Art of composition
MANU REMAKANT
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`Chayakkoottu,' an exhibition of paintings and sketches by P.N. Menon, threw light on the film director's artistic skills.
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PHOTOS: C. RATHEESH KUMAR
PALETTE OF EXPRESSIONS: The exhibition of paintings by P.N. Menon.
A mere glance at the paintings would give the impression that one has strayed into a workshop for architects. Many of the paintings depicted houses of varying sizes and shapes. But a second look revealed the composition of the structures. The mood was carefully set and lighting added to the drama. The sky and the earth vied with each other in complementing the aesthetics of the houses within the frames.
The paintings were part of a rare exhibition of paintings and drawings by renowned art director and film-maker P.N. Menon. It was a major attraction of the International Film Festival of Kerala, which concluded in Thiruvananthapuram. Called `Chayakkoottu,' the exhibition at Gorky Bhavan, attracted hundreds of art lovers.
Some of the exhibits were sketches that revealed Menon's concept of various locations that were used to shoot his films. Paintings of thatched huts, modest houses and palatial bungalows were featured in the exhibition. A few of the houses had the silhouette of a woman, apparently in deep thought, against the backdrop of the house. Menon's choice of sketches and colours create the mood of each work. While some of the works had a sombre feel to it, some pulsated with life and joie de vivre.
A self-portrait in pencil was a study in shading and use of strokes, bold and light, to capture the visage of the director. A painting of a Theyyam performer seemed to leap towards viewers as Menon's brush has captured the vitality of the performer and his costume.
Visual feast
Similarly, an image of two girls carrying pots, set against a bright background, was a feast for the eye and the mind. Another depicts a woman soaring towards the blue sky. Even the close-up view of a plant attracted the visitors with its subtle use of light and shade. Another depicted people in a boat. The perfect marriage of blue and green in the picture highlights Menon's talent as a film director and an acclaimed poster designer who knows where to place the various elements in a composition. Not a difficult task for Menon, an alumnus of the Trichur School of Art.
He worked at various levels in the film industry in Chennai as painter of sets, visual artist and poster designer, before taking up direction. His first major film `Olavum Theeravum' (1969) helped, to a great extent, to liberate Malayalam cinema from the confines of theatre.
`Chayakkootu' is the first painting exhibition of P.N. Menon, who could not be present at the venue owing to health problems. The exhibition was conducted by Macta Art Directors' Union and Kerala State Chalachithra Academy.
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