writing for a group show in Jodhpur

Some other views of a city…..


If we can imagine a city as not just the dominant portrayal of a certain group of its inhabitants and include the multitude of the people who have made it their home in due course then a show of such a kind would gain its relevance when it becomes a representation of the city’s cultural ethos. As evident the urban culture has speeded up the influx from the erstwhile rural of the same region (state) and other part of the country, and then same is the case of the now racing metropolis Bangalore.

The two major fine art establishments ( C.K.P and Ken school) along with the other small colleges have been the major Art(ist’s) evolving institutes in the city. The recently started Bangalore university visual arts departments has also added to the vast majority of the fine arty’s in Bangalore. The significance of the art culture in Bangalore is its variety of experiments in art forms. The city has been the dominant centre of fine art activity apart from Mysore and other centres in the state. Further the “avant-garde” and new (media) experiments in Bangalore have become synonymous for the entire contemporary art practice of Karnataka.
This show brings together works of few upcoming artists who are native of Bangalore and also who have made it their new home at least temporarily during their study years and after. The languages these artists handle have varied cross references right from local cultural traits to the relative regional cultures. Also is the attempt at languages which is international in its approach. The significance also lies in the varied languages which are often contradictory historically/socially/politically. The stylistic modernisms and post-modern subversions along with surreal attempts and photographic hyperrealisms reflect the multitude of artistic experiments which may characterise the art practice here. Tikendra kumar sahu works speak of the hidden desires and fantasies of the youth. It often treads a line which is erotic but also attempts at times to alter the popular representations of sexualities through varied technical means like embossing. His language has a potential to visually play a hide and seek of what is latent in the work.
Nishad makes use of photographic images to talk about local, personal challenges. This he universalises with the images taken from history, popular and contemporary times which have stood for a similar situation and moments. Also he plays with the idea of the double by using literal meanings to talk about a very structure’s ingrained contradictions. He subverts the now naturalised meanings of any practice by using techniques which seem decorative at the surface but transforms the idea by his subtle play with meanings those images stand for.
Ravi Kumar views the city and its architecture not as a passive structure but as the product of the toiling labour. His portrayal of the self, deals with questions of individual and self identification.
Gururaj relates himself with the local problems of his region may it be water scarcity or the vanishing trees. He tries to use mythologies to put across his ideas about contemporary problems.
Trirumala’s preoccupation with his self and belonging, stresses upon the question of a individual’s identity. His dilemma about the difference of the culture which he encounters newly becomes evident in his works.
Nataraj’s images deals with fantasy and imaginary. His realities seem imaginative options for various problems for/of existence. They tend to move towards a surreal world where the definitive truths of objectivity are brought to question playfully.
Rollie Mukherjee’s water colours talk about the immanent danger of humanity due to the ongoing natural destruction it has programmed itself to continue. The works are fictious predictions of the repercussions of what man has done to nature. The fade memory of the blue lake with crescent moon lingers inside the body of the antelope. All the human beings are vulnerable and are in misery in her paintings. This is the reversal picture she portrays which challenges the arrogance of man.
Satish kumar’s expressionistic tendencies are evident in the manner he handles the figures and peculiarly handles the figures gestures. His skilful technique of layers the colours as the ground makes the process enjoyable and results in a visual appeal which is a blend of decorativeness and expression. Mukesh shares a similar tendency but lately he has moved towards a style which resembles abstract expressionism. This he has achieved by reaching out at the bare minimum of his surface which is his shading.
Varna sindhu heavily depends on media images for his works. His personal is often juxtaposed with what is public. Ragu works with mediatic images and tries to transform them in the canvas. He takes those representations as a form over his canvas and adds various hues as the background even though at times its criticality can be argued.
Jino kurien works within a stylised expressionistic language and the theme of women has been central to his body of works. Taking references from media and other popular visuals in circulation he tries to load the canvas with his personal views and interpretations of characters and stereotypes.
Nagraj skilfully renders his images to achieve a visual treat which often talks about possibilities and hope. Often the activities are in a state of beginning or things are about to happen. He chooses instants where incidents are pregnant to occur.
E.K. Venugopal analyses the human frailties and his images invest upon existential tragedies and the resulting absurd situations. His portraits may be read as the various characters which are bound in absurd situations where relation between them seem to an accident and the spaces between them are written in an open landscape.
Kishore .V.S depicts city with its difference. The dominant architecture hovering over the entire space is juxtaposed with the negligent rickshaw. He brings the inherent contradictions of the urban which poses as the haven of the moneyed class neglecting the people who really have built the city and its culture. Also is the issue of the migrant labourers who are at the receiving end in any upheavals.
Venugopal Reddy’s works talks on the fragile human situation today. The question of existence is brought to fore with its dilemmas and contradictions. He uses contradictory techniques like the golden colour over which the images of skeleton are depicted. The idea of consumption is critiqued.
Shiva reads the urban culture with his personal experiences he has gone through in the city. His images are a direct reference from the public. The rickshaw meters are depicted with varied numbers which bring about the exploitation happening at the commonest level.
Sunil kumar’s sculptures talks of common human situations. The figures in his sculptures indulge in ordinary gestures as seeing/looking. His usage of painted colour over the sculptures adds another dimension to his work.
Vipin’s sculpture has an overt sexual connotation added to the everyday object. The phallic like lipstick shows his views of sexual fantasy and opinions of the other gender.
Satheesh creates a landscape full of lush colours and talks of a spring which is the period of joyous union. His romantic landscapes have within them the arterial veins which connect the sky and the earth in a joyous mood.




Venu.r, Manoj, kuntal and boul though aren’t connected to Bangalore but share similar concerns towards nature, culture and society.
Venu.r works speak from a subaltern position where the narration often is a tale of destruction, solititude, alienation and pain. These narrations are often from the remotest social memories where these tragedies are inscribed in the harshest manner. They can be seen as remembrances of the collective which is already handicapped to narrate.
Manoj Bhaviskar’s has been working with medicine for sometime now. He uses the idea of medicine/ healing. The work titled love for love deals with the therapeutic values art may stand for. It can also been seen as a healing for the entire society from its loss of love. The usage of mirror urges the viewer to participate in the work and makes them also a healing agent.
kuntal and Boul see nature as the source of inspiration for their life and works. Kuntal though laments a loss of rhythm in the relationship of man and nature. This he brings with angst filled images with an expressionistic tone. Boul on the other hand finds in nature a space for recollecting her memories and nostalgic moments.
Most of the works deals with the changing urban situations and the dilemmas which are inherent within such a mindless development. The vanishing greens, the invisible poor, the personal and psychological dilemmas are all the issues the artists deal with. The languages these artists handle also are majorly urban in its references. Also the use of photography as one of the primary source for subverting is seen in most of the artists. These views then are the other representations of the city which the dominant culture hides through its stimulated perfections.

V.Divakar.
Art critic, Bangalore.