There’s a certain aesthetic that comes with beginnings and milestones. The exhibition of Arts Illustrated (AI) cover art over the last five years (ironically named Uncover This), saw many spectators in a room huddled with contemporary art enthusiasts and artists.
A panel discussion by four distinguished artists of Chennai — Palaniappan RM, Anamika V, Parvathi Nayar and Ramachandran N in conversation with Praveena Shivram — followed, where the artists spoke about the love, hope, pain and loss they associated with Madras, their home.
Nayar’s ‘Trash Art Wave’, Palaniappan’s ‘Alien Planets’ and ‘Journey to Nine Planets’, Ramachandran’s ‘At The Rate’ and Anamika’s construct and maps of Chennai, have all found their core concept as an expression of Madras.
“The city is an intrinsic part of all of us and plays an important role in how we perceive any form of art,” said Praveena.
The love for one’s city may start out with the little things like Anamika’s giddy happiness after her first bun butter jam, or the grandeur of Indo-European architecture for Palaniappan. For them, these moments were enough to trigger an art istic spark within.
Risky steps
“The act of being an artist is about choosing to be in a very unsafe position, especially when I want a safety net. But does the city catch me, if I fall?” questioned Nayar. Despite the rise of social media and its myriad possibilities, the artists deliberated on the lack of exposure they receive within their own city.
While Chennai holds together a sense of community and safety, somehow the arts keep falling through the cracks, they believe.
Fervently debated was the idea that success of artists is also intertwined with self-promotion.
“It is a loss for this country if it has no record of the experience and calibre of its own people, who are staying away from social media because of negativity or just saying ‘Oh, I don’t see myself as a propelling artist and I’m good with where I am’,” said Palaniappan. “A sense of loss or rage with the media could always be translated into artwork, if that’s what you are best at,” he added.
Awareness is key
Lack of government initiatives and inactive collection of local art by city dwellers are blaring signs of the problem. “You can only support contemporary art if you see its relevance in society. It complements perspectives; seeing the world through the eyes of someone else. It is an invitation to connect and find meaning,” Nayar explained.
“It needs to start from a very young age. By not just compressing it in a 45-minute school period with redundant drawings to be copied down. It has to come together with exposure, time to ponder, and experimentation,” stated Anamika, who is also an art teacher.
The hope held out by the panelists hinted of Chennai’s need for a young community that will support the arts, and facilitate fluidity and dialogue within artistic spaces.
