Serenity through colour rhythm and melodY
TIME TRAVEL
It was a wonderful idea to time travel to the mysterious world of versatile genius Leonado da Vinci, one of my favorite Guru in the realm of creativity. I used to go the medieval times in my wild dreams, by clinging on the hands of my Mother Goddess Kaali, the Goddess of time, which is a recurring motif in most of my paintings. In the dream I saw the great artist playing his wonderful lute, which has some resemblance with my “Malayala Veena”. I saw his enticing botanical specimen, sprouting around him which recalls my art experiences with Botanical Survey of India. I wonder when I saw some similarity with my folk sculpture “Garuda” and his flying machine creations. In this painting I juxtaposed his terrible war machines and weapons against his piano and other serene musical instruments as I did Kaali’s Nathakam (Sword) against her Nantuni (lute). And finally I am realizing the mysterious similarity in his Vitruvius man, (who is the measure of all) with the concept of Virad Purusha (Purusha evedamidam Sarvam” Rigveda) whose glory is reflecting everywhere in Cosmos.
It is a suktha from Rig veda in which the the Risi / composer is seeking the mystery of this cosmos. he is visualizing that ,at first something consciousness started breathing from within may be due to kama /desire . All gods were created after that act . Some times the so called creator thyself may or may not know when it was created . This uncertainity is picturized here by connecting index fingers .
NASADEEYAM
Festivals are always creating some sort of space-time imaginations in me. “KUMBHA BHARANI” is one such UNESCO acknowledged highest chariot festival in my home town, Chettikulangara, Kerala, in which our villagers are dragging huge Chariot, Horse and Bullock folk sculptures to the vicinity of our village deity Chettikulangara Amma and praying for Boons and Blessings for both spiritual and material stabilities.
These huge Chariot festivals are cultural, mental and spiritual rejuvenation for me and which always open new vistas of imagination rather than that of a mere conventional concept of religious Rituals and Blessings.
In my mind , these slowly moving wooden chariots and horses folk sculptures are transforming as High Speed Space Crafts and Bull Head Hammer Vehicles, on which I see “PANCHA JANAS”, the ancient technocrats are voyaging in search of the mysteries of the MOTHER NATURE, through their modern scientific eyes. I myself is travelling away from the age old mythologies on a musical instruments for an alternate world of reality and spirituality.
In painting, the chariot and horses are transgressed as huge musical instruments, singing notes of festival and the painting itself is in the form of a harp like musical instrument in which one can play the Raga of this painting “Varali”, which is highly personal .
Kaalam Kaali Varaali
MATSYAVEENA
Raja RaviVarmas Reaper after 100 yearS
Music has always the power to elevate our mind consciousness to a higher dimension, which doesn’t have the rigidity of religion ,and is beyond caste and creed. The divine music transforms us to a spiritual level, where we used to forget our identity and it will persuade us to contemplate the colour and gradations of a sublimated world, just like these lyrics are trying to illustrate.
Through this painting I am visualizing a world, where sruthis of great musicians like Pandit Ravishankar, Usthad Amjad Ali Khan and Sri. Yesudas became the Sa..Pa..Sa of a mysterious musical instrument, which is singing the notes of universal brother hood.
Where as in the back ground one can see the struggle of existence, war of greed and cruelty of power mongers. I juxtapose the divine melody of this mysterious musical instrument and the fragrance and light of sprouting flowers around the illustrious musicians just to subdue the fearful gruesome realities of existence.
The painting itself is in the form of a symbolic idol - Harp like musical instrument and onlooker can play the raga Sindhu Bhairavi on its strings.
Over these years the paddy field has been disappeared. The the parrot greenery agri field has gave way for the orange brown real estate mud . However the reaper is now clad with red cloth but lost her livelihood .
Matsya Veena is another visualization of my lute “Malayala Veena” which is my solace in my lonely and solitary life. Here I am dreaming an itinerary in the imaginary world of “Sangeetha Sagara (Ocean of Music in a bluish green scale) by holding the rib of a lute which is in the form of a huge fish (Matsya). The background and surrounding are brimming with the survival struggle of the fittest and cunning souls as in the Indian proverb says “Matsya nyaayena” i.e. big fish devouring the small one. The painting itself is framed and encased in the form of a fish shaped musical instrument which can be tuned in the basic scale of the “raga” of this painting .
A music recital on the moment when the divine face of Mother Goddess , emerged from the abyss uf my mind .
Mile Sur Mera TumaarA
Seven Notes of a Festival