Portrait of an artist
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A. Ramachandran explains the need for a visual renaissance in Kerala.
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`Rebirth at Baneshwar' is an oil by A. Ramachandran.
"IT IS a great honour. I do feel happy," says A. Ramachandran, artist, who was conferred with the Padma Bhushan.
The New Delhi-based artist and sculptor is here in Thiruvanathpauram for his annual winter sojourn.
Born in 1935 in Attingal, Achuthan Nair Ramachandran is one of the most prominent artists from Kerala who has found fame and internal recognition outside the State. Speaking to Friday Review, he explains why not a single exhibition of his paintings has been held in his home State.
"I am not a young artist who can organise an exhibition of my paintings. I am almost 70 and I have been a painter for more than 40 years. My works are expensive. I do not own a painting of mine. It has to be collected from art collectors who have bought my paintings. They will have to be heavily insured and so it is something that only the Government can do.
"In 2003, there was a proposal from the Kerala Government to hold an exhibition in Kanakakkunu Palace. I was told that the Central Government had even sanctioned the money but then for some reasons the State Government backed out. So, it is not my fault that people in Kerala have not been able to see my work. It is owing to technical reasons."
Student days
A student of Ramkinkar and Santiniketan, Ramachandran did his research on the murals of Kerala.
His early works in the Sixties and Seventies were an expression of his angst. His works depicting violence and political oppression caught the attention of art buyers and connoisseurs. `Kali Puja' in 1972 belonged to this period. Later, this rage and turmoil gave away to idyllic scenes that have an ethereal look to it. His works in water colour and oils capture vibrant nature in her many moods. Rich in detail and colour, his paintings explore even minute forms and lives. The dazzling play of colour, form and structure create a miniature world. Each of his series, including Yayati and Urvashi, broke new ground in the world of art in India. His paintings are replete with traditional motifs like trees, ponds and lotus flowers.
Visual culture
A. Ramachandran's paintings marked the beginning of a new sensibility in the Indian art scene.
Trying to explain why many artists from Kerala prefer to work outside the State, Ramachandran feels that Malayalis seem to lack a visual culture. Although great patrons of the written word and cinema, most Keralites are reluctant to understand the visual complexities in a painting, he says. "Our murals are rich in these visual complexities. I wonder how many Malayalis have taken the trouble to understand these paintings or even see these.
"When I moved to Delhi in 1964, it was brimming with activities. There are more than 100 art galleries. There are people who understand art and buy the works of artists. So many young artists, including many of my students, are doing very well there. It is a romantic notion that artists will go on painting. A singer needs people to buy his cassettes while a writer needs readers to buys his books. In the same way, artists need buyers. They have to earn a livelihood," he candidly says.
Ramachandran hopes that artists living in Kerala will get together to forge a new movement for a "visual renaissance" in the State.
The artist feels that our visual culture seems to have stopped after Ravi Varma. "He was a great artist but his works are representative of a period. For instance, CV Raman Pillai's works belong to a great era of Malayalam literature. But a writer now cannot hope to win readers by mimicking him. One has to evolve."
The teacher, illustrator of children's books and ardent fan of music hopes that Malayalis will once again open their eyes to see and comprehend the visual images that surround them. He is married to Chameli and they have two children, Sujatha and Rahul.
SARASWATHY NAGARAJAN
Photo: S. Mahinsha
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