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Photo: S.James

Versatile: Trotsky Marudu

Canons are heritages of cultural values that help produce strong identities. Targeting canon as a mainstay of the dominant elites and support of hegemonic social groups, classes, castes and races, the digital era has blurred the boundaries between the ‘high’ and ‘low’ forms of art and has indeed created a disorder with the genre’s conventions of collision, collage and fragmentation. As a versatile artist, illustrator, art director and special effects director, Trotsky Marudu has made his presence felt. He is the son of a Trotskyite who was involved in the Communist Movement in Madurai during its formative years.

Visiting the Temple City recently to deliver a lecture, titled ‘Towards painting,’ at the American College, on how important the sense of an artist is and the needful aspects related to aesthetics of painting, he found time to discuss the idea of becoming a filmmaker, cinematographer and art director.

“Artistic spirit is necessary to be successful where the computer has been an all-encompassing platform for artistic endeavours. Post-modernism has bridged the gap between ‘high art’ and ‘low art.’ There was a time when serious painting was given importance whereas illustration and photography were looked down upon. Things have changed now.”

“The idea of how to remain focused in the field of art has become indispensable.

There are so many opportunities available these days, much more than what were, some two or three decades ago.”

As an animator he had the opportunity to try out different things. Hailing from a place like Madurai, everyday life experiences became a potent source for his artistic creations. “Folk art has influenced me a lot. I look for sources in folklore, films and comic books which have not been properly utilised.”

“Classificatory regime is over and the availability of technical freedom has created a vast and democratic space. The technique remains the same but technology has differed. Creative scenes can be of any form. Animated ones or moving imagery, it can be anything,” he points out.

With specific reference to the film ‘Devadhai,’ he says, “Even though the film did not do well at the box office, it is widely recognised for its artistic creativity, which visually represented the bygone era involving the breaking of periods.”

Marudu is actively involved with socially conscious movements and has been painting portraits for the past 15 years. Referring to his picture of B.R.Ambedkar, he says, “I enjoyed working on that portrait.”

Responding to a question on the proliferation of the visual imagery of Che Guevara, he admits: “It has a twin effect. People, who don’t know about the revolutionary, will try to explore him. But the worrisome fact is that, a form of trivialisation is happening with co-modification of his images where the interests of capitalists are being served and sold in the form of T shirts, mugs and watches.”

He hails Periyar as the sole reason for common folk entering the realms of knowledge and cultural production: “We should all be thankful to him.”

“I am happy doing animation and special effects. But my major interest is doing an unrealised period film, which can be a continuum of ‘Devathai,’” he signs off.

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