Monday, September 7, 2015

'Re-Collections' on ClipBoard

Once upon a time there were clipboards in wood/hardboard with steel clips/holders...'it multi-tasked'...from being a simple writing pad to exam pad...from drawing pad and scribbling pad to list storing pad even...from holding scripts to all kinds of applications too! Remember???

When I deliberate on it...it was the time when we (some of us at least!) as kids used to dread it, at some point, as it was something connected to exam-nightmares (for me esp before Maths!)...associated to dreams and hopes...linking us to our future...bearing all the scars of our feelings and emotions...they held on to us as we held on to them!
Now-a-days, the link has been lost as we don't find them in any store any more! 
You really need to delve into a kind of treasure hunt for those inanimate wooden clipboards! (One does come across clipboards with assortment of colorful cartoons though but the feel of the raw wood, smooth finish for the paper and scarred behind and the broad metal clip with the maker's mark embossed on it at the top to hold the paper is something nostalgic.)

Having said that, I got to see those wooden clipboards transformed into delightful and magnificent 'beings' lined up on the wall of Gallery E of Durbar Hall, each proclaiming a tale of its own! Not one, not two, not even ten...but 101 of them...from different parts of India and abroad. The diversity it displayed is quite amazing; illustrations, abstracts, mixed media, digital prints, 3-D, laser cut, even sculpted and what not!

For Shijo Jacob (Lecturer at Raja Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts, Mavelikkara), Clipboard is synonymous with nostalgia. As the curator of the show he has been successful to a great extent to bring out that feeling of recollections, of aspirations, dreams and dilemmas, childhood desires, fantasies and fears from and through each participating artist. He sent out clipboards to 101 artists and each artist metamorphosed a mere clipboard into something unique and personal, gaining momentum to salvage a once lost and forgotten experience or the aforesaid feelings, emotions and thoughts, expressing them into an artifact...it has a greater relevance today since everything is fleeting and transient these days; 'Attachment and commitment' seems to have lost relevance. It is not only an extension of such thoughts that has come to life but one could even find exclusive digression like political innuendos too.

"Clipboard within the medium of discursive parameters of this exhibition is not just about the nostalgic past. It involves use and disuse of methods and materials; it speaks of fossilization of objects and events; it narrates the story of arrivals and departures of ideas; it creates a platform to negotiate the idea of disappearance in the days of globalization; it also speaks of a retrieval system as memory is one such mechanism we have to live upon. Clipboard is a support, a hold, an enthusiasm and a memory pad that does not have a self illuminating screen."

- Johny M L (Art Critic, Curator, Writer)

Clipboard-poster-HuesnShades
Clipboard Poster

I reached there at the nick of time...lamp lighting (Couldn't click the pictures though)! The hall was already beaming with artists and art enthusiasts.

Clipboard-Inauguration-HuesnShades
 At Gallery E, Durbar Hall, Kochi

Clipboard-Inauguration-HuesnShades
Artist-Curator Shijo Jacob lighting the lamp

Here's a glimpse of what I saw...you need to see this in person as they aren't doing real justice here!


Clipboard-GalleryE-HuesnShades

Clipboard-Exhibition-HuesnShades
Ajaya Kumar, Rakesh Puliyarakonam, George Martin, Pooja Iranna, Midhun Raj
Siji R Krishnan, Jayadeep R S, Priti Vadakkath, Sonali Laha, Sunil Sree

Clipboard-Exhibition-HuesnShades
Babitha Kadannappally, Benoy P J, Gireesh G V, Josh P S, Bhagyanath
Shajith R B, Tensing Joseph, S G Vasudev, Manmeet Devgun, Anu B S

Clipboard-Exhibition-HuesnShades
P K Manoj, Gigi Scaria, N N Rizmon, Remya Sandeep, Renji Viswanath
Surendran Karthyayan, Ashok Kumar Gopalan, Reji K P, Jayaram Poduval, Kattur Narayana Pillai

Clipboard-Exhibition-HuesnShades
Gopi Krishna, Antony Karal, Moutushi Chakraborty, Balakrishnan V P, Suresh Panicker
Shinod Akkaraparambil, Zakkir Hussain, P R Satheesh, Harilal Krishnan, Rinku Raj

Clipboard-Exhibition-HuesnShades
Vivek Vilasini, T V Santhosh, Vivan Sundaram. Nijina Neelambaram, T Kaladharan
K K Sasi, Ruchika Wason Singh, Ranjith Raman, Anoop Kamath, Roy Thomas

Clipboard-Exhibition-HuesnShades
Shijo Jacob (middle)

Clipboard-Exhibition-HuesnShades
Manoj Vyloor, Mimi Radhakrishnan, Murali Cheeroth, Dodsy Antony, Barnet Alex Varghese
Abhimanue V G, M T Jayalal, K S Radhakrishnan, K K Rajappan, Ritu Kamath

Clipboard-Exhibition-HuesnShades
Saju Mannathur, Tom J Vattakuzhi, Mukta Kamplikar, Azis T M, Biveesh B
Shanti Kasi, Margaret Lanzetta, A P Sunil, Moeen Fatma, Johny M L

Clipboard-Exhibition-HuesnShades
Binoy Varghese, Deepthi P Vasu, Prasad Kumar K S, Aby P Robin, Arun Kumar H G
Jyothilal T G, Anil Thambai, Merlin Moli, Pradeep Naik, Sabrina Osborne

Clipboard-Exhibition-HuesnShades
Sajeev Visweswaran, Uthara Remesh, Deepak John Mathew, Shine K, Aji Adoor
Anandakrishnan S K, K T Mathai, G Unnikrishnan, Pratul Dash, Santhosh K

Clipboard-Exhibition-HuesnShades
Sandeep Biswas, Rajeev Puliyoor, Manu Binny George, Ashik L, Babu Xavier
Aiswaryan K, Anindita Chakraborthy, Joseph Mathew, Shivani Aggarwal, Shilpa Mayenkar


In its entirety, Clipboard was a treat to watch.

Even the catalogue is awesome, it's a great keepsake! You can find the works of all 101 artists :)

Clipboard-Catalogu- HuesnShades
 Clipboard-Catalogue-HuesnShades


The first two pictures are from Clipboard FB page.




11 comments:

Ravish Mani said...

It's delightful as well as nostalgic. Thanks, Deepa, for this wonderful visual treat :)

Rajesh said...

That is beautiful.

Amit Agarwal said...

Great!

Pankaj kumar said...

Great!
बेहतर लाइफ डॉट कॉम

Indrani said...

These are all so fantastic! Incredible works of art!
Thank you for showing. :)

Mridula said...

I do remember using them. And it is such a unique collection! So beautiful.

Bella Sinclair said...

Amazing and inspiring works! I like how some artists also think outside of the box. And congratulations on the Blogadda nomination! I wish I had Facebook or Twitter so that I could vote. But I have friends that do! :) Congrats again. You deserve it! xoxo

aksharamala said...

Once up on a time,................. Nice start and good work. Keep it up.

Prasanna Dasari said...

Very clearly you portrayed the importance of the clip-boards Deepa :) And all the pictures are amazing. Nice post.

D.Nambiar said...

What a great and unique idea.
Thank you Deepa for this visual treat.

സ്‌കെച്ച്‌ ബുക്ക്‌ said...

Thank you Deepa