An untitled art show, several untitled works, a few known and some not-so-known artists, the current show at David Hall is refreshingly anonymous. You enjoy complete freedom of interpretation.
The antiquated space of David Hall, without doubt, lends itself to art. Works gather energy in a strange way. Like Bahuleyan’s do. A well known name in art in these parts, C.B. Bahuleyan’s three related works, two titled ‘Time’ and one called ‘The Flower’ are absolute virtuosities in process, skill, detailing , colours and, of course, the thought. ‘The Flower’, because of its unambiguous positive message is cheery and brings joy, different from the two pieces that show deep desolation caused by the onslaught of time. And yet in ‘The Flower’, the tree blossoms in deep red, while the rest of the world folds in doomed.
Colours and emotions
Another of his work, ‘Lost Mother’ is intense, made so by the paucity of images except for a stark dripping blood spot, a picture frame, and the canvas strategically divided by colours. Its title complements the emotion that it generates.
Purushottam Adve’s works, seen at earlier art camps held by the proprietors of David Hall, the CGH group, is an established artist. His two untitled works on intriguing chequered backdrops with animal imagery is open to interpretation.
Fantasy takes charge in the two colourful works by Sanal. The untitled works throw open the gates of imagination as they have done with the artist. He seems to rejoice in the world of coloured circles. His boy- man protagonist with a cloud of colourful circles for hair is blowing little cars out of his mouth. Is it a dream or a vision? Is it fun or play? Is it sanity or surreal? The story continues when the boy- man is along with two others, hippie dressed, hair flying, with goggles and hugging each other in a friendly threesome. The colourful work is intriguing.
Radha Gomathy has led the environment cause and gender issues in her art practice. Her work titled ‘She’ is related to the latter. In grey tones, a headless woman sits poised with a flower in her lap, a gibbous, moon, faceless head and swirls complete her aesthetic thought.
Two untitled abstractions are for the readers to revel in. Cynthia Prabhakar’s is an effusive coloured canvas, while Rajesh Ambelkar’s work is challenging as it gives ample scope for interpretation. Abhilash Unni’s untitled work leads the viewers through a warren of houses, a tree and symbols—Gandhi and the trishul identifying the beliefs of the dwellers.
Thoughts on canvas
Artist Sunil Vallarpadom, too, has an untitled work in bright colours. It is again about dwellings but of birds—the woodpecker and the owl. It has a comfortable, warm feel. Prathapan G., like the earlier two artists has not named his diptych but it tells the story of the fishermen who eke a living by migrating through waters in their coracles. K.P. Wilfred’s work, too, leaves the viewer free to draw their conclusions. Wilfred is known to paint on earth and environment related issues. Here, too, the canvas seems to carry forward the thought.
Manoj Vyloor’s canvases are detailed, in depiction and in caption. His two works are related to history and he paints ‘The Pirate of the Arabian Sea’, who ‘wrote constantly blank letters to his Dutch fiancé’. His other work is, ‘Lady reading a Letter (after Vermeer)’. The two ‘Dutch’ works become of the space.
Well known artist Balamuralikrishnan’s chest with military fatigue, Sreekumari’s organic work on cactus and Norman Tagore’s girl with a bird are other equally interesting works.
This show of 25 works, says Padmini, curator David Hall, is distilled from a collection of works by artists at the National Art Camps held by the hotel group over the last couple of years.
In this lean tourist season, when Fort Kochi takes a break and the place curls up in a stupor, this gentle art show, with its variety in thought and colours comes as a happy intervention. The show runs through July.
