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Visakhapatnam
Touch of colour and class
FOR HIS recent series of Kathakali dancers, noted artist M. K. Vasudevan, popular as Artist Namboodiri, jettisons his specialised medium of copper sheet relief work. Instead he ambles into a kindergarten classroom, seeks out the craft of finger painting and resurrects it to the status of a venerable art form. Under his deft handling, this mode of artistic activity becomes much more than just kid stuff.
The series currently up on display at Café Palette, is dramatic both in the handling of this medium as in the choice of subject matter. He has chosen his theme well; Kathakali is a vibrant and theatrical dance form, which the State proudly showcases as a part of its cultural inheritance. Its high degree of stylisation touched by a riveting mix of colours has inspired many an artist.
Namboodiri's canvases are big, the largest of them measuring 8ft x 2.6ft. He paints on a darkened, black background and juxtaposes sharp, undiluted colours to obtain a stunning effect. The palette is bold and strident; he needs this to chronicle the elaborate headgear, the intricate make-up and the balloon-like skirts. However, these elements get no detailed treatment; the face is but a blur, the headgear developed by a few, and robust finger strokes.
The artist paints in abstraction, essaying to achieve the essence of this celebrated dance form. He achieves this by portraying the complex body movements and the `mudras,' so central to this dance. His dramatis personae are no mannequins, they sway to the tempo and beat that the artist builds up.
The contemporary series consists of five paintings that decorate Café Palette within the premises of Raymonds showroom. It's a chic art café where after hectic purchasing; weary shoppers take a breather to sip hot coffee and appreciate /buy good art. Says Jyoti Aswani, "We only agree to display those works that go with the image of the showroom."
The series fits the bill. Well turned-out.
SUNANDA KHANNA
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Metro Plus
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Visakhapatnam
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