The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : An unending quest for creativity

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Sunday, Feb 10, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

An unending quest for creativity

“The gap between modern painting, illustrations and photography has been bridged. Multimedia has become a language”

— Photo: R. Ragu

Trotsky Marudu.

He is essentially an artist who enjoys splashing the colours of his imagination on canvas since childhood. But his thirst for experimenting with other media has made him successful in several other fields. He was one among the first few artists to have used computers for his art. From being a versatile artist and illustrator, to art director and special effects director, Trotsky Marudu has made his presence felt in various fields.

His recent foray is a character role in the Madhavan-starrer ‘Vazhthugal’.

He speaks to K. Lakshmi about his penchant for art and quest for new avenues to communicate creativity.

Art and cinema have been childhood influences for Mr. Marudu, who hails from Madurai. “I was named after Trotsky by my father, who was actively involved in the communist movement in Madurai. He introduced me to art and books,” says Mr. Marudu. “I think I communicate better through art. Even if someone asks for directions to a place, I immediately draw it rather than explain it,” chuckles Mr. Marudu.

He gratefully recalls senior artists, including K.M. Adimoolam, who have encouraged him to explore new mediums.

His work experience at Weavers’ Service Centre, Chennai, also provided a platform to experiment in textile designing.

He beams as he talks about animation and paintings. “Animation films and comic books have always fascinated me. My paintings reflect my passion for moving imagery,” he says.

Individual style

His style is a blend of traditional and modern art, mostly figurative and semi-abstract paintings. Pointing to a frame of a deity across the room in his home, he says, “I sketched this on the canvas, photographed it and gave colours on the computer.”

Mr. Marudu has painted murals for P.S.G. College, Coimbatore, and worked as art director and special effects director for several films, including ‘Devathai.’ He was one of the earliest professionals to employ clutch-cable operated animation in films.

“The gap between modern painting, illustrations and photography has been bridged, with the computer serving as an all-encompassing platform. Future artists will work like this as multimedia has become a language by itself,” says Mr. Marudu.

Besides making documentary films, he has even authored illustrated children’s books, including ‘Line and Circle.’

“Comics are still seen as children’s stuff. We have not properly utilised the remarkable medium that can be used to convey any concept or issue,” says Mr. Marudu, who has written several articles on comics that are soon to be compiled.

Looking at films

Another field he wants to explore is film direction. “My major interest is making a period film in Tamil depicting the Tamil culture of a bygone era with as much authenticity as possible,” he says.

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