Selvaraj always dreamt big. Only, his home and studio were not big enough to accommodate all those dreams.
Undeterred, he took his art to the people or in his own words he ‘hit the street.’ A live open sculpting workshop, which is now under way at Alinchuvadu near Palarivattom Bypass, organised by a local cultural gathering Nattuvelicham , is among many things, a demonstration of an artist living his dream drawing energy from popular support.
Mostly self-taught, except for a brief apprenticeship with late artist Dattan, Selvaraj, an artist of more than three decades’ standing, treaded off the beaten path. He is one of those rare artists who sculpt using metal sheets.
In his latest endeavour, he has used iron sheet. “Any medium can be used for sculpting if the artist understands even its minute nuances,” he said. This is for the first time he is experimenting with a thematic work by recreating a traditional oil press drawn by bullocks. Even the thatched roof atop the oil press and the sculpture of a girl studying sitting on its long handle are being made using iron sheets.
“The message is two-pronged - the lost man-animal relation and the girl studying is symbolic of humanity’s pursuit of knowledge, which in turn fuelled its march to modernity leaving behind traditional things like the very oil press on which she is sitting,” Selvaraj explained.
Unlike other media, which involve more of a creative stress than physical exertion, iron sheets call for hard toil. In the 18 days since Republic Day when the workshop started, Selvaraj has done more than a lakh hammer blows and the work, which when completed would cover a 600 sq.ft expanse, is far from over.
But his hard work is paying rich dividends as people from all walks of life, ranging from fine arts students to laymen, keep dropping in at his makeshift studio named after the acclaimed late Bengali sculptor and painter Ramkinkar Baij throughout the day.
“The whole idea was to make people part of an artist’s creative journey. Going by the response, it has become a movement of sorts,” said a beaming Selvaraj who has been going through a punishing 9-hour schedule daily. The workshop is marked by cultural programmes every evening performed by artists for free out of their appreciation for the endeavour.
The work, his biggest till date, is expected to be over by March 12. He will take to hammer shortly thereafter for the remaining nine works of the series he is planning for an exhibition.
