ART & CULTURE

ART REVIEW

Indulgent nostalgia
One may remember Dipali Bhattacharya's earlier images of beautiful, sensuous women in a languorous togetherness with bright, ornate interiors or lush nature with semi-mythic beasts. Her new canvases at Sumukha have acquired quieter moods under luminous, nostalgic sepias and shadowy tonalities. The often vast frames house now evocations of colonial-time femininity secluded in the grandeur as well as the confinement of old zamindari mansions. 

Inspired by photographs form her mother's youth and Kolkata's palaces, the paintings aim at capturing those women's intimate moods, moulded both by submissive adjustment to the patriarchal environment, and by the awakening of self-assertiveness. The 'inner spaces' the artist refers to are the spectacular but fairly severe halls and corridors with arched vaults, majestic columns and stone statues. 

They are also the calm, leisurely sensitive withdrawal into their own thoughts. The 'outer spaces' hint at the relative freedom of the ladies who can relish their company on well guarded roofs of their houses. Bhattacharya depicts them with the suitable assortment of rich clothing and jewellery, their faces focused in themselves, and yet portrayed in a manner which has absorbed much of what the male gaze expects conventionally. Thus, a certain discrepancy arises between her intention and the actual outcome.
This occurs despite the fact that she tries to subdue the soulful, voluptuous sweetness of her characters by adding a little roughness over linear hatching or by geometrising their pale features. 

The nostalgic indulgence evident here becomes enhanced in the backgrounds where layered illumination and tremulous darkness superimpose and partly blend with the detailed intricacy of tall, iron gates, architectural decorations and such. The viewer has to grant the painter her consummate skills, nevertheless she uses those towards a rather comfortable impact. 
The soft stylising of the figures and the play with translucent abstraction around them only enhances the same. There may be more expression in the sculptures thanks to the wood having retained some of its raw surface and, above all, thanks to the residues of realism which endow the women with a feel of the directly experienced. 

The heads too gain from the restrained, more serious look. The artist is tempted to let the volume dissipate among a profusion of large, almost detached earrings, otherwise posing her figures in rather pretentiously exaggerated ways. One can appreciate the pigments as those interact gently with the properties of the wood. 
If overdone, they contribute to the doll-like appearance of some. The exhibition is on till March 4.

Machinery lyricism
After his graduation from the C.K.P. college and a residency at the Kanoria Centre for Arts, Ahmedabad, Sharath F. Kulagatii's first show held at the former venue was at the same time a promise and a little of a let-down. On the one hand, the spectator could appreciate that the artist's attunement to raw reality, which he proved earlier, still continues. 

It was best seen in the frank, direct image of a concrete mixer done in charcoal where the hard, metallic geometry of the structure combined with an evocation of rotating movement and light could endow it with lyricism. 
The atmosphere which impregnates harsh, heavy, ordinary objects with a note of tactile delicacy, with accents of joyous colour and tonal translucence as well as motion lets in a sense on human presence and handling even if no depiction of people is introduced. 

The two iron plate paintings grasp it well, as Sharath softens the thick, dark contours of the volumes both retaining their coarse character and imbuing it with his own poeticising imagination. 
The acrylic capacity to come close to water-colour effects serves adequately here, as it does in "Machine II" with its cold blue blade spiral turning graceful within its aggressive sharpness.

Elsewhere, however, the painter seems to be drawn so much to the beauty of what he captures that he forgets its link to the actual and his work turns a little too playful and slight, perhaps even decorative, in spite of all its charm. 
This happens whether he concentrates on the angularity and twists of a complicated piece of black and white machinery or indulges in the vibrance and blending of nuanced, colourful forms over a simpler object or a whole view, like in his favourite petrol station theme. 
Advertising rhythms
Of the two fresh Ken School alumni who exhibited their work at the Chitrakala Parishath recently, Shekhar P. is at ease with pigments and imagery. 
His smallish acrylics conjure a lightly rhythmic kaleidoscope of minor motifs taken from advertising-- - from engineering drawings to simplified pictures of planes, human heads, to old-fashioned stamps, current-day lettering, telephones, cartoonish and elegantly stylised human figures. Repeated irregular pattern-like and layered with translucent as well as impastoed pigments and geometric colour fields, the compositions are freely done, aesthetic and often warmly witty while suggesting the pervasiveness of schematic imagery in contemporary life. 

They, however, rely too much on established precedents form-wise. His colleague, Pratibha A. juxtaposes mysterious and somewhat eerie self-portraits with frayed-plaque resembling pictures of fantastic-mythical beings. Both elements stick to their own mannerism dependent on decorative designing. 

While some portraits contain a dose of mood, the metallic-hued, almost relief-like nagas, demons and divinities recall crude craft. 
One wishes she gave more attention to sophisticated painterly effects she is capable of, as for instance in the rendering of a lace shawl where plasticity interacts with transparency and the linear nature of embroidery.

Young exuberance
The selection from the All India Camlic Colour Contest 2002 displayed recently at the Chitrakala Parishath brought the familiar blend of young exuberance and freedom with immediately felt colours and forms. There was much to admire in these paintings.. 
Stiff imitations

The traditional southern painting imitations by Arulmurugan at the Pearl Art Gallery brought the usual array of hieratic deities which, on the surface of it, retained the required iconographic conventions. 

The ornamental motifs and colours, however, were executed in a somewhat hasty manner. Because of that, the rather stiff images lost the tightness, the sensuous grace and the intricate vibrance typical to the original canon. 
Some graceful properties could be found in the small paintings on glass, but that owed much of its charm to the layer of the background material transparency which made the dark outlines and the pigment fields slightly separate and overlie with a tinge of throb.

Marta Jakimowicz

MUSIC

Mature voice
Prof. B.S. Vijaya Raghavan, who gave a vocal recital last week, is a senior musician of the state and is a recipient of the title "Ganakala Bhushana", The recital was held under the joint auspices of the Karnataka Ganakala Parishat and Adarsha Academy of Indian Culture and was sponsored by M. Srinivasa Rao and Ramachandra Murthy.
The grand varna (Kalyani) in two speeds gave Vijayraghavan a steady start. 
Throughout the concert, B.S.V. presented several lesser known compositions, with few familiar keertanas, to sustain the interest till the end. For instance, Namipenu Vinayaka (in saranga raga) -- is a composition of Dr. B. Devendrappa, which is not much heard on the concert stage. So also Sharade Varade and Ghanavada ninna Sanniddhige -- both of veena Seshanna. The raga (Kambodhi) prelude was delectable. Budhamashrayamee suited the occasion as it was a Wednesday. Devadideva Sadashiva and Anupamaguna -- both were in Drutha Kala. With his mature voice and experienced presentation, Vijayaraghavan made it a pleasant concert H.K. Narasimha Murthy, N. Vasudeva and Vyasavittala accompanied with good understanding, on violin, mrindanga and khanjari, respectively.

Gamaka programme
Karnataka Gamaka Kala Parishat and Ragigudda Sri Prasanna Anjaneya Swamy Bhaktha Mandali are jointly conducting Gamaka programmes at the latter’s premises. Award-winning vocalist and a popular artiste Gangamma Keshavamurthy had selected Harishchandra Kavya of Raghavanka here, last week. With her rich voice, she sang the poetry in established ragas like Kharaharapriya, Hindola, Sindhubhairavi, Simhendramadhyama, Kambodhi, impressively. 
Conversation between Viswamitra and Vasista, Viswamitra's anger, Harisdchandra's honesty etc., were narrated interestingly by B.G. Kusuma.

Melodious vocal
Sri Ranga Sangeetha Kalakshetra (Indiranagar) conducted a three-day music festival in connection with the Purandara. Kanakadasa and Tyagaraja Aradhana Mahotsava. Felicitation to veteran artistes, vocal ensemble, concerts by both students and senior artists were held, as part of the festival.
Vidyabhushana, the popular vocalist chose Pakkala Nilabada, of Saint Tyagaraja which bristled in the familiar way. Again Marichitavo was lively. He presented a number of Kannada Devaranamas of different Haridasas like Sripadaraja, Gopaladasa, Jaganathadasa and of course Purandaradasa. Several Ugabhoga, sung like free verses, were impressive. Dhyanavu Krithayugadi, Kalikalake Samayuga (Pantuvarali) repeating the lines, stressing the meaning, he sang ugabhogas with great impact. Audience also heard Kadagola Tarenna, Mella mellare Bandane, Bhagyada Lakshmi, Shubhavidu with rapt attention and respect. With his melodious voice, he sang the compositions with feeling. 
M.S. Govindaswamy (Violin), H.S.Sudheendra (Mridanga) and G. Omkar (Ghata) gave competent support on their respective instruments.

Kalaradhana Shree
Mrs. T. S. Vasanthamadhavi has been selected to preside over the sixth music conference (28-2-03 -- 2-3-03) of the Aradhana. A disciple of D. Subbramaiah, she has passed the proficiency examination of the K.S.E.E. Board. She has performed in many sabhas and is teaching young aspirants at “Ragashree” , her music school, and has delivered lecture demonstrations in some academic sessions also. 
During the last few years, she has also emerged as a successful organiser through D. Subbaramaiah Memorial Fine Arts Trust. In the music conference, Vasantha Madhavi will receive the title Kalaradhana Shree on March 2. 
The conference will be held in collaboration with the C.V. Nagaraj Memorial Trust at the Adarsha Bhavan, Malleswaram.
Mysore V Subramanya

Vintage Veena recital with pleasing krithis
M.K.Saraswati’s veena recital on February 22 for the Dept. of Kannada and Culture at Sri Rama Lalitha Mandir was dotted with interesting kritis. She was well accompanied by N.Vasudev(mridanga) and Sukanya Prabhakar (ghatam). 
The Mysore style of veena playing is melodiously manifest in Saraswati’s presentation. Her training, steeped in classical tradition, her rich experience and marked musical knowledge were evident in her unhurried approach to the concert. 
She started with a varnam in abhogi. 
The kritis that spurred her stylish presentation were Sri Maha Ganapathe(atana), a composition of Sri Jayachamaraja wodeyar, with swaras.  Makelara(Ravichandrika)  the swara passages for this kriti in two octaves and the final simple solfa sequences were orderly. 
The alapana of latangi was well placed for the kriti marivere. The ragas were etched clearly from the first phrase and imbued with the restrained bhava of classicism. 

Raga Karaharapriya was deeply explored with tanam,  followed by Ghana Raga Tanam for the kriti Ramaniyeda, which lasted for almost an hour,  with raga malika swaras like saveri, behag and sama. 
The experienced percussionists gave full support to the artiste with soft and subtle beats. In the tukuda section, she played Bhavayami Gopala. 
The song version was crisp with clear enunciation. Dasanamadiko(nadanamakriya) a dasapada, a tillana(jenjurit) of veena Sheshanna, was elegantly played followed by Bhagayadalakshmi, a household song of Karnataka, played in two octaves, left a pleasing aural impact. 
Jagadha Kumar