A painter’s pursuit
B.RAMADEVI
|
Painting, being his childhood passion, Prof. Venkatachari became a full-fledged artist after retirement.
|
Photo: S.Siva Saravanan
Vibrant hues: Venkatachari and a few of his paintings.
When young Venkatachari went on drawing sketches of Hanuman on all the available walls and doors in his native village little did he realise that his interest in drawing would become an all consuming passion in the years to come. He took to drawing i
nstinctively. Born of poor parents, he had no means of receiving proper training under any artist and his early attempts at drawing and painting only consisted of copying the works of great artists such as Gopulu and Silpi.
One day in 1978, when the eager Venkatachari went to meet Gopulu with some of the paintings he had copied from his work, he was perhaps expecting appreciation and encouragement. Gopulu noticed immediately that the young artist had immense talent. He gave him some sound advice. “Be the first Chari instead of being the second Gopulu. Be a pathfinder and don’t be a track-runner.”
Those words had a magical power. Chari the copier, turned Chari the creator. And the long years of copying the works of Silpi, Gopulu, E.Kothandaraman and Gopal Deuskar (He considers them his Dronas, he being the Ekalavya) certainly helped him in developing a style of his own that had the characteristics of all the above, and yet was different.
Photographic memory
This 76-year-young artist has a photographic memory and he remembers every minute detail about his work. One is filled with amusement as well as admiration when he talks about the ‘sophisticated’ material he has used in his early days of painting-vemillion for red, turmeric powder for yellow and ink-tablet for blue, which he combined in different combinations to produce the desired shades.
A retired professor of English from N.G.M.College, Pollachi, Venkatachari became a full-fledged artist after retirement. His articles on temples with his own sketches were published in many English and Tamil magazines including ‘The Hindu.’
Universities, colleges, business firms and private owners have decorated their halls with his paintings.
One of his major achievements is the series depicting the 12 manifestations of Lord Siva, including the ‘Lingodbhava,’ ‘Dakshinamurthy,’ ‘Gangadhara’ and ‘Somaskanda.’ In each of these, one can notice movement and energy.
His latest work comprises the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu. Venkatachari wanted his paintings to be ‘dynamic’ and so he has chosen the most impressive episode from each avatara to show the Lord in action.
Unlike the earlier sketches and sculptures in which the avatars would stand as if posing for a photograph, he has made sure that each avatar is energised by the power of Vishnu and is in action. This is particularly noticeable in his Matsya avatar and Kurma avatar.
Venkatachari says, “I want to make it clear that it is not the tortoise that bore the Mount Manthara, but Vishnu. So I have painted as if the power of Vishnu is entering the body of the tortoise.”
A poet too
Venkatachari has tried his hand at poetry-writing too. His book of poems titled ‘The glow of dusk’ is the vivid expression of a sensitive heart that can appreciate the beauty around and, at the same time, be furious at the corruption, terrorism and violent practices in society. The serene poem ‘The bullock art’ is actually a painting in words and fills one’s heart with peace. There are other poems that are full of pain, helplessness and uncontrollable fury. He sees with the eyes of a painter and writes with the heart of a poet.
He has been participating in many group exhibitions for Chithra Kala Academy year after year but his one-man show became possible only recently at Kasturi Srinivasan Art Gallery, Coimbatore.
Though crippled by age and arthritis, Venkatachari is not the one to give in or give up. He is considering another series of paintings on ‘Thiruppavai.’ With his spirit, he is sure to succeed.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
