For B. Kiran Kumari, the urge to present the streetlights along with the cluttered electric wires in the hazy darkness seems to be insatiable.
The former scribe has as many as three dozen art pieces to her credit on the theme urban nightscapes, including buildings, fluorescent lamps, neon glow signs, wires, lanes and faceless crowds thronging the market area.
She seeks to present the changing ‘urban facade' over a decade in the form of commercial skyscrapers raised alongside traditional tiled houses. “The dangling wires on a lamp post with cobwebs forming a pattern narrate a story of official apathy, public indifference and the woes of common man,” she says, adding, “The lonely streetlight is a witness to the passing of time.”
Luminescent skyscape
The thick black sky is limited to the villages, while the same appears violet or reddish in urban areas. This overdose of luminescence, an indication of extravagance, can be construed as avoidable human interference with nature. We glaringly find the clutter of wires replacing the clutter of tree branches in the urban heartland.
The concept has taken the Tirupati-based artist to places and got her a berth in the global list of who's who in the arena of modern art. Kiran has taken part in the San Francisco International Art Festival (2008) with the theme What goes around , Pravasa Bharatheeya Divas Art Show at Daira Art Gallery in Hyderabad (2006), Art Mall, New Delhi (2010), Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi (2009, 2004), Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat, Bangalore (2006) and Kalakriti Art Gallery, Hyderabad (2007).
‘Wired' to ‘Enlightened'
After successfully conducting an art expo on the theme, which was aptly named Wired , Kiran is now conducting a solo exhibition at Reflection Art Galleries and Studios, New Delhi from April 21 to May 5 under the caption Enlightened .
The theme has absolutely not changed, but the clutter of wires takes the backseat, giving way to the glistening fluorescent street lights.
