Magical realism
SAJNI V. SAHADEVAN
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B. Priyaranjanlal has given his imagination free rein to create interesting digital images that reveal facets of the artiste's mind.
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There is a hint of the autobiographical in the exhibits as many of them reveal facets of the artiste and his mind.
Photos: S. Mahinsha
RACONTEUR: B. Priyaranjanlal's exhibits are artistic expressions of the digital era.
This is a display of creativity that has to appeal to the young and old alike simply because the artist has an intriguing perspective to all his pictures. A kind of magical realism has been unleashed with the help of some photographs and a computer.
Remember your first box of candy? B. Priyaranjanlal lets us peek into his boxful of memories that reveal an old family photograph.
Graphic designer
A graphic designer by profession, he has incorporated the technical wizardry of Photoshop by utilising the various tools in the software, the pictures available under clip art in one's computer, and taken low resolution shots using a webcam.
He has then left his imagination on a roll to create digital images that tell a story of their own.
There is a hint of the autobiographical in the exhibits as many of them reveal facets of the artiste and his mind.
The expression of bewilderment on the child's face as he is made to made to sit before the camera is evident as he attempts to confront his childhood fear of being photographed. The subtle humour in the first segment, aptly titled `Hide & Seek,' makes it an interesting experience for viewers.
He has sought to express that urge to hide by placing his photographs behind cats, cockroaches, LP records and sweet boxes. The incidents narrated in each frame reflect the theme as in an innocent game played by kids.
BOXFUL OF MEMORIES: B. Priyaranjanlal.
For instance, one shows an uncle in police uniform and a profile of the artist as a child lurking in the background.
As if projecting his state of mind during the time he had posed for a picture as a young lad, one display shows him going, going and finally `gone' in four sequels; a work that was done using the blur effect in Photoshop. Old snaps from the family album play a pivotal role. The use of black and white photographs against bright backgrounds is never a foolproof method to spin a success story but the exhibits show warmth and enterprise.
School days
`Class 4,' comprising memories of the artist's days in school, has been recreated using drawings from his schoolbook when he battled with the desire to produce a pretty picture worthy of admiration, but in vain. Geometric designs, fish, birds, pots, flowers and colourful bits of craft paper complete with scribbles and scrawls...
Priyaranjanlal has relived them all in his exhibits as if proving years later that if he couldn't do it then, he definitely can now in his own unique way.
The next segment is contemporary in its style. `Webclips,' a play of silhouettes using clip art combined with the light and space of the artist's room, show men at work, cats, dogs and experiments with dimension.
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
