Viraj Naik: "Aguia", "Ratzana" and "Refresh"

It so happened that Sanstache Art Gallery in Mumbai had these three etchings displayed together when I purchased them. Of course that does not necessarily indicate that they are meant to be a set, though visually and thematically I find they group well together.

As is often the case with Viraj Naik, animals parts are pieced together to form anthropic caricatures of humans. "Aguia" means eagle in Portuguese (it is "aguila" in Spanish). The choice of language used in the title has to be a direct reference to the former colonizers of Naik's home state of Goa. Aguia stands proudly ridiculous, a mock superhero sporting both lungi and belt. His arms seem to have been detached in exchange for impractical angel wings. These vainglorious wings transform Aguia from inspiring to impotent.

Ratzana strides confidently as the businessman-rat, dapperly dressed and disgusting all at once. Is he walking alongside an ocean? Or does he fancy himself to be walking on water?

Refresh gives us a new take on the after-work lounge lizard, here a thirsty camel with reptilian tail. One can guess this camel has not been too long waiting for his drink.

I confess to not being initially enthused with much of Viraj Naik's art. The figuration of his watercolour and ink paintings I thought all too reminiscent of the scribbles and doodles of fantasy creatures and superheroes that adolescents fill their high school notebooks with. But with time I have begun to grasp the artist's vocabulary, and see how he has developed such "doodling" into a lexicon and grammar of its own. His printmaking, as exemplified here, deserves a good long look.

"Healthy Relation" revisited

Anupam Sud's Healthy Relation was discussed on this blog quite a while back (see entry under July of 2009). Alka Misra has just posted a take on the piece that I think is interesting enough to revisit the image. Alka's interpretation is below:

"It is hard to tell without looking at the original, but from what I can see in this digital output – They appear to be from a middle class background, stealing intimate moments in secrecy. They know each other and are in the sexual act for the first time with each other. The girl is young, most likely in her mid or late teens. Her breasts are un-botox firm and raised, her skin is firm and her body is padded well with uncaring youthful fat. The stoop of her torso and the placement of her elbows reveals she is touching the man for the first time – she is hesitant, unsure but enjoying the moment or is perhaps amused, as the slight smile on her face reveals. She appears to be aware of the moment and the situation and of herself in the situation. There is a hint of discomfort that shows through in her being naked and hesitation in touching the man sexually. Her eyes are lowered, looking slightly sideways as if attempting to overcome her fear of enacting a socio-cultural unsanctioned act of looking at and/or touching the man’s sex.

"The man is much older – his upper arm is flabby, chest is thick, soft and sagging and hair on the scalp receding. He appears to be coaxing and encouraging the woman to touch him as he waits with his eyes closed, in expectation, while she hesitates. In the social and cultural context, it appears their relationship is outside the social/cultural sanction. It could be that the man is a middle aged neighbor who has coaxed the girl for some intimate moments. It could be he is her tutor and found intimate moments with her. Perhaps he is a family friend or relative – it is not certain who he is to her. But he appears to be in control of the situation and the girls’ actions are involuntary.From the title of the painting, it appears, either the couple is seeking social sanction and the artist has taken on the activist role of sanctioning their sexual act by giving the title ‘healthy relationship’.

"It is confusing for women’s groups to take it up as a social cause because sexual exploration by women and sexual exploitation/violence against women are two sides of the same coin. In the social and cultural context, the artist as activist is sanctioning nudity of the woman, her touching the mans sex and if caught in the act, she acts as a protector of the girl/couple from social ostracizing or even violence against the girl and perhaps even the man through the title.On the other hand, she is aware of the dichotomous social context of sanctioning the act, in which case, the title could also be stating the irony of the situation.The etching is an honest revelation of the enactors and the enactment, successfully achieved by the artist."

Zakkir Hussain: Untitled

The linocut is often viewed as a poorer relative of the woodcut. It is the linocut that is generally taught at art schools as an inexpensive media with which a beginner can practice. Creating a linocut is very similar to creating a woodcut, but since the linoleum that is used is much more easy to carve (and less costly) the linocut has gained favour with art instructors and their mistake-prone students.

In spite of the linocut's status as a beginner's medium, some artists have used it to great effect. Chittraprosad Bhattacharya comes to mind. The linocut offered Chittraposad a quick and inexpensive tool to produce the propagandistic images with which he sought to rally Bengal's poor. Expressive linocuts were also made by Haren Das, though probably more for reasons of economy than speed.

This early work by Keralan artist Zakkir Hussain is sophisticated enough to be mistaken for a woodcut. It dates from 1996 and has certain similarities with the Shibu Natesan linocut discussed previously (blog entry February 28th, 2009). I am only guessing here, but Hussain and Natesan both pursued studies at the College of Fine Arts in Trivandrum, and the dates of these two linocuts, and certain stylistic elements, suggest perhaps the influence of a shared instructor.

Even though this is very early Hussain, the imagery already hints at the brooding beat poetry of his later work. The woman in the print is submerged to her waist in water. Anyone who has visited the backwaters of Kerala will remember this as a common sight...a woman standing clothed within a flowing river, perhaps washing a piece of cloth, a dish, or parts of her own person. This woman's shadow ripples in the water, as does the shadow of the crow. One might wish to think this bird some sort of more pleasant waterfowl, but its shape and beak speaks plainly of crow.

What is this dark apparition? It seems to imitate the woman's gaze, silently mocking her pensiveness. Is this bird the woman's doppleganger? A sad shadow of her own existence lurking just out of sight?

In the flowing river float blossoms that have wilted and fallen...another symbol of fading vitality and lost youth. Look closely: each floating blossom hints at the claws of the crow/crone. In the far distance a burning red sunset silhouettes aging, breast-bump mountains. Together, the elements that Hussain combines in this print evoke an eerie sense of life's beauty and brevity.

Vijay Bagodi: Adolescence

When I get a new print I photograph it for this blog (and also for what I hope will someday be a book). Afterwards the print is prepared for storage. Sometimes the new print is simply stored in an archival mount. Other times it is framed for my daily enjoyment.

This woodcut by Vijay Bagodi has sat in my living room the past few weeks and has drawn my eye again and again. I know it is a cliche, but truly I have not yet tired of looking at it. When first seen, I felt the image contained traces of German expressionism...a genre of art that has always appealed to me. That initial perception remains, though living with the print has also made me aware of its Indian nature.

Titled Adolescence, these three characters all exude youth. The young man stands tall and erect, though the placement of his left hand on the back of his head can be construed as a sign of youthful insecurity. The brown-skinned young woman looks at the object of her attraction and sees someone godlike, indicated by the "Krishna Blue" with which Bagodi has coloured the boy. In her left hand she holds a flower...strategically placed in the composition to suggest the flower of virginity. Between the two a young deer symbolizes innocence and tenderness. Its thin neck implies fragility and seems to beg for protection, but its erect curvature perhaps adds phallic symbolism as well.

There is a story here. The woodcut seems an illustration of a segment of a narrative. But most of all it succinctly expresses the giddy wonder of pubescent youth.

Shanti Dave: Untitled

I sometimes find myself wondering about my attraction to monochrome prints, and question if it is related to my early love for black and white and sepia-toned photography. Looking back over this blog, and my collection, it becomes apparent just how fascinated I am with the myriad subtleties of blacks and browns.

Obviously the woodcut above proves I am not completely incapable of seeing colour! The richly hued woodcuts of Shanti Dave have attracted me since I first saw them. This Baroda-based artist has excelled at abstraction, infusing his work with both singing oranges and yellows, as well as soft greens and pale blues.

"Shanti", as a Hindi word, means "peace". It is a word I find myself using often in India to express the particular tranquillity that I am seeking (or better, enjoying!). The forms and compositions of Dave's abstractions, like the artist's name, hold a beautiful oriental peace. Indecipherable fragments of a personal language float in a nebulous universe, combining to create a dialogue of transcendental interest. Is it too much to claim that the white "comic strip balloon" is a sly reference to this woodcut's rich use of language and script?

Also, note how the artist has dated the print "1977-78". The act of creation has taken time, and the finished artwork begs us to slow down and join in dialogue with its many quiet contemplations.

Bhupen Khakhar: Pataya

Bhupen Khakhar was never one to shy away from blunt depictions of sexual activity in his art, though his approach to sexual subject matter could hardly be termed "erotic". The Gujarati artist's paintings and prints seem to revel in bringing the hidden world of sex and homosex into view, but seldom do they actually arouse. Khakhar's work was a culturally brave statement...that all kinds of sex are pervasive and natural...not an attempt to seduce the viewer with carnal thoughts.

Pataya, with its erect penises and fondling couples, seems to offer a look into a parallel universe. Unlike present day India's intolerance of even the most timid displays of public affection (opposite sex kissing!), the beaches of Thailand and Thai culture in general are notoriously permissive.

Khakhar gives us a near panoramic view into the sexual frolics of an Asian country not far from India. Was Khakhar inviting comparison? Or simply documenting his own experience?

My own guess is that he was doing some of both, saying, "This is a snapshot from my summer vacation," but clearly intending his Indian viewership to be shocked/enlightened at the same time. This playful courage was Khakhar's forte, and has won him a place in Indian art history.