Monday, August 27, 2012

Artists to watch out in the KNMA collection

Some of the highlights of the comprehensive KNMA collection are as follows:

Birth of Blindness (2007) by GR Iranna

G R Iranna’s creations tend to depict pain as an abstract force translated visually in bruised textures and rasping, razor sharp cutting edges. They have always been far removed from an overriding, postmodern logic. Instead, he skillfully employs the idealistic, representative and modernist language of Indian contemporary art.

The artist believes that his artistic approach goes beyond the terms like modern and the postmodern. He has once stated: “My work and my figures are illustrative of the spirit of human experiences - timeless and immortal. My thought process has witnessed a subtle, albeit definite transition, which is a natural phenomenon as part of an artist’s evolution.”

His sculptural installation has 10 naked, blindfolded men in a posture of complete submission. Their overworked bodies are tense with impending torture. The installation is unsettling because of its implicit power dynamic. It was shown at the Aicon Gallery in London with only a short preview in New Delhi two years ago.

Genesis of Kurukshetra (2005) by A Ramachandran
This bronze work by the Padma Bhushan-winner, A. Ramachandran, combines elements of architecture, sculpture and theatre. It’s inspired by the epic tale of Mahabharata. His interpretation is rather unusual, as the title suggests, essentially focused on the genesis. It depicts Kunti and Gandhari orchestrating the tale. Their sons are pawns - the five Pandavas in gold and 100 Kauravas in silver. And with each false move, the mothers would lose them.

Kaayam (2008) by A Balasubramaniam
The Bangalore-based artist was one of the nominees for the Skoda Prize 2011. Though this sculpture (fibreglass, wood and acrylic) was shown at Delhi’s Talwar Gallery a few years ago, it’s worth another look. He is keen to delve into the mystery of creative processes rather and not unduly worried about its outcome. In this work, selfhood is elusive. It tries to capture the absent form of something very essential and obvious just like our own shadow.

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