chitralakshana, all about indian art and artists.

S.G.Vasudev’s -“She”

By- Dr. Veena Shekar

The series is apparently a visual admiration of all that women stand for in the new millennium; a true tribute awakening the power within women today. In what seems like portraits the set of paintings reveal myriad dimensions of female countenances glorifying their strength, character and integrity. The theme has frequently repeated in his early works but this is the first time the ‘She’ deserves individual attention. Placing the woman on a pedestal Vasudev elevates her by choosing to portray not her body but her visage to speak of her competence.

Vasudev’s ‘She’ is a goddess having an eternal dialogue with the universe. She is a queen who dares to be different. She is a pioneer, a leader. She is the kind of woman who in the face of adversity will continue to embrace life and walk fearlessly toward the challenge. ‘She’ is also a diva who emerges like a huge submarine from beneath the ocean to save her men. Yet again she is angelic, innocent Venus like with a blush on her cherubic cheeks.

Throughout his career Vasudev has never digressed from his artistic idiom. However there has been simplification of detail from the 90’s onwards. Large dabs of paint replace the abundant engraving and in the new body of works there is a total lack of rhetorical flummery. In plain forms one is easily able to see adulation and piety.

Huge medusas like figures watch us mystically from the otherworld where only she belongs. Her frizzy hair cascades down in a labyrinthine mode carrying with it many tales of yonder. Little men rejoice in this celebration. Like children lost in a fairy tale they roam around the canvas singing odes to their princess. Or perhaps they are side actors in a theatrical play enacting their roles.

Understanding the nature and meaning of beauty is one of the leading subjects in the philosophical discipline known as aesthetics. It talks of two kinds of beauty, natural and poetic. The former is found in the contemplation of nature, whereas the latter lies in man's creative intervention into nature. Natural beauty is merely sensual delight whereas poetic beauty begins where the natural beauty ends. Vasudev has always been very particular about depicting the beauty within his subjects. His anxiety also has been to represent all subjects, pleasure or pain in a beautiful way so that they don’t come on anyone too strongly. “Indian art was meant to be that way and if you know how to use your own life experiences through Indian imagery that becomes the truth,” explains the artist.
His images are either close-up profiles or frontal postures and are very well chiseled. Long curly hair adorns beautiful heads that gaze sensuously and at times enigmatically. Some have open wide eyes while some are eyeless. They prod you to understand, sympathize and love. Accrediting different dimensions to womanhood the works are small frames in which a protagonist woman always converses with the tree or another woman. These are sourced from local folk myths. The women appear to stare barrenly from behind masks as if they are merely putting on a facade. Here Vasudev refers to the popular usage of woman in advertisements.
In this exchange of abstraction and realism there is however substantial place for imagery. Vasudev’s women are often decorated with embellishments that add to their beauty. Some are depleted with just their visage appearing like the iconic Buddha. “My figures are stronger today, he asserts, “I am not happy with just the skeletal image but want to make them more solid so that there is expression in their faces. Even my smallest of forms have roundedness and appear wholesome”.

The Vriksha (tree of life) of previous years appears here frequently, sometimes in the background and at times emerging from the falling curls of the woman depicted. Often the tree and the woman are in a discourse. Highly symbolic of continuous regeneration and a potent symbol of immortality the tree teaches the woman the truths of life and death. Her frizzy hair often changes roles with the tree on which men, women and bird are nestled. She seems to lift the tree like a mountain on her head and performs the arduous task of saving the universe. Vasudev also uses the space outside his forms to mutate into interesting forms of their own such as a tree or a human. On the whole the ebullient canvases bring together the entire universe as one conclusive entity, all in one and one in all.

One must speak of the colours Vasudev uses in his works that bring about an effervescent glow. The colours have turned more sensuous now so as to match the moods of the women and to show their various dimensions. A whole new wash of blue, yellow and green bring luminosity and add to the richness of the subject. They are simultaneous shades and are softer giving an appearance of stained glass. His works are all oil on canvases, a medium he has used since long for the achievement of results desired. He engraves lines on his canvas and makes fresh outlines that are different from the engraved lines. The engravings form a grid pattern similar to a game and become a part of the subject.

The use of fingers to smear paint or erase or to create decorative patterns is a technique that is so very much Vasudev than any other. He most likely uses this technique to remain associated with his Cholamandal group for whom the decorative idiom was a prominent mark.

Vasudev is one of the renowned artists of Bangalore. His works are represented in many individual, institutional and corporate collections in India and abroad. His work has been recognized with many prestigious awards by several academies nation and state wide
Vasudev’s artistic career spans four decades and the Theatre of life, Earthscapes, He/She, Humanscapes, Maithuna and Vriksha are his oft repeated themes. Simultaneously he has also worked in different media such as ceramic, tapestry or copper plates. Most of his themes drift from one medium into another, maintaining however a historical homogeneity.
He chooses his themes from Indian mythology and Indian folk stories. In his early days he borrowed from the ideologies of two persons-A.K.Ramanujam and Girish Karnad. The poetry of Ramanujam and plays of Karnad were all taken from local myths but were fused in contemporary spirit. Thus came about the series of ‘Tree of life, in the form of ‘Vriksha’, ‘Earthscapes’ and ‘Maithuna’ that were later relocated in the present context. The current exhibition ‘She’ is one such favorite theme that has fascinated Vasudev for long.

Sunday Herald January 2008

Author

Dr. Veena shekar, is an art-historian and web designer. A voracious and avid reader of various subjects, Veena Shekar developed a keen interest and passion for art and art related subjects. This passion was enhanced further when she went to Paris in 1990, where she studied a few art courses. Her two years stay in the art-loving country immensely helped her pursue her career in the field of art-history.
Shekar holds a double post-graduate degree in English Literature and art-history and a post-graduate diploma in Journalism. She was awarded doctorate for her thesis " A study of historical paintings of karnataka between 1780 and 1830" in the year 2002. She is currently working on the manuscript for publication.
As a visiting lecturer at many art institutions of Bangalore, Veena Shekar’s contribution to art in general is note-worthy. She has been contributing to various magazines, newspapers and journals on human interest and art related topics and has designed a few art related websites worthy of mention.She is presently residing in Bangalore, India.

Send mail to Dr. Veena Shekar Visit Veena shekar's Homepage



	S.G.Vasudev’s -“She” By- Dr. Veena Shekar The series is apparently a visual admiration of all that women stand for in the new millennium; a true tribute awakening the power within women today. In what seems like portraits the set of paintings reveal myriad dimensions of female countenances glorifying their strength, character and integrity. The theme has frequently repeated in his early works but this is the first time the ‘She’ deserves individual attention. Placing the woman on a pedestal Vasudev elevates her by choosing to portray not her body but her visage to speak of her competence. Vasudev’s ‘She’ is a goddess having an eternal dialogue with the universe. She is a queen who dares to be different. She is a pioneer, a leader. She is the kind of woman who in the face of adversity will continue to embrace life and walk fearlessly toward the challenge. ‘She’ is also a diva who emerges like a huge submarine from beneath the ocean to save her men. Yet again she is angelic, innocent Venus like with a blush on her cherubic cheeks. Throughout his career Vasudev has never digressed from his artistic idiom. However there has been simplification of detail from the 90’s onwards. Large dabs of paint replace the abundant engraving and in the new body of works there is a total lack of rhetorical flummery. In plain forms one is easily able to see adulation and piety. Huge medusas like figures watch us mystically from the otherworld where only she belongs. Her frizzy hair cascades down in a labyrinthine mode carrying with it many tales of yonder. Little men rejoice in this celebration. Like children lost in a fairy tale they roam around the canvas singing odes to their princess. Or perhaps they are side actors in a theatrical play enacting their roles. Understanding the nature and meaning of beauty is one of the leading subjects in the philosophical discipline known as aesthetics. It talks of two kinds of beauty, natural and poetic. The former is found in the contemplation of nature, whereas the latter lies in man's creative intervention into nature. Natural beauty is merely sensual delight whereas poetic beauty begins where the natural beauty ends. Vasudev has always been very particular about depicting the beauty within his subjects. His anxiety also has been to represent all subjects, pleasure or pain in a beautiful way so that they don’t come on anyone too strongly. “Indian art was meant to be that way and if you know how to use your own life experiences through Indian imagery that becomes the truth,” explains the artist. His images are either close-up profiles or frontal postures and are very well chiseled. Long curly hair adorns beautiful heads that gaze sensuously and at times enigmatically. Some have open wide eyes while some are eyeless. They prod you to understand, sympathize and love. Accrediting different dimensions to womanhood the works are small frames in which a protagonist woman always converses with the tree or another woman. These are sourced from local folk myths. The women appear to stare barrenly from behind masks as if they are merely putting on a facade. Here Vasudev refers to the popular usage of woman in advertisements. In this exchange of abstraction and realism there is however substantial place for imagery. Vasudev’s women are often decorated with embellishments that add to their beauty. Some are depleted with just their visage appearing like the iconic Buddha. “My figures are stronger today, he asserts, “I am not happy with just the skeletal image but want to make them more solid so that there is expression in their faces. Even my smallest of forms have roundedness and appear wholesome”. The Vriksha (tree of life) of previous years appears here frequently, sometimes in the background and at times emerging from the falling curls of the woman depicted. Often the tree and the woman are in a discourse. Highly symbolic of continuous regeneration and a potent symbol of immortality the tree teaches the woman the truths of life and death. Her frizzy hair often changes roles with the tree on which men, women and bird are nestled. She seems to lift the tree like a mountain on her head and performs the arduous task of saving the universe. Vasudev also uses the space outside his forms to mutate into interesting forms of their own such as a tree or a human. On the whole the ebullient canvases bring together the entire universe as one conclusive entity, all in one and one in all. One must speak of the colours Vasudev uses in his works that bring about an effervescent glow. The colours have turned more sensuous now so as to match the moods of the women and to show their various dimensions. A whole new wash of blue, yellow and green bring luminosity and add to the richness of the subject. They are simultaneous shades and are softer giving an appearance of stained glass. His works are all oil on canvases, a medium he has used since long for the achievement of results desired. He engraves lines on his canvas and makes fresh outlines that are different from the engraved lines. The engravings form a grid pattern similar to a game and become a part of the subject. The use of fingers to smear paint or erase or to create decorative patterns is a technique that is so very much Vasudev than any other. He most likely uses this technique to remain associated with his Cholamandal group for whom the decorative idiom was a prominent mark. Vasudev is one of the renowned artists of Bangalore. His works are represented in many individual, institutional and corporate collections in India and abroad. His work has been recognized with many prestigious awards by several academies nation and state wide Vasudev’s artistic career spans four decades and the Theatre of life, Earthscapes, He/She, Humanscapes, Maithuna and Vriksha are his oft repeated themes. Simultaneously he has also worked in different media such as ceramic, tapestry or copper plates. Most of his themes drift from one medium into another, maintaining however a historical homogeneity. He chooses his themes from Indian mythology and Indian folk stories. In his early days he borrowed from the ideologies of two persons-A.K.Ramanujam and Girish Karnad. The poetry of Ramanujam and plays of Karnad were all taken from local myths but were fused in contemporary spirit. Thus came about the series of ‘Tree of life, in the form of ‘Vriksha’, ‘Earthscapes’ and ‘Maithuna’ that were later relocated in the present context. The current exhibition ‘She’ is one such favorite theme that has fascinated Vasudev for long. Sunday Herald January 2008 Author Dr. Veena shekar, is an art-historian and web designer. A voracious and avid reader of various subjects, Veena Shekar developed a keen interest and passion for art and art related subjects. This passion was enhanced further when she went to Paris in 1990, where she studied a few art courses. Her two years stay in the art-loving country immensely helped her pursue her career in the field of art-history. Shekar holds a double post-graduate degree in English Literature and art-history and a post-graduate diploma in Journalism. She was awarded doctorate for her thesis " A study of historical paintings of karnataka between 1780 and 1830" in the year 2002. She is currently working on the manuscript for publication. As a visiting lecturer at many art institutions of Bangalore, Veena Shekar’s contribution to art in general is note-worthy. She has been contributing to various magazines, newspapers and journals on human interest and art related topics and has designed a few art related websites worthy of mention.She is presently residing in Bangalore, India. Send mail to Dr. Veena Shekar Visit Veena shekar's Homepage