Artist SG Vasudev | Photo credit: Johan Satyadas
SG Vasudev leans on a blank canvas. This time, he isn’t armed with a brush. Instead, the artist works with small, inconspicuous, stray pieces of paper that were once part of magazines, catalogs and notebook covers, and a trusty tube of glue. The seasoned artist joins them together to create a motif that can only be described as Vasudev-esque, complete with strokes of white and silver ink. A woman (probably) with her arms outstretched, half her face on a piece of paper while the other half is in ink, lamp in hand, with a dog. While disjointed patterns make up her clothes, her body comes to life through line drawings. There is no narrative in it, as it is simply a collage.
In an experimental exhibit titled Drawing on Memories at the Forum Art Gallery, Vasudev – an integral part of the influential Madras art movement – is celebrated for his paintings, drawings and copper reliefs. In this show he presents a series of collages that reflect his willingness to explore new, and sometimes surprising, playing fields.
One of the collages from SG Vasudev’s latest series | photo credit: special arrangement
The isolation and stillness of the pandemic inspired Vasudev, one of the founder-members of the famous Cholamandal Artists Village in Chennai, to dip his toes into this unlikely medium. During a rehearsal, he explains how he started drawing during the lockdown period. “It so happened that one day, I received a wedding invitation, which had gold and silver lines, which led me to my first collage. I pasted parts of the card onto my own drawing, creating some interesting visuals.
The most random pieces make for cohesive productions: a small part of an American flag, half of a wedding photograph, a textured shoe pattern featured in a fashion magazine, or even a detached nose. . “Collages done by masters like Henri Matisse can be seen when he could not paint due to old age. May be, I am also on the same path,” he says with a smile.
One of the collages from SG Vasudev’s latest series | photo credit: special arrangement
In a way, it all started with cartoons and caricatures, says Vasudev. While this series can be called “a lockdown project”, Vasudev’s interest in cartoons and caricatures predates his formal training in art at the Government College of Arts, which began in 1960. The college was then run by KCS Panicker, he says, who was always encouraging crafts in addition to formal art practices.
He admits with a laugh, “When I started, I thought it would be easy. But it’s actually quite complex.” Contrary to popular belief, a collage is not always static. Even motion can be portrayed through pattern and alignment.
Does he have a form in mind when putting the pieces together? “Not necessarily,” he says, “I’ll know the general shapes. I cut out the pieces I like. After starting work on a collage, I went to images of my own artworks in catalogs and books. And started involving them.” In a way, this translation gives new life to his earlier work.
Often, colors guide the development of these forms which are characterized by their amorphous characteristics.
One of the collages from SG Vasudev’s latest series | photo credit: special arrangement
As the pandemic restricted physical access to studios and stores, through collage, Vasudev managed to continue his practice – in a way, the medium is also a product of convenience. Vasudev says, “Though I had a few canvases, I did not want to do painting at that time.”
“My interest in crafts developed from my time at Cholamandal Artists Village. I don’t draw a line between them,” says Vasudev. “The difference mainly comes from the West. I think it is very important for a contemporary artist in India to use contemporary crafts and craftsmen.
Paintings on Memories will be on view till February 25 at Forum Art Gallery, Adyar, Chennai.