Works by the artist RB Bhaskaran | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Art history comes alive when you are with Chennai-based artist RB Bhaskaran. As the pioneer of the Madras Art Movement, Bhaskaran has not only witnessed the development of art in the country, but has also witnessed a paradigm shift in the way society now views artists.
Artist RB Bhaskaran at his studio in Pallavaram, Chennai. He is also former President of Lalit Kala Akademi, National Academy of Arts, Government of India, Department of Culture. file. , photo credit: shaju john
“My early work saw my attempts to depict Hindu symbols and deities such as the Shivling, Trishul, Ganesha and Muruga in an unconventional sense. We were pioneers of modern Indian art and we were trying to find a new direction,” says Bhaskaran.
The Madras Art Movement of the 1960s, which pioneered the notion that Indian art should not be defined by a specific set of rules, was not limited to that city or creative form. “Such breakthroughs were happening all over the country which was emerging as a new nation. Literature, painting, sculpture, architecture – the movement had started in every region and in cities like Kolkata and Baroda.
The newly formed government supported these causes by establishing two major art institutions (the Lalit Kala Akademi and the National Gallery of Modern Art) and by providing fellowships and scholarships to artists.
Works by the artist RB Bhaskaran | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
As a result, says Bhaskaran, Indian artists found themselves on a global stage, eventually becoming highly sought after at international art auction houses.
He talks about a time when there were hardly any galleries in the cities to display the works of artists, whether up-and-coming or established. “My first show in Bangalore was in the late 60s, at the Kritika Art Gallery on St Mark’s Road, run by Mrs Dayaram. At that time, his small venue was the only place where an out-of-state artist could showcase his work to the people of Karnataka. Now there’s a huge difference between here and other cities,” he says.
Works by the artist RB Bhaskaran | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
There definitely is. 197 works of artists are displayed in several halls in Chitrakala Parishad. People, in profile and fluid feline form, vivid colors and varied poses and shapes, to attract attention.
“I was demonstrating a cat inside the classroom for my students. Cat lovers and people who liked my illustrations of cats encouraged me to work on them. The other thing that captured my imagination was , That was wedding photographs displayed in people’s homes,” says the artist, talking about his inspiration and the recurring motifs in his work.
“Photos hold immense value in a home, not only as memories, but in the way they are presented. Images on a living wall inside a home became something I captured with my art, He says, “I create people as they come across my canvas, with no reference to their dress or place.”
Looking back at the evolution of his work over six decades of being an artist, Bhaskaran says, “It is an intellectual dialogue, symbolizing the registration of your thoughts, your actions, your environment and your resources at that time. There is an intellectual dialogue within you. Then, you put it in two-dimensional form and another debate ensues in terms of color, space and material. It is a cycle, a continuous dialogue.
Works by the artist RB Bhaskaran | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
After facing opposition from his family to become an artist, Bhaskaran is happy with the myriad career options in the arts available today. “There are more opportunities today with job-oriented arts courses that people are comfortable with their children coming into this field. art direction, theatre, ceramics, textiles and interior design; You can practice on your own even if there is no job available. There was no demand or awareness at that time.”
The retrospective effect on RB Bhaskaran will remain in Chitrakala Parishad till April 9, 2023.