On the tree of death is written ‘tree of life’
In casks filled with blood ‘called wine
Drinking water in pitchers filled with tears
And ‘honey’ in poisoned bottles
-Salvador Dali sees God -Sachidanandan
Does art really represent reality as it is? Does art reflect the visions of our thoughts? Or can our visions reflect emotions? Art views are a slightly more serious view. Doesn’t art create a visual world of emotions that touch all of our emotional levels? Appearance is a relative fact. When two people see the same object, the feeling that the object creates in them will be different. The debate over how we should approach a work of art is very old. In the world today, many methods are used to evaluate a work of art. But the scope of art analysis in India is less. The answer to the question why is not to go far. The answer to this is the discussion that the statue installed at Sangeet Natak Academy does not resemble Murali.
The ripples of discussion that the statue erected for Murali in the premises of Sangeet Natak Akademi does not bear his ‘lookalike’ are still not over. Murali. Another serious point of debate emerges from the premises of that discussion. It is about the emotional possibilities of artwork analysis. In modern India, the new technologies and innovations of art are formed during the colonial period. Through Raja Ravi Varma and the painting practices centered in Bengal, India saw modern painting techniques that were not so familiar to Indians. But painting or sculpture had started in India many years before that. It is as old as the Stone Age. India’s artistic and cultural heritage has a long history in Bimbhatka, Harappa, Ajanta-Ellora caves, Buddhist-Jain centers, Edakkal cave etc. But what we have accepted is the continuation of this colonial tradition.
What was the uniqueness of that colonial art? It has trained us to see the world realistically. It was a good plan at the time. But even after the colonial rule is over, it is the slavery that remains in us that causes problems. We face the visual limitation of art to see realistic possibilities only as valuable artwork. Our ancestors have spoken to us about their socio-political situation through symbols. Parallel to temple painting and sculpture, the same technique existed among tribals and socially backward people in available media. It can be seen that most of the primitive works are a way to travel to the imagination world of human thoughts of artwork. The medium of that primitive work was also used in the sculpture made by the sculptor Rajan on the premises of the Sahitya Akademi. The artist’s work will surely be the subject of long debates about the upper consciousness in the production of art.
The world (with the help of imperialism or capitalism) has entrusted Europe with the power to judge art, like all other disciplines. However, it was the painters of Europe who showed the world that there are possibilities beyond realism, whether in painting or sculpture. (That too can be attributed to some extent to Eurocentric theory). Pablo Picasso is a world famous painter. At a very young age, he drew realistic paintings that surprised everyone and made innovative improvements in the art of painting at a young age. Picasso later described painting as art is the untruth that helps us realize the truth. Picasso pioneered a style of painting that could reflect socio-political sentiments in the mind with the help of the main technique of cubism.
Picasso’s 1912 portrait of Juan Griez during the era of realistic portraits is a good example of the Cubism model. He saw that every object has geometric contents. This technique exploits the various potentials inherent in the material. Picasso exploits the same possibility when he painted Doramar, his lover. The depression in this film, which also utilized the potential of surrealism, had to do with the Civil War. The woman who worked like a machine and rested tiredly in an armchair was also representative of the common women of Europe of the period. It was the democratization of painting that made Picasso popular.
Salvador Dali was fascinated by the above characteristic of Picasso. Dali’s ‘Portrait of Picasso’ is another unique work that traveled the art of painting through the era of Surrealism and Post-Impressionism in a strange and innovative way. A spoon coming out of Picasso’s mouth for the future of art, starting from his head. The essence of Picasso’s imagination itself.
Similar efforts abound in painting. Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s painting of the Roman Emperor Rudolph II was also innovative and different. This image is made by drawing fruits and vegetables. The film is considered a retelling of the Roman epic Vertumnus by Rudolph II. Through this film, it is also possible to establish that nature itself is with Rudolph, not just politics. In this way, there are creative works in the history of world art that open the doors of imagination beyond reality.
Art review that follows colonial traditions becomes more democratic by considering other possibilities and recognizing the politics of the media used. In the Sangatha Nataka Akademi we see the quality of artists being judged by mere bureaucrats who have no political awareness and do not know the grammar of artistic expression. Politicians who are responsible for guiding them should have the sense that it is not a job that should be left to government officials. Lalitha Kala Academy is not a good place to bring people who are used to enjoying art only on shutters of jewelers and watercolors in pinky weekly novels. There should be people there who are capable of recognizing the excellence of art and who know how to respect artists.
Picasso painted a portrait of his own girlfriend. What will be the reaction if the officials of Sangeet Natak Academy see that picture? There is no doubt that they use canvas to cover the chicken coop at home. There are also reports that Nemam Pushparaj, who took ‘high artistic value’ films like Gauri Shankar, assessed the artistic value of Murali’s sculpture. It is surprising that in an academy led by artistes like Murali Cheeroth, such malpractices by officials are allowed. If he knows all this is happening, then it must be said that it is the misfortune of art.
There is a picture he paints very quickly in the Picasso biographical documentary. The series of evolutions that life has undergone since its origin on this earth. He shows us through lines big and small. Like the story of Jivabindu in the legend of Khazak. We need to see these debates as a time to approach works of art in a way that awakens our emotional level.