Are We Forgetting Young Artists Too?

NEWS

Quarto’13 - A show of four art legends

(work by K.G.Subramanyan)

Art Musings, Mumbai, hosts a show of four prominent artists, in a show titled  ‘Quarto’13’. The show features works of Anjolie Ela Menon, K G Sumbramanyan, A Ramachandran, and Satish Gujral.

The show is on view till the 31st of May 2013.

While A Ramachandran’s works are florals and a few portraits in his vibrantly coloured palette,  the works of K G Subramanyan enclose a distinct narrative and display a fable like quality to them. The series called ‘Devi’ is on show in this exhibition. Anjolie Ela Menon’s distinct style usually is visible in her works, The one painting titled ‘crow’ is to be reckoned with where she moves away from strict sense of portraiture Satish Gujral’s work, rich and vibrant in colour and depictions are steeped in Urdu poetry and the artist’s interpretations of it.

The show is a delight to any art enthusiast and art buyer alike.

Synergies of a Social Space - A talk by Suresh Jayaram

Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum presents a lecture by visual artist and art writer Suresh Jayaram of 1 Shanti Road. The lecture is to be held on Saturday the 18th of May 2013, at 6 30 pm and the topic of the lecture is ‘1 Shanti Road - Synergies of a Social Space’

Suresh Jayaram, talks about the gallery space, 1 Shanti Road, which has developed with the sole intent of promoting the contemporary art and art practices by offering residencies and other programs for talented young individuals. It also is a place for the young new comers and the established artists to interact and the gallery also is an unconventional space for building the bridge between the buyer and art enthusiasts and the artist.1 Shanti road has been around for 10 years now and the efforts are now paying off in establishing itself as a studio gallery, while maintaining its novelty of not being the mundane conventional art space that patrons would consider.It has slowly built the symbiotic relationship required for any studio gallery space needs to form in order to survive and flourish.

Jayaram is a conceptual artist, art writer and curator currently living in Bangalore and he is also the Director of the Visual Art Collective Trust.

Recursor - Solo show of Baiju Parthan

(work by Baiju Parthan)

Gallery Veda , Chennai presents a solo show of works by eminent artist Baiju Parthan. The show is titled, ‘Recursor’ and is on view till the 10th of June 2013.

Taking inspirations from the computer technological jargon, Baiju tries to display the disruption of the natural gradual process of recording  historical and socio-political growth as opposed to the super speed information overdose caused by the recursor phenomenon. He tries to bring to light through his lenticular prints and other imagery how the world is at a discord between two very opposing philosophies and is fast mutating into a dichotomous existence.

The show is on view till the 10th of June 2103 at Veda Art Gallery, Chennai.

The Story of Water -  A Photo Documentation

Thane Kala Bhavan,presents a unique and souls stirring photography show in its premises titled, ‘The Story of Water’. The show highlights the images of the drought affected areas of  many villages and cities of Maharashtra this year. Arth Foundation, a service oriented institution, Thane city has collaborated with the ‘Foto Circle Society’ to organize this photo exhibition at Kala Bhavan Thane.

The photos were taken from famine and drought affected regions of Maharashtra like Sangli, Satara, Solapur, Osmanabad, Beed, Jalna, Buldana, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar and Rural Thane. The show attempts to bring to focus the importance of water in the lives of people and to reach out to people of authority to work towards solving the issues of water scarcity in rural and urban areas.

The show is on view from the 16th of May 2013 to the 19th of May 2013.

(News Reports by Sushma Sabnis)

FEATURE

Those Who Have Been Made Slow and Silent- I 

Minal Damani

(Minal Damani)

During the boom years gallerists travelled all over India to ‘recruit’ artists for their gallery shows. The demand for art was so high that anybody showed some sort of inclination to do ‘art’ was picked up by these gallerists, promoted with much fanfare and highlighted their contributions in an exaggerated fashion. Soon recession struck art market and in a flash the gallerists withdrew their support to these artists. During the last three years, many such artists have gone into oblivion. The galleries do not prefer to talk about these artists anymore. In this series, I make an attempt to trace those artists and their works.

Minal Damani is one of the finest artists of our contemporary times. She was billed as the next ‘wonder’ amongst the women artists in India, by many art market players. Graduated in painting from Sir.J.J.School of Arts, Mumbai, Minal started her full time artistic career in 2002. Bose Krishnamachari was the first one to recognize the talent of three young artists from J.J.School at that time and they were namely, Minal Damani, Prajakta Potnis and Prajakta Palav. In 2002 these three artists took their first trip to Delhi. Prajakta Potnis was participating in a show titled ‘HEAT’ curated by Mrinal Kulkarni and myself at the India Habitat Centre. While looking at the works of these three artists, I had prophesied that they were going to make it big. Out of the three Minal’s works were the subtlest.

Both Potnis and Palav got a huge lift from big galleries. Perhaps their preference to remain in Mumbai, as it was their home town helped them considerably. Minal moved to Baroda, married to a fellow artist, Apoorba Nandy and settled. Throughout the first decade of the 21^st century, Minal continued to work with the same subtlety she had shown as a graduate and the attention of the galleries naturally fell on her. If I am not wrong, her subtle style is so infectious that she even influenced her partner’s works. Nandy was very macho in his approach both in sculpture and drawing. But soon he too turned to the subtle ways of looking at things around him, but with a tinge of irony.

Minal’s earlier works were pencil drawings. They depicted a girl playing in a ground with small little balls. The sensitivity with which Minal had drawn these images could have made an effect on anybody. In 2002 while extolling the qualities of those drawings by Minal, I remember a young contemporary artist who was living in Delhi, shedding tears. He told me that he was reminded of his school friend who was a violinist and passed away prematurely. Minal was not painting an Alice in wonderland. She was looking at a girl with every woman. Market boom came and most of the artists were sucked into over production.

(Minal Damani at JJ School canteen, Prajakta Potnis also seen)

Perhaps, Minal’s absence today in the scene, is caused by her reluctance to paint and draw as per the demands of the market. When I say Minal is ‘absent’ I do not intend to say that she has left the scene. Minal continues her works still at her Baroda studio. She paints broken mosaic surfaces, she picks up those minute veins of things that generally we do not see or prefer not to see. Minal paints landscapes that are huge but they are not landscape in the strictest sense. They are like jigsaw puzzles that she lets the viewer to complete. Minal needs to be shown in a big way by big galleries. And anybody who picks up these artists, Prajakta Potnis, Prajakta Palav and Minal Damani together and curate a meaningful show would definitely create a mark making show.

If any gallery or curator or critic has forgotten Minal Damani and her works, it is high time that they refresh their memories.

(JohnyML)