Bringing together the works of artists who are members of the Progressive Painters Association, an exhibition titled ‘Contemporary Art in Madras-Over the years’ has their paintings and sculptures on display.
Started by pioneering artist K.C.S Paniker in 1944, the association has several artists who reside in the Cholamandal Artists Village as members. “K.C.S. Paniker had always believed that art should not be for the rich alone and was vocal about how art should be affordable to be accessible to more people. In keeping with his views, most of the art on display here too recognises the need for smaller works of art, which also recognises how spaces have been shrinking over the years, which have in turn contributed towards the need for such art,” said S. Saravanan, an artist who is the current president of the Progressive Painters Association.
Mr. Saravanan said that the exhibition was an opportunity for them to showcase the work of contemporary artists as part of Madras Week. Art critic Ashrafi Bhagat spoke about contemporary art in Madras over the years. Speaking about his work ‘Gnosis’, which is a part of the exhibition, artist Jacob Jeyaraj, the secretary of the association, said that he had attempted to capture the modernity of the city in an abstract form.
