empty’ space. Our soul and mind are the Emptiness filled with innumerable thoughts (physical elements) that are negative as well as positive. As we mature the thoughts are replaced by new, some are expanded others perish to give place to new ones. All in turn influencing the lifestyle that we follow based upon these elements. Thus evolution, expansion and dissolution become part of human activity, just like Universe. Mind and Soul become the providers of potential energies.

The approach of successive layering and removal of pigment permits the surface to achieve transparency, translucency and opacity. The forms are held together, within mutual associations of attraction and repulsion, of contraction and expansion, thus there is continuous flow of energy involving a person to contemplate like cosmological inflation. All the components of paintings be it paper, water-colors or ink, space consist of positive energy which rests upon one another to create a complete whole. 

It is a blissful experience to view her paintings as it takes us on trail in Universe and also lets us probe into self and find the centre point from where we as individual rise and gain our identity or characteristic, that changes with time and maturity. 
 - by Pankaja JK





The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai, Ministry of Culture, Government of India



National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai
Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India
Sir C. J. Public Hall
Mumbai- 400 032

The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, is presenting an exhibition entitled ‘Music and Goddess’. The exhibition is directed by Ranjit Makkuni founder of Sacred World which explores to build bridges between techno and traditional cultures.
Ranjit Makkuni is an international multimedia researcher, artist and designer.  A graduate in architecture from the reputed IIT Kharagpur, Ranjit Makkuni perceived his masters in Design Theory and Methods from University of California. With involvements in many prestigious institutions Ranjit Makkuni is also member of the mentoring group of Nehru Memorial Museum, New Delhi, constituted by the Prime Minister of India.

‘Music and Goddess’-The Exhibition at NGMA (M)
The genesis of art dates back to the early age of humanity. Here we see Makkuni bringing in the rich panorama of artistic forms and designs- from ancient to modern. Going beyond the boundaries of physical landscapes, he brings in multidisciplinary art forms and designs with cords of music and spreads a labyrinth beyond imagination. With this one of its kind exhibition Makkuni communicates a vision for the re-discovery of solitude. Art and Music was never so beautifully brought together.

This exhibition presents advances in interactive art through an exploration of the science, art and spirituality of Music, and its reflections in the Goddess images across Asian cultures. Ranjit Makkuni makes the exhibition a spiritually musical and gracefully interactive. It simply makes a lay person spellbound. It is an audio visual treat for the art and music lovers. The exhibits not only play music but allow viewers to interact with the instrument that plays it and the creative installation that bares it. Majority of the instruments show a connection with the Goddess Sarasvati and hence create a mesmerising spiritual ambiance. The journey to the musical world spreads over the holy pagodas and Bodhisattva paintings. The mystic aura of rhythm leaves the listener engulfed in streams of South East Asian Buddhist monasteries. The exhibition brings sound of music from each and every member of the Mother Nature like birds, bees, water, woods, human body and air.
Through a collection of interactive exhibits employing new musical synthesis based on traditional grammar, interactive multimedia installations and recordings of performances by masters, the project will allow viewers to enter the world of sound and its cultural and spiritual aesthetics.
The display of the exhibition presents both traditional and new instruments based on Indian Sitar, Burmese Saun Harp, Thai Xylophone, Korean Kayagum, Chinese Guzheng and Pipa, Vietnamese Dan Tranh, Javanese & Balinese Gamelan, chanting and many more. New instruments with embedded computation demonstrate interactions through gesture, touch, pull, movement, gaze and kinaesthetic action. In addition, through responsive computing, people by their position, gesture and movements control musical events in exhibition environment.

At National Gallery of Modern Art (M) we have an interesting exhibition inaugurated 28th of this month. And here are the attached details for the same (Press release and images).

Do visit the Gallery as it has much more to touch, see and listen. 
Gallery open from 11 am- 6 pm except Mondays and National Holidays