Art News: Re-presentation of Reality in Contemporary Art

Re-presentation of Reality in Contemporary Art 

 22nd Nov at 5.30 pm at Reves Art Gallery, Bangalore

Introduction: All works of art are representations of reality, whether that reality is made up of sensory perceptions, an inner world or a fictitious account. The various styles or forms of art making suggest different ways of looking at reality.  In today's context, mediums such as television and film, and technology such as virtual reality offer transformative experiences with varied representations of the reality and of imaginary realms.

New media and technologies have opened up possibilities, breaking barriers of time and space in two dimensional media, making it possible to simulate experiences involved in viewing and engaging with art. It also allows an amalgamation of the personal and the popular in novel ways.
The all pervasive nature of the Internet and wide use of technology have impacted art production and consumption, allowing multiple ways of creating and engaging with contemporary art.

About the Panelists

Murali Cheeroth 

Murali Cheeroth has exhibited in over 100 significant shows across the globe in the last two decades. His visual works refer to a wide variety of sources in the cultural sphere and contain within them a deep conversation with the history of representation in visual media, fine art, cinema, music and architecture. Within the context of the history of visual representation, his current explorations include the architecture of the city, urbanization and urban cultures. He looks closely at the ideas of re-construction, infrastructure, technology, speed and change, intersections of local and the global, multiple layers of urban identities and so on.

Some of his major exhibitions include ‘Passage to India’ – the New Indian Art from the Frank Cohen collection in UK (2009); Indian Art summit in New Delhi, SH contemporary Art Fair, Shanghai, Chicago Art Fair and London Art Fair in 2010, Colombo Beinnale, 2012, Chalo India – A group show of Contemporary Indian Artists at Basel Art Centre, 2014. Hotel Maria Kapel Korte Achterstraat 2a1621 GA Hoorn NL-2015, Art fair in Torino, Italy2015, The 2nd international art exhibition of the Silk Road, Shanxi Art Museum, China-2015. His art education includes a BFA and MFA from Shantiniketan, West Bengal and advanced computer diploma in digital media.

Ravikumar Kashi 

Ravikumar Kashi is an artist who works in different mediums such as painting, sculpture, photography and installation. His works combine or cut across defined expectations from these mediums. His idea / concept driven works are layered and connect with the viewer in multiple ways. Desire, decay and death are a major concern in his works along with introspection.

Kashi was born in Bangalore in 1968. He completed his B.F.A. from College of Fine Arts, Bangalore in 1988; M.F.A. from Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University, Baroda in 1990; and M.A. in English from Mysore University, in 1995. He learnt handmade papermaking from Glasgow School of Art, U.K. He also learnt Hanji, traditional Korean papermaking, from Jang Ji Bang, Korea. He has shown his works in solo shows and curated shows across the world in galleries, art fairs, biennales and museums. He has received National award from Lalit Kala Akademi, Delhi and two awards from Karnataka Lalit Kala Academy and one from Karnataka Shilpa Kala Academy for his works. He writes on art in Kannada and English. Two of his books, 'Anukta' and 'Kannele' have been published from AkshsraPrakashana, Hegggodu. His book 'Kannele' has received Karnataka Sahitya Academy award. He teaches at RV School of Architecture and Acharya School of Design as adjunct visiting faculty.

Shanthamani. M

Shanthamani. M has done a Papermaking Course from Glasgow, Scotland after finishing her Master of Arts (Fine) in Painting from the M.S. University, Baroda. Her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting is from CAVA, Mysore University. Her solo exhibitions abroad were “Neither Tree nor Ash” at Suzanne Tarasieve Gallery, Paris, France in 2016 and “Carbon Myths” at Gallery, Helene Lamarque, curated by Anne Maniglier, Miami, Florida, the USA in 2010.

Her participation in the Kochi Muziris Biennale, India 2014, in Art Brussels, represented by Suzanne Tarasieve Gallery, Brussels, in India Art Fair, New Delhi 2012, in “Critical Mass” Tel Aviv Museum, curated by Tami Katz-Freiman, Rotem Ruff, Tel Aviv, Israel, in “River, Body & Legends” a corpus multimedia presentation with two Women artists at Matighar, Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi 2003, in the two person show held at Galerie Muller & Plate, Munich 2001 and the 10th Triennale-India underline her credentials as a contemporary artist.

In 2017 she was Artist in Residence at Cité Des Arts, Paris and in 2013 she participated in the International Bamboo workshop with the students of Ensad, Paris, in Saline Royale.

Nalini S Malaviya

She is a Bangalore based art critic and consultant. She has been writing for the media since 2003, and has been an art columnist for Financial Times (Delhi and Bangalore) and Bangalore Mirror. She has contributed to Times of India, Sunday Herald, Art and Deal, Art Etc., Art Journal, Art Fair and Lalit Kala Contemporary.

Her curatorial projects include Reimagining: (Un)Reality and Space, Irreverent Gene, Polynomials of Relevance and the ongoing Parallax of Visual Memories. She has published papers on Art, Artists and Society – Catalysing Social Change, and Linear Progressions: Tracing the Line in Karnataka for the Karnataka Lalithkala Academy Journal.

Some of her prefatory essays for art catalogues include 'Feeling Absence' a photography show by Shibu Arakkal, ‘Icons in our Midst’, New Delhi, essays for Yusuf Arakkal's catalogues and books and for artists Gurudas Shenoy, Milind Nayak and Suresh K Nair among others. She was on the Jury for the Lalit Kala Akademi National Exhibition 2017.

An occasional fiction writer, Nalini has published short stories as part of various anthologies, The Shrinking Woman, The Curse of the Bird and Bhelpuri. She publishes www.artsceneindia.com, a popular blog cum Ezine featuring art news, events and articles. She can be reached on nalini.indianart@gmail.com


Venue
Reves Art Gallery
Address;#32,Yedla's 3rd Floor,
100 ft Maranahalli Road,
Sangam Circle,8th Block Jayanagar
Bangalore -560082
Tel -080 48663224
Mob +91 9901931314

If you found this article useful, please share it using the social media widgets at the bottom and do subscribe to receive regular updates from Art Scene India.
 
Also read,

• 5 Reasons a Good Catalogue Text is Essential for Your Art
• How To Write An Artist Statement
• 6 Tips On How To Approach An Art Gallery And Find Gallery Representation
• Exhibiting Art in Non-Gallery Spaces
• Guide To Exhibiting Your Artworks
• How to Create an Online Presence

Art in Interiors: Art With Paper

 Paper art, particularly installations made of paper give a contemporary twist to interiors 

'A thousand desires' - Ravikumar Kashi

Paper has a fragile and ethereal quality about it that tends to be equated with transience. However it can be a surprisingly durable medium, and has been extremely popular with artists for drawings and paintings. It has also found multiple uses in design and craft due to its versatility and ease of availability. Origami, quilling, quilting and moulding are some of the techniques which are customarily used to create art with paper.

Apart from its traditional usage, paper is now increasingly manipulated by contemporary artists to produce artworks which are displayed in galleries and at international events – sometimes to even convey a socially relevant message. For instance, French artist Paulo Grangeon  has created 1,600 little papier mâché pandas to raise awareness about the dwindling population of the pandas.

 

A combination of different types of paper and techniques has been put to creative use to come up with extraordinary artworks made entirely out of paper. Book art, which involves transforming the pages of an old book into amazing artworks, while artworks made out of paper pulp to resemble books can be equally fascinating. Elaborately detailed masks, life size sculptures and abstract installations are a few other options. As an installation, the transformation of paper has immense possibilities and can easily fit in any kind of décor in both residential and corporate spaces. Traditional forms such as animals and birds and decorative artifacts such as chandeliers are now given a contemporary touch to create stunning artworks.

 

When selecting paper art, keep in mind that scale plays a vital role and the larger the artwork the greater the impact. This is particularly true for installations which are either suspended from the ceiling or take up an entire wall. In such a case, a single artwork can be the highlight of the space, especially when combined with skilful lighting and other architectural features.

The possibilities are endless and the great thing about paper art is that it can be either minimal or intricate, and complement any form of decor.

This article was published in The Times of India - The Address yesterday. 
Images courtesy Ravikumar Kashi.

If you enjoyed reading this article, do share it using the social media widgets at the top and subscribe to receive regular updates from Art Scene India

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Top 10 Posts of 2013: Time to Wrap Up and More

It is mid-December already and it is time to look back at the year gone by and take stock of things - most of which were good!  Indian Art blog saw some major changes this year, some of which were cosmetic (design and layout), some linked to SE optimization, social media presence, content organization and opting for advertisers.  Fortunately, most of these changes have worked out well, although SEO is going to require a lot more effort since the recent updates from Google have had an impact which I’m yet to sort out!

2013: Top Posts on Indian Art blog

Click on the image to zoom
I have made a list of some of this year’s popular posts which were featured on this blog – these are based on the number of pages views, your comments and the number of shares.

Ananya Drishya presents Suresh Kumar G

Ananya Drushya, an initiative by eminent artist SG Vasudev is a Bangalore based organization - a cultural trust that promotes music, literature and art that aims to create awareness about visual arts in schools and other sections of the society. Readers will remember that a few years ago, the visual chapter of Ananya had started with a group show, where seventy artists from the city had contributed their paintings. It was immensely successful and helped to raise funds for their activities.

According to Vasudev, “Ananya Drishya aims at a three-pronged approach. We conduct regular lecture and discussion sessions on art and art appreciation programmes. Then we have outreach programmes for school children to develop awareness in them about visual art and culture. Simultaneously, we are developing archives of Karnataka art from pre-Independence period onwards. So, while discussion sessions connect with the present, archives and working with children bridge the past and the future.” (quote from Bangalore Mirror, October 09, 2011)

Since then Ananya has been organizing monthly talks and presentations by artists, which have been very well appreciated and well attended. Last year, I moderated a presentation and interactive session with artists Murali Cheeroth and Ravikumar Kashi. Continuing this series, next is artist Suresh Kumar G making a presentation on Jun 11, 2013.

 Do drop in at Venkatappa Art Gallery if you are in the vicinity.

Art Buzz (Bangalore) Ananya Drishya

‘Any Moment Now’ by artist Ravikumar Kashi

(By Nalini S Malaviya)
Ravikumar Kashi’s new works titled ‘Any Moment Now’ highlight the role of media advertisements in building up expectations, which subsequently breeds desire. The media focuses on creating and increasing dissatisfaction by continuously bombarding the viewer with something better and greater. The advertisements encourage people to spend more money in order to feel better. It is this aspect, which finds place in Ravi’s paintings. In his last show the artist had explored urban complexities and conflicts arising out of media hype. While, these present works are an extension in a sense, they also explore the idea of proximity of images (Sannidhi – the art of proximity), which in turn generate a meaning. For instance, any change in proportion or presence of text results in a change in the entire meaning of the composition. According to Ravi, “I am interested in how these images loose some of their original identity, get altered and gain new meanings when combined with other images and text.” He therefore uses Photoshop as a tool to experiment.

The artist continues his tryst with mediatic imagery, but this series brings out the sense of anticipation, expectation and unfulfilled desires, in today’s fast paced world. The protagonist as if suspended in time, awaits the next moment where an extraordinary future is round the corner. He hopes and waits to experience intense pleasure or maybe even a divine intervention. It also reflects the psychology of the human mind that is ever optimistic and always hopeful for a brighter tomorrow. And, this is what the media exploits and utilizes to the hilt, when selling a product. Ravi believes the media by itself has become an entire secondary reality by all these promotions, and has acquired an independent existence, which cannot be ignored.

The artist has borrowed symbols commonly seen on the computer screen, such as the cursor, sand timer, and hyperlinks to emphasize how deeply these icons are rooted in our consciousness at the moment, and to create the illusion that the painting itself is part of the electronic medium.
The title work, a triptych focuses on the theme of the series, where the central panel depicts a man running, while the two side panels are filled with splashes of color. The imagery hopes to convey the feeling of escaping from reality or running towards one’s goal. It plays upon the aspirational value, which causes such contradictions. The five stars on the top part of the canvas could signify a rating for a movie. ‘Wait a minute’ shows a closed door and a man sitting on an inflated balloon. The sense of waiting, underlying tension and anticipation comes through. ‘Wish’, a distorted and magnified image reflected on the petrol tank of a gleaming new red bike reiterates the desire for all material things - more expensive and more powerful whether it is automobiles or bikes. ‘Pinnacle’ a panel divided into two has a stepladder going up, where the top part of the canvas has a burst of colors, which symbolizes intense pleasure and once again draws attention to power games and the pursuit for happiness.



In his compositions Ravi Kashi juxtaposes sometimes disparate images that complement to generate a new meaning or openly conflict to present a dichotomy. However, the latter works out well whereas, when the images are semi-coordinated the result is somewhat more straightforward and almost predictable. On the other hand, the conflicting images tend to engage the viewer to analyze and interpret the composition. There are a few paper cast works also in a diary like format where visuals and text are used to convey he narrative.

The series will be exhibited from 27 May – 2 June 2007, Air Gallery, London.

Review - Ravikumar Kashi

Bangalore based artist Ravikumar Kashi's recent set of paintings previews in Bangalore on Dec 20, 2006. The exhibition will then travel to Chennai, Palo Alto - California (USA) and London, UK.

Since, I had to do a write-up for the Sunday Times of India, on a bright Sunday morning I braved the by-now ill-famous Bangalore traffic and met him at his studio. Over a cup of coffee, we discussed his art, the process by which he arrives at his compositions, his poetry and writings, Bangalore's promising art scene, contemporary Indian art in general and a lot more. The works were refreshing (and, so was the coffee) and I came away impressed with his interpretations of 'urban experiences'.

The following article was published today in TOI, Bangalore (Dec 17, 2006)

Paradox of Urbanisation

Bangalore based artist Ravikumar Kashi’s works offer remarkable insights into the paradoxical aspects of modernization and urbanization. The layers on his canvas reveal the intricacies and dynamics related to media excesses and social paradigms. Ravi takes inspiration from current events and his surroundings; he collects images and text that interest him. A look into his scrapbook reveals a fascinating collection of assorted images from advertisements, photographs and text from magazines and even email ids. His notebook is filled with rough sketches and scribbled notes, which then form the basis of his artworks.

Ravi has continuously evolved as an artist; over the years, he has experimented with various mediums - he has worked with paper pulp, found art, printmaking and glass painting in the past. And, now in the current series of paintings there is greater maturity where the visuals are more open-ended and encourage further viewer interaction. Incidentally, he has a Masters degree in printmaking from MS University, Baroda, and in English from Mysore University. A writer and a poet, Ravi has also published interviews with artists for newspapers.

What he is particularly adept at is in presenting the contrast or conflict between accepted norms as he combines unrelated images to magnify the non-apparent similarities and differences. The unraveling of layers and arriving at the inter-relation of separate frames in his paintings forms an exciting process by itself. ‘Happily ever after’ explores the relationship between a couple, where a pile of boxes on the lower side of the canvas hints at revealing new surprises in the relationship when pulling out each box. ‘Say something’ depicts a corpse like figure completely still and static with an overlapping flight map that talks about movement and connectivity. The irrelevance of tickers on the television screen on news channels talks about segmented viewing, and compartmentalization of our lives in general. According to Ravi Kashi, “Often we see an advertisement of a beauty product on one page of a magazine with a model turned out exquisitely, while on the opposite page is an image of a young girl suffering from draught.” The incongruity of events and images in media is what influences Ravi in his art.


On one hand the society abhors violence and killing, and at the same time most videogames (even for children) allow them to score points based on the number of killings made! His large 10 x 5 feet work titled ‘Go Play’ deals with this theme. The painting raises issues of morality and the society’s response in varying scenarios. The other works are also along similar lines; they deal with notions of power, urban stress, expectations, consumerism, materialism and so on. Most of his paintings have textual messages that highlight the absurdity of urban patterns. The text varies from Morse code, Braille, sign language, email ids and even banner ads.

Another set of visuals made in paper pulp forms a separate collection akin to pages from a journal. These combine images and text in random order and are also based on contemporary topics. Occupying an informal space in the exhibition, these are equally thought provoking and raise pertinent questions on urban trends.

The exhibition begins on December 20 at Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore.