Making Batik designs on clothes, saris and scarves, and selling them as unique designs, helped a group of artists start the Cholamandal Artists’ Village back in 1965-66. “With half the ₹5,000 we made from the sales, we bought a half-acre plot in Injambakkam on the ECR. There was no electricity or proper roads then. Only seven youngsters chose to come over. Now, over the years, as artists sold their works, they contributed towards creating infrastructure, and this space has grown,” recalled artist P. Gopinath, one of the founding members of the artists’ village.
The village is currently holding its 54th annual art exhibition, and is doing this in partnership with Google Arts and Culture. “Around 80 images of artworks by artists, who were part of the Madras Movement from 1940 to 1985, have been made available online. These are part of the Museum of Madras Movement here,” explained M. Senathipathi, another founding artist, who is also the president of the collective. The works of art, including those of their teacher K.C.S. Paniker, can be accessed at https://artsandculture.google. com/partner/cholaman dal-artists-village .
Works of artists such as Ramanujam, who used to draw on any kind of paper he could get hold of, Mr. Gopinath and Richard Jesudasan are available online. Just one work of Paniker is here, the rest are at a museum in Thiruvananthapuram. Sculptures of Paramasivam, Anila Jacob and Maria Antony Raj find a place in the exhibition.
