The Madras Canvas
An invitation to ‘experience’ art rather than ‘view’
The explosion of creativity and vitality that can be seen in Indian contemporary art today has indeed caught global attention. A buoyant economy floated a boom, a burst of energy that has taken Indian art to an international arena. Every form of stylistic language in the visual arts, from the real to the kitsch, the figurative or the abstract, the indulgent or the minimalist, the conventional to the modern reflects the complexities of life in our modern nation in its own unique context.
The regional agenda of artists and their aesthetic practice in Chennai can perhaps be best framed within the individual journeys of artists and their work.
To commemorate the art of the city and to celebrate the euphoria of talent, Forum Art Gallery has been presenting The Madras Canvas, in Chennai as an annual exhibition of paintings, sculpture, installation, photography and cartoon art by selected Chennai based artists that coincide every year with the Chennai week.
The Madras Canvas examines the way that the Chennai artists use their keen sense of perception and individualism to transform their artwork into a canvas of life. Every stroke, a dash of colour, play of light, unveils a personal agenda.
What makes this exhibition topical, relevant and exceptional is that it will showcase for the first time outside India in Kuala Lumpur the emerging trends in Indian art with reference to artists residing in Chennai.
39 exceptional artists all Chennai bred, both emerging and established, who have retained an untiring spirit and freshness of vision have been brought together under one roof and more than 45 works of art are on view for a month at the Indian Cultural Centre Kuala Lumpur From 1st April to 1st May and then move on to Sutra Gallery Kuala Lumpur.
The participating artists include Achuthan Kudallur, Anamika.V, Asma Menon, Bhaskaran R.B, Biswajit Balasubramanian, Dakshinamoorthy.C, Douglas C,Elanchezhiyan P, Geetha M.S, Gopinath P, Govindarajan. S, Harsha Biswajit, Hemalatha S, Ilango A.V, Jacob Jebaraj, Kalaiselvan S, Krishnapriya C.P, Lakshmi Srinath, Manisha Raju, Muralidharan K, Palaniappan Rm, Paneerselvam A P, Prabakaran S, Rajasekaran A C, Raju Durshettiwar, Ramalingam M, Ravindran V, Razia Tony, Saravanan S, Senathipathi M, Shailesh B. O, Shalini Biswajit, Srinivasan K, Suresh Kumar P, Swapna Reddy, Thejo Menon, Thota Tharrani, Vinay Kumar K, Viswam A.
To quote Mr Sadanand Menon, noted Art Historian “Can a city, its impulse, its muse, its psyche be defined by its art practices? If Paris, New York, London or Tokyo can be measured by the kind of engagement and contention provided by the artists inhabiting these cities, what can be Chennai's score on this scale?
The Madras Canvas exudes a certain flavour. Essentially what we get to observe in this assemblage is the significant shift in material, modes and methods that has happened in the artistic expression in the city. From an art school practice of conventional media like oils, watercolours, ink and charcoal on the one hand and bronze and granite on the other, there is a conscious breakthrough from the bind of the plastic medium to seek new pastures in stainless steel, welded copper, silver-plated copper, brass, serigraph on metal, woodcuts, digital prints, fibreglass, resin, mixed media with plywood, enamel paint, inkjet on canvas, constructed and architected surfaces and even organic material like leaves, fruits, seeds”.
Mr Menon also opines that “If the immediate decades subsequent to national Independence seemed a little more organically connected with their immediate past, the present moment gives us no such comfort. The explosive and dramatic shift to new media and technology by the city's artists has also initiated a robust debate on the tension between the classical and the contemporary. The artistic landscape of the city is now rippling with both risky and magical practices, opening new windows to perception and provoking a more critical engagement with its content.”
The Madras Canvas offers a glimpse of what could be an artists’ cornucopia the complex and dynamic present-day India, the dreams and hopes of its people, and its energy and their passion for the future.
The works presented in various mediums are not necessarily Chennai- centric but present a caboodle of thought and style that is reflective of a community that is local yet global. The artist's emotional connection to his perceptual reality and the new alliances for art practice beyond the academic cements the artistic license.
The past leads to the present which is the first step to the future. The challenge to an artist riding on his collective experience is to project an upward graph each year that personally and professionally represents growth, change and a step forward.
The Madras Canvas is devoid of all perspective boundaries. Its future beacons with optimism as markets both in India as well as abroad is roused to the tremendous potential of Indian art. The contemporary art stage is becoming witness to a new vigor and vibrancy that is transforming and redefining the language of modern Indian art appreciation. A nation that balances itself on the brink of success is poised in the New Year to take a steady leap upwards and outwards and with it heave the diaspora of talent along.
Shalini Biswajit
Artist / Director
