Kerala - Kochi
Four artists, four works
'Four by Four' is an odd title for an exhibition. Usually in art parlance, terms such as this refer to the size of works. Here, it just means four works by as many artists.
Again, Dorrie Younger and Anoop Skaria of Kashi Art Gallery have come up with four reasons for picking this title. All of them are interesting, the last one more so: 'because the fifth artist dropped out.'
Extending the play on 'four,' the catalogue gives a list of 'four words to describe yourself,' 'four of your favourite spaces/places,' 'four words to describe your work' and 'four of your favourite personalities.'
Putting aside all that, 'Four by Four' presents a neat cross-section from the contemporary art scene. It brings together four artists, Aji V.N., Reji K.P., Rajan M. Krishnan and Remy Jungerman, all pioneering artists in the Indian contemporary art scene as well as in Europe.
There is a diversity of media, like Aji's charcoal on paper, Reji's dry pastel on paper, Rajan's acrylic on canvas or Jungerman's installation and collages. All the works are basically figurative, keeping abreast of the present leanings of contemporary art. And also, there is diversity in attitudes. The concerns are different and strong.
While the first three are Malayali artists, Jungerman is Dutch artist, born in Surinam, now living and working in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Aji, born in Thiruvanthanpuram, lives in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Reji, hailing from Ernakulam district is based in Baroda, while Rajan, born in Thrissur district, lives and works in Kochi.
These four artists have crossed each other's paths at some point in life.
Migration had always been a basic concern for Jungerman, who shifted to Amsterdam from his native place of Surinam, a former Dutch colony. His installation 'Disturbed' has the word emblazoned in brilliant blue on a tabletop. It is literally blue, wrote with the pigment used for whitening clothes.
A heap of the blue pigment on another table, the legs of tables placed in containers of water, white cotton swabs and curious-looking, little black figurines scattered under the table complete his installation. The collages reveal city maps, with images of flattened toads, another two of Jungerman's favourite motifs.
Rajan's large painting 'Zone of Spectres' reveals an external shift from his earlier solo show, 'Little Black Drawings,' held in 2004 at the same venue.
While he has moved away from the black and white starkness created by charcoal, towards the realm of colours and canvas, he still continues to be an observer, a witness.
Light plays an important part in Aji's work. Though the present works in charcoal appears darker than his luminous watercolours, it is the presence of light that characterises these drawings. His works are basically figments of imagination, executed in stark, realistic manner.
Reji's work deals with enigmatic spaces. His work is 'proximal' and 'problematic,' as the artist himself describes.
The show will be on at Kashi Art Gallery, Mattancherry, till March 5.
Renu Ramanath
(The Hindu-25/02/06, Saturday)
Four artists, four works
'Four by Four' is an odd title for an exhibition. Usually in art parlance, terms such as this refer to the size of works. Here, it just means four works by as many artists.
Again, Dorrie Younger and Anoop Skaria of Kashi Art Gallery have come up with four reasons for picking this title. All of them are interesting, the last one more so: 'because the fifth artist dropped out.'
Extending the play on 'four,' the catalogue gives a list of 'four words to describe yourself,' 'four of your favourite spaces/places,' 'four words to describe your work' and 'four of your favourite personalities.'
Putting aside all that, 'Four by Four' presents a neat cross-section from the contemporary art scene. It brings together four artists, Aji V.N., Reji K.P., Rajan M. Krishnan and Remy Jungerman, all pioneering artists in the Indian contemporary art scene as well as in Europe.
There is a diversity of media, like Aji's charcoal on paper, Reji's dry pastel on paper, Rajan's acrylic on canvas or Jungerman's installation and collages. All the works are basically figurative, keeping abreast of the present leanings of contemporary art. And also, there is diversity in attitudes. The concerns are different and strong.
While the first three are Malayali artists, Jungerman is Dutch artist, born in Surinam, now living and working in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Aji, born in Thiruvanthanpuram, lives in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Reji, hailing from Ernakulam district is based in Baroda, while Rajan, born in Thrissur district, lives and works in Kochi.
These four artists have crossed each other's paths at some point in life.
Migration had always been a basic concern for Jungerman, who shifted to Amsterdam from his native place of Surinam, a former Dutch colony. His installation 'Disturbed' has the word emblazoned in brilliant blue on a tabletop. It is literally blue, wrote with the pigment used for whitening clothes.
A heap of the blue pigment on another table, the legs of tables placed in containers of water, white cotton swabs and curious-looking, little black figurines scattered under the table complete his installation. The collages reveal city maps, with images of flattened toads, another two of Jungerman's favourite motifs.
Rajan's large painting 'Zone of Spectres' reveals an external shift from his earlier solo show, 'Little Black Drawings,' held in 2004 at the same venue.
While he has moved away from the black and white starkness created by charcoal, towards the realm of colours and canvas, he still continues to be an observer, a witness.
Light plays an important part in Aji's work. Though the present works in charcoal appears darker than his luminous watercolours, it is the presence of light that characterises these drawings. His works are basically figments of imagination, executed in stark, realistic manner.
Reji's work deals with enigmatic spaces. His work is 'proximal' and 'problematic,' as the artist himself describes.
The show will be on at Kashi Art Gallery, Mattancherry, till March 5.
Renu Ramanath
(The Hindu-25/02/06, Saturday)
posted by renuramanath at 5:37 AM
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