GETTING IT OUT OF MY HEAD
“Take advantage of the privilege of viewing one of the most revered artists in India, K.G. Subramanyan at Tasmai Gallery in Puducherry.
His latest 2015 and last works, 39 pieces of gouache on paper all the same size at first made me think—sameness. As we moved around the gallery the rectilinear paintings came alive. First with the vitality and immediacy of the artist’s hand seemingly spontaneous but deft creating pattern, texture, figures, animals and birds. The space changing with mood almost always with a rectangular composition. Every now and then a piece with only two figures their vitality filling the ‘blank’ space.
Starting with a muted warm colour covering the entire paper KG may have brushed in with black his main points of interest. Then coming in with one or two intense colours and cream over a larger area then back over again with texture pattern and then maybe small bird or two with several short brush strokes.
Sound simple? The show had such authority and seventy years of technical skill expressing, it seemed to me the changing of a loved ancient culture up to today through his life long knowledge and sensitivity. What a gift to us! I hope you will take this unique chance to go and enjoy.”
The show is on till Tuesday the 6th of September and can be viewed daily from 3-7pm. There will be a film screening of ‘Moving Focus – A Voyage with K. G. Subramanyan’ by Shaji M. Karun, on Sunday the 4th of September at 6pm.
TASMAI, a Centre for Art & Culture
11. Advocate Chinna Tambi Street
Between 2nd & 3rd Cross
Kuruchikuppam
Pondicherry 605012
Written for AVArtService by Audrey Wallace-Taylor after visiting the show at TASMAI – Recent Works 2015 by K G Subramanyan
See the work of Audrey Wallace-Taylor on artservice.auroville.org
