A BEAUTIFUL MIND
March 09 - May 06 , 2023
“An
artist must possess Nature. He must identify his rhythm, by efforts that
prepare for the mastery by which he will later be able to express his own
language”. - Nandalal Bose.
First
the vision, then the creation! ‘A Beautiful Mind’ is a homage
to the contribution by seminal Indian artists whose vision not only helped the
nation in finding its own versatile, yet definite artistic language, but also
paved the way for newer ideas, visuals and sensibilities through their
teachings as mentors, educators as well as practitioners of various art forms.
Their devotion was instrumental in giving shape to the nation’s leading art
schools as we know them today. The exhibition aims to inform the viewer
about how these artists, at different points in time in their careers, were
championing the cause of contemporary art and enriching the various departments
of these art schools, through their experience and knowledge, while their works
became a source of inspiration for the next generation of artists.
The
works included in this exhibition are prime examples of the exclusive styles of
each of these artists stemming from our traditions, history or the rich
cultural heritage, while giving it a contemporary voice that became a reference
point to borrow from, as well as motivating and empowering the students under
their tutelage. For example, Nandalal Bose’s Reclining Arjuna is
only a reflection of his immense caliber of draughtsmanship, as well as
capturing a mood through this theatrical imagery rendered in forceful lines,
which is based on a scene from ‘Chitrangada’ a musical play written by
Rabindranath Tagore in 1892. The play adapted a scene from Mahabharata, where
Princess Chitrangada (protagonist of the play) saw Arjuna, for the first time
during the time of his exile. She saw his sleeping figure and instantly
got infatuated by his persona.
The ‘Untitled’ 1960’s
by KG Subramanyan is an ink drawing of a
man holding a bird in one hand and a cage in the other. The man’s
figure, resembling the limbs of a bird is an evidence of his celebration
of nature and human beings together. The man has the appearance of a bohurupi (who
can metamorphose into many characters) dressed up in a theatrical manner to
amuse people.
Carrying
a subliminal imprint of life “Reminiscence of a Dream”, by Jogen
Chowdhury, a work in monochrome looks like a dream in the making. His innate
sense of rhythm and sensuality gets pulsated in the lines he drew. 'Veena',
an Oil on canvas, by KK Hebbar manifested with few defined lines portrays
a seated woman playing a string instrument meditatively. Executed in 1973 the
work is one of his many which carries the essence of classical music.
Be
it Raghav Kaneria who joined the faculty of MS university in Baroda and went on
to become the chair of the sculpture department until his retirement in 1996 or
KCS Paniker who became the principal of the Government College of Fine Arts in
Chennai and further set up the Cholamandal Artists village in 1966 or Haren Das
who taught print making in the Government School of Art in Kolkata and Gieve
Patel who conducted poetry workshops at Rishi Valley for a decade, puts in
perspective, and gives us an insight into how these stalwarts at different
points in time, were active in different parts of the country to achieve a
singular purpose of excellence and growth of contemporary Indian art both
through their practice and teaching.
Images
Installation
