April 20, 2012
Though I passed by the arched gate of the Fine Arts College several times this week while shuttling to the accountant and bank, sadly didn't have the time to take a look at the Degrees 2012 exhibition till today. By 10:30 this morning, I was walking up the narrow, creaking, wooden stairs of the main building to the Painting section of the exhibition.
Four halls of the upper floor were dedicated to paintings in different mediums. A handful of very impressive oil and acrylic works. Loved that the photograph of the artist with contact information was provided next to each work. Since almost all of them have emails, it is easy to express our appreciation. Couple of artists like Sabin Das and Moona Krishna showcase captivating work. Sabin's forte is trompe o'leil type effect with which he specialises on heavy equipment for some reason. Moona's works are thought-provoking.
Absolute clutter of broken chairs, canvas stands, dried and squeezed out paint tubes and tins in the corridors outside the rooms. I suppose the college teaches that art must be revolutionary, disorderly and nonconformist.
Fantastic statues, mostly busts in stone, bank the shady road that leads from the main building to the studios in the lower, farther end of the campus. Life like quality for a few. With his sunken manboobs and slightly protruding belly wrapped in a double tucked 'mundu', the statue of an aging, balding Malayalee immediately brings so many village uncles to mind.
The sculpture segment wasn't as great as the painting section, but that's just the personal opinion of an artless mind. The labyrinth made of cigaratte cases, the empty letter box in terracota and a small installation titled abortion featuring shiny screws drenched in red sindoor did hold my attention.
In the last building, with its claustrophobic spiral stairway, the "applied arts" section. Catchy, classy, colorful final year projects that focus on complete brand building are on display here. The hilarious campaign for Beau elastic condoms and the simple elegant thermocol plate resembling a paw print for the "Save Tiger" campaign are worth mentioning.
Carelessness with English left a bad aftertaste though. Its a pretty sorry state when an entire campaign with its posters, covers, websites, tshirts and brochures all advertise an "eletronic" wristband! Just the way Malayalees pronounce it!
Overall a good featuring of some very proming talent. As is said colloquially "faaviyum faavanayum olla pillaru" (Kids with future and good imagination). Even more encouraging was the steady stream of young visitors.
Walking back from the college took the road beside Public library with its second book shack. Picked up two Art Buchwald books for Rs. 60 from the very first stall. "Puthiya stock udane varum bhai" (New stock will come soon) promises the shack proprietor.
Unusual number of parked cars on that road. Cause is a wedding at the Bishop Periera Hall. A hoarding for the new movie "22 Female Kottayam" right outside the hall. Rather unfortunate placement for a movie that climaxes in violent Bobbitting to be outside a wedding venue. Melodious christian devotional song rises from the choir inside. May be that should help. Or may be not. "What would Jesus do?" isn't a good question to ask in the bedroom.
Flipping through Buchwald's "Washington is leaking", I get to Kanakakunnu Palace. The gate has been decorated with a cutout and announcement of Rajaram Mohan Roy Library Foundation National Seminar, a Ministry of Culture initiative. The sun deters from checking it out. Mandatory seminar attendees, I presumed, all dressed in their best possible 'kasavu' sarees, green blouse and jasmine in their hair, were being herded into the venue by several buses. Turned out they were volunteers for the massive "Kerala Pulaya Maha Sabha" annual rally in the evening.
Back again at the Fine Arts exhibition in the evening with Saiju. With his architect's eye, he points out the boldness and finesse of a few color combinations that I was blissfully ignorant of in the morning. While leaving, we attempt to climb over a locked gate. We contemplate jumping off the wall. Three young men, college students hopefully, sitting on the wall, are pleasantly amused by the two hesistant middle aged souls. Luckily a lady lecturer pulls up her car at that back gate. Suddenly someone rushes to fetch the key to let her in. We squeeze out.
No comments:
Post a Comment