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Chitra Santhe brought art out of the confines of studios and galleries
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Like at any other santhe, bargaining was part of the deal at Chitra Santhe too.
IT WAS indeed a whole-hearted farewell to 2003. Chitra Santhe, organised by the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat (KCP) Sunday last, came close on the heels of other events such as the Bangalore Habba and Khoj workshop. While the former was a week-long celebration of different art forms including music, dance, drama, and films, Khoj was by and large an "in-house" happening, except for the two days when the outcome of the art workshop was thrown open to the public.
In contrast, Chitra Santhe was a day-long affair that brought art out of the closet of studios and galleries. It, literally, spilt over to the streets. There were no excessive intellectual appendages or screaming slogans to get the event moving along. On the other hand, it was a truly artist-driven occasion, where everyone seemed to feel at home — whether or not s/he belonged to the artist fraternity.
On the face of it, there could have been an excess of only one thing — colour. It was indeed a riot of colour — carrying with it a variety of themes, subjects, forms, mediums, and sequences. And the heroes of the day — the participating artists — rubbed shoulders with each other. And it seemed immaterial whether the participant was an established artist or an aspiring one. As for the organisers, even while providing all necessary support and encouragement, they did not charge a single rupee as participation fee. What's more, they even organised free boarding and lodging for outstation participants.
There were more than 400 "spaces" allotted to as many participating artists. But the actual number of artists who participated in the event exceeded 500, with several artists sharing a single space. While the epicentre of Chitra Santhe was the KCP campus itself, the red-carpeted space inside moved out of the Parishat to the sidewalks outside. The long stretch between Gandhi Bhavan and Hotel Ashok, including the picturesque Golf course in the background, was packed with artists.
A visitor could spot some well-known names in the Santhe — K.T. Shiva Prasad, Andani, Shiv S. Munoli, Peter Lewis, M. Ramnarasaiah, Raghotham Putti, Srikant Shetty, Ravi Kashi, and Krishna Setty, to name a few. Streams of lesser known, but equally eager artists, coming not only from the different districts of Karnataka, but outside the State as well (Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, and Maharashtra), occupied their designated "stalls-without-walls".
Some of them sketched instant portraits, while others were busy marketing their well-displayed wares. There was bargaining galore — after all, it was a santhe! But the proof of the pudding was in many a visitor happily tucking away a painting or two under the arm. Even the weather gods, who had threatened to disrupt the arrangements the previous night, softened their stance, and in fact, provided a salubrious setting for the event.
In an event of this nature, where the purpose was not only to showcase art, but make it affordable to the public, it was a pleasant surprise that quality seemed to match quantity in general. The participants, organisers, and the visitors made Chitra Santhe a truly memorable event. A special word is due to the art students and volunteers who worked tirelessly and cheerfully throughout the day. Their joy was evident in the full-throated "hip-hip-hurray"s that marked the conclusion of the event.
And here are some impressive statistics from KCP: Over 2,500 works were sold, and the estimated value of the business transaction was anywhere between Rs. 40 lakh and Rs. 50 lakh.
ATHREYA
Photos: V. Sreenivasa Murthy
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