Illustrious sculptor/artist N. N. Rimzon’s oeuvre extends to sculptures, drawings and paintings with acrylics on canvas. Currently his solo show ‘Forest of the Living Divine’ at Talwar Art Gallery in Delhi includes six large sculptures and paintings and works on paper. Thiruvananthapuram-based Rimzon is much-acclaimed for his international shows. “I started exhibiting in international shows from mid ’80s. Some foreign curators happened to see my work at a big exhibition in Delhi and wanted to take some of the work with them. The first show was in Geneva; then I kept travelling and getting opportunities with shows. I also got a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Art, London and returned to India in the early ’90s. Then, I got a chance to exhibit in Australia and Japan,” he says, recalling incidents which shaped his career.
Rimzon feels that unlike earlier, Indian art is respected now. “Earlier we didn’t have many foreign shows and European critics/artists too didn’t think much of Indian art. They thought that it’s nothing and is more derivative. That perception has changed. Indian art is more respected and has come to maturity. But still, it has a long way to go,” he states.
Creating magic with stone, exploring the medium and creating new ideas from the environment has been a focal point of Rimzon’s sculptures. He observes how sculptors are exploring and discovering materials. “One of the major shifts is with raw materials. Earlier sculptors chose materials with permanence in mind. It was their main concern. They chose stone because it is a permanent and traditional medium. One of the major shifts is that materials today have some conceptual meaning. It has come to be associated with memories. Each object has a story to tell; it could even be your footwear. It is not neutral because it has some history behind it; in fact every object has. Sculptors have started using objects/materials which have a metaphoric content in it. That is a different design and it has opened a new veil. Artists are able to explore and express better. They are not concerned about a medium’s permanency. They may use perishable materials and this facet has extended to installations too. Permanence is not a constraint now,” he explains.
Of late, fibre glass has been a preferred choice with sculptors, thanks to its lightweight feature. “One has seen new material, even everyday objects, being used. Sculptors are using objects associated with life and those which have good quality. Materials like fibre glass have been used because it is light weight; their transport is much easier. Otherwise, if you do a large size sculpture in stone it is very difficult to transport or handle the art work. Our galleries are not capable of handling those big objects,” he points out.
Rimzon, who is gearing up for a show in New York, points out how sculptures didn’t get their due when compared to paintings. “If you look at the history of Indian contemporary art, you will see that sculptures were marginalised,” he states and adds, “Now, it has arrived. There is a big presence of objects, sculptures and installations in contemporary art.”
( N. N. Rimzon was in town as part of the jury to select the best works from the ongoing National Exhibition of Contemporary Art.)
