All the hustle and bustle of a temple is there on D. Saran’s canvas. A girl huddles as the elephant places its trunk on her head and a long line of devotees wait for darshan. In the background there is a kovil, a tiny speck with devotees forming a long line. This is one of the works at the paintings and sculptures exhibition, ‘Exposure of Triangle’ at Kasthuri Sreenivasan Art Gallery had water colours by Saran and R. Ragu and sculptures by S. Balu.
“Exposure to Triangle” is a metaphor for each of the artist. “The three dimensions of this triangle represent each of our works and ideas. We chose this name also because a triangle is the most flexible geometric shape for art purposes”, explains Saran.
Balu’s sculptures explore the artistic potential of the triangle. Lord Ganesha with a triangular paunch and a trunk made of copper wire is beautiful. Other sculptures made of sheet metal and wood engages with themes of love, nurture and mythology. The sculpture titled ‘Freedom’, shows the struggle of a creeper growing out of a window frame. “You cannot control the movements of a free spirit,” explains Balu.
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The theme of Raghu’s work is Indian architecture. The painting of the Darasuram temple brought out the beautiful contrast of light and shadow. All his paintings possess depth, making them look three dimensional. The pain and detailing gone into the work is evident. Even the faded murals on the ancient temples is recreated in his pictures. “The stones in these temples take on a blend of colours over the years due to their long exposure to sunlight and rain. I wanted to retain this worn-out look.”
The paintings by Saran records the every day sights of Kumbakonum, his native place. “These images are part of my child hood memories. Only when you begin to miss them you understand their value.” His paintings have a dream-like quality to them. The images in his work are set against light backgrounds with shades of yellow, blue or pink. This makes even an ordinary image of a hen staring at a cycle look surreal.
The exhibition is on at Kasthuri Sreenivasan Art Gallery till September 30, from 10 a.m to 6:30 p.m. The paintings and sculptures are also for sale. Price range from Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 16,000. For details call:
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