Fairytales relooked at, artistically

Art and fairytales in a broader Indian context have invariably moved and jelled together right since the advent of storytelling. However, the relentless march of modernity has worked in both ways, causing it to fall by the wayside as well as prompting artists to reinterpret them in newer ways.

The popular Bengali legend of two princes, who both battled the demons, finds a novel expression in Sanjay Bhattacharya's captivating composition ‘Lal Kamal, Neel Kamal’. The leading artist tries to interpret the tale in a pictorial animation of two puppet princes astride horses, crossing swords with bellowing demons. Ink drawing and wet oil impressions of colors have imparted the figures with a comic book look and feel so that they strike a chord with children.

‘Roop Katha’ has just been on display at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The artist has been quoted as saying: "I love the fairy stories from ‘Thakurmar Jhuli’ (Grandmother's Bag of Stories), the traditional anthology of myths. I’ve in a way, grown up with them. They easily translate into art since they are simple and narrate about the war between good and evil."

In fact, Indian visual art tradition has revolved around fairytales and Vedic myths for the last several centuries since the Indus Valley settlers crafted metal and wood. "Fantasy, legends, racial memories and resonances from the past - both known and unknown - have been the source of artistic creation the world over," a recent IANS news report quotes the chairman of the Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA), Ashok Vajpeyi, as saying that the depiction of fairy tales and myths somehow weakened in Indian modern art.

Ina Puri, a renowned art critic and curator has conceived the series of ‘Roop Katha’. According to her, art has essentially evolved from narratives when you look at its tradition and evolution. Indian folk art still continues to sustain on the power of fairytales and traditional folklore, she asserts.