Day Four-Napowrimo-Embracing Couple

...today’s (optional) prompt. In her poem, “Living with a Painting,” Denise Levertov describes just that. And well, that’s a pretty universal experience, isn’t it? It’s the rare human structure – be it a bedroom, kitchen, dentist’s office, or classroom – that doesn’t have art on its walls, even if it’s only the photos on a calendar. Today, we’d like to challenge you to write your own poem about living with a piece of art.

Art by T K Padmini

Day Four-Napowrimo-Embracing Couple

 

In the late summer afternoon

When the languid air breathes fire,

I sweat under the Embracing Couple, basking

Under the blood moon and primary colours –

Their day was perhaps Red.

Entwined in a trance-like embrace oblivious to the world –

They feel like one rather than two bodies.

Their love seems to have stood the test of Time.

 

Padmini, you must have felt it in your bones—

Love or the lack of it to have conjured up the couple.

Your innermost realm seething and simmering

For something you constantly yearned for

Your canvas has those intentional solid strokes –

You breathe into it the darkness that enveloped you—

The tempering of your anguish.

You gazed beyond your age and times.

 

The painting, pulsating with love—a fragment

In the fabric of a larger story— akin to an elegy than a sonnet.

This is one of my favourite Padmini works and it hangs in the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi's Durbar Hall Art Gallery in Kochi. There's a dedicated section to Padmini's art housing her collection even her sketchbooks. Padmini passed away at 29 following complications after childbirth (her child didn't survive too), quite young leaving behind an incredible oeuvre ahead of her time. I always imagine what she would she would have achieved if she had lived on. Many more incredible paintings lost before they had the chance to be born. I dream of owning this someday, a part of Padmini's soul.

I am loving this year's NaPoWriMo theme...Ekphrasis. Each day I am looking forward to what's coming up. It's quite exciting and exhilarating maybe because it involves my my two loves - art and poems. 

Day Three-Napowrimo-Why I am not a Mind Reader?

Day Three - NaPoWriMo

And now for our (optional) prompt. The American poet Frank O’Hara was an art critic and friend to numerous painters and poets In New York City in the 1950s and 60s. His poems feature a breezy, funny, conversational style. His poem “Why I Am Not a Painter” is pretty characteristic, with actual dialogue and a playfully offhand tone. Following O’Hara, today we challenge you to write a poem that obliquely explains why you are a poet and not some other kind of artist – or, if you think of yourself as more of a musician or painter (or school bus driver or scuba diver or expert on medieval Maltese banking) – explain why you are that and not something else!

Here's my take:

AI vector art that I created with prompts on Adobe Illustrator

Why I am not a Mind Reader?

The brain is a complex character

What about the mind?!

Ask someone where the mind is—

Some point to the head, some place a hand on the chest.

Now, how do you read something

When you are unsure of even its location!

 

Besides— the kinds of people, People!

Lamenting in more ways than ever before

The mass hypnosis and the collective dirge

Sometimes envelops the air so much

That it spreads like wildlife catching up city after city,

Once, I even saw a lone palm aflame¹ in a desert!

 

Look into anyone’s eyes and you are bound to suffer—

Or even for that matter their palm, their foot, their belly²,

The whole body or their elaborate astral charts—

They reel you in and you are lost in the labyrinth forever!

Why go through all the trouble when you can stir a dream—

Sprinkling hues and shades, serving it in a metaphor of mindscapes—

Pour it onto the canvas or paper?

One just has to cook it up (somewhat like a mind reader?)

 

 

1.lone palm aflame – is an expression to suggest a haunted spirit creating chaos.

2.their palm, their foot, their belly – indicating palm reading, foot reading, and belly/naval reading

Day Two-Napowrimo-Woman Who Rode Away

Day 2 of NaPoWriMo

Write a poem that directly addresses someone, and that includes a made-up word, an odd/unusual simile, a statement of “fact,” and something that seems out of place in time (like a Sonny & Cher song in a poem about a Greek myth).

I decided to address Georgia O'Keeffee herself and write about her as she is one of my favourite artists.

Red Hills and Bones, 1941 by Georgia O'Keeffe
image:https://www.georgiaokeeffe.net/

Woman Who Rode Away

Look at you, Georgia

You turned a hermit

With those white walls and long halls

Those painted canvas and the framed window

You turned inwards and outwards, all at the same time.

 

How I envy you!

 

Picking the heat and the scattered skulls

You were more Zen than any person I can think of

The black door lending mystery and a frame

Providing a witchotization* of an intriguing backdrop

The long black box (1) adding a dash of humour.

 

The window overlooking the mountains

Frame within a frame, seeking you as you seek them

I can feel the longing you felt for the Red Hills in your bones,

Canna red and orange, the white birch in autumn, the pink tulips—

They grow in me as Blue and Green music.

 

Under the evening star, under the Starlight Night

You dream as a meteor shower painting into thin air

Conjuring forms from the nothingness of time and space

Holding the life force within like a time capsule ready to burst

From eons past and you stand here in the future.

 

And here I am, conjuring you.

*(witchy exotization)

(1)the long black box -  it is said that O'Keeffe chose the Casa for the black door which appears in several of her photographs behind which was nothing else but her storage space. People often thought of the black door as mysterious. She continued the theme of black in her studio space where she had a long black box that contained nothing but her art materials. There was no mystery there. I guess, she just had a sense of humour.

Winter Art Residency - A Milestone, First of its kind by the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi for State Award Winners

The Travel

On short notice, I grabbed all things essential most of which were art related, pack my big bag as I intend to spend some days after the residency with my parents and depart to the airport on the warm night of 1 Oct. I was travelling alone, this time from Sharjah to Thiruvananthapuram. It was unusually crowded at the Sharjah airport. Reaching Thiruvananthapuram in the wee hours, I wait for a prepaid taxi. Kilimanoor is 40 minutes from the airport I was told; travelling to this part for the first time. I was in contact with Babuettan from the Akademi who advised me on how to reach there as well as a few general matters to take care of. Babuettan and Shijith, both Kerala Lalithakala Akademi (KLA) staff, were there to welcome and make us comfortable. Abdulla and Biji Bhaskar, two other residents, had reached the night before. Shajith and Smitha, the husband-wife duo, arrived after I reached.

Inauguration

The residency was inaugurated by the esteemed artist, N N Rimzon, presided over by the Secretary of Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, N Balamuralikrishnan in the presence of Tom J Vattakuzhy – Executive member, KLA, T R Manoj – President, Kilimanoor Grama Panchayath, Kottara Mohan Kumar – Ward member and Latha Kurian Rajeev – General Council Member, KLA. A humble ceremony that took off with a workshop with children from the local school.

The highlight, for me, was the after-interaction we had with N N Rimzon, Tom Vattakuzhy and Latha Kurian Rajeev. It was a delight to hear their insights. N N Rimzon spoke at length about his travels, materials and memories, about national and international art, leading to a full-fledged conversation about European art and its imitation happening in Asia. Regional and aboriginal art, African art, Pop art, Bengal and Madras school, folk art and political art et al. continued in our conversations. Such engaging dialogues feed onto my senses.

Above: Esteemed artist N N Rimzon at the Inaugural address, Seated (L to R - Kottara Mohan Kumar, T R Manoj, N Balamuralikrishnan, Tom J Vattakuzhy, Latha Kurian Rajeev)
Below: an engaging conversation

Residency Space

The residency space is in the same compound of Raja Ravi Varma Gallery in Kilimanoor next to the RRV Boys School. The gallery is quite famous in the vicinity but one would be disappointed since it holds only prints of Raja Ravi Varma. If you are keen to see some originals, you need to travel to Sri Chithra Art Gallery, Thiruvananthapuram.

The high-ceiling, double-storied traditional space can house up to six artists on a twin-sharing basis on the upper floor. It has a common living space and a storeroom next to the bedrooms while kitchen, dining and caretaker’s space is on the lower floor. A beautiful structure amid trees and a rubber plantation behind which connects to the school ground. The premise also houses a stage and an amphitheater, which functions as gallery seating.  

Each room is cozily located with a pair of beds, side tables, tables, chairs and cabinets all in lovely Rubco dark wood. The ceiling is quite high and well-ventilated. The four-panelled window in the room opens into the rubber plantation. The air was quite breezy this time of the year; it was raining quite profusely some of the days! 

The only drawback, for now, is the lack of studio space. The Akademi mentioned that the facility would be opened soon.

Another major highlight was the scrumptious food they served every day with love. The Chief Chef, Aradhana with Aneesha, her assistant under the supervision of Mohanettan, took extra care to make delicious and fresh food at every mealtime. Meals matter!

Photo: KLA

The Residents

We were five artists from different domains.  R B Shajith and Smitha Shajith, the husband-wife duo as mentioned earlier, are artists from Kannur and Kollam respectively. Biji Bhaskar is from Muvattuppuzha, Abdulla from Thrissur, the youngest of our lot and yours truly from Palakkad/Dubai. Shajith – the measured-thinker, Smitha – peals of laughter, Biji – master of witty punch lines, Abdu – the over-thinker-laugh-instigator and I was probably the listener-observer!

We connected almost immediately. I had met Biji and Smitha earlier but they were only acquaintances until the residency. We entered into seamless conversations and discussions and our interactions were one of the cherished moments!

Now, I need to dwell on my fellow artists-residents a little longer. Each one of us is different in our practice, evidently. While I meander in mine as I mull over, reflect, watch, observe, and move at a slow pace, I saw another extreme at Shajit’s end. The rest of us looked at ‘his quarter’, jaw-dropped! He is a speed-painter and created the most works. His technique requires that pace for the abstraction he is adept at it. They are large-scale works intensely inviting into their rural scenarios; an environment he is familiar with, something that dwells around him or rather he dwells in it.

Biji is quite a detailer, his works otherworldly and his images have an earnest impact on the viewer. His colour palette is fascinating too, adding to its whimsical element. He draws inspiration from his immediate environment just like Shajit only to take on an unreal facet. He has a finesse that adds a dramatic quality to his strokes that comes from experience.

For Smitha Babu, theater is an integral part and that reflects in her works. Her themes imbue the sense of stage and the actors, the characters who inhabit the limelight and sometimes outside the limelight. Her palette is interesting too particularly the neon pink that brings light onto her canvas. Women abound in her world as well. One of the jolly lots, her laugh is infectious!

Abdulla a.k.a Abdu, our sweet brother is a non-conformer as his age demands – a Gen Z. Questions abound which resulted in both of us having some of the most interesting conversations. I wish I had a Dictaphone! That would have made amusingly candid episodes all by itself. Abdu’s mode of work is in phases – an outburst of spurring creativity and a space of linear-ticking thoughts. Questions like Who am I? Why am I? What is art? Why is art? thrive. A genius with materials, his works reflect their nuances just as his thoughts. Be it rust inking his paper, oil on his rusted metal plates or his digital collages. The only glitch is the persistent doubt he carries.

As for me, the feminine psyche and its attributes grip me. I tend to address them as "mindscapes"; an introspection into the emotional and psychological states. They deal with feminine states of being in one with the environment, reflective and surrealistic along with their internal and external struggles. Myths, dreams, visions, and people add to my interest.

Above: R B Shajith, Smitha Shajith, Deepa Gopal, Biji Bhaskar, Abdulla P A

Residency

The residency was for the duration of one month from 02 Oct to 02 Nov 2022.

Speaking about the highlights of this residency, we had complete liberty be it regarding the theme, the number of works or anything else; we were on our own. Personally speaking, this freedom gave us time for introspection, reflection, research and experimentation with subjects. I tried a couple of subject matters that had been on my mind for some time. Larger part of my works were small studies.

Remarkable supplements during the residency were the morning/evening walks we took. Each night after dinner, we played an art documentary, an Oscar-winning foreign language film, a Chaplin movie, and a couple of times some no-brainer for comic relief. We all shared a collective consciousness at this point and that was something that awed as well as humbled and linked us.

The silent Squad

Shijith, the overseer from the Akademi, was with us for two weeks ready to help us with whatever we needed. He used to sketch, watch movies and documentaries with us. Babuettan was extremely helpful in every aspect.

Mohanettan was one of the prominent persons in this residency. His promptness, organization and care to detail were vivid. A father-figure, he made sure that everything was done on time and that probably was one of the reasons for the smooth functioning of matters. He also cooked for us in between and his cuisine is delish! Aradhanachechi, the chief chef, I have to reinforce is an excellent cook. Mahesh spoke sparsely but functioned efficiently with materials and matters, always around to help.

The securities, Shareef and Kurupchettan, were people to remember too. The fun, the frolic, and the warmth each one of them spread helped us in our stay making it cozy and comfortable. They are the silent squad who are vital for a project to work efficiently. The people around the residency space too, have so much love, affection, warmth, and care to provide.

L to R - Kurupchettan, Mohanettan, Abdulla P A, Deepa Gopal, Smitha Shajith, Biji Bhaskar, R B Shajith, Mahesh, Aneesha, Aradhana

Above: L to R (foreground): N Balamuraliktishnan, Tom J Vattakuzhy, Latha Kurian Rajeev, N N Rimzon, Babumon
Below: Shijith, R B Shajith, Biji Bhaskar, Sri Biju Raja Varma, Abdulla, Deepa Gopal, Smitha Shajith

Submission

As promised, we all contributed a work of ours to the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi at the end of our residency. Along with that work, we also submitted most of our works as requested by the Akademi awaiting an exhibition as mentioned. Hopefully, we will all be getting an opportunity to meet soon.

Gratitude

One of the pillars of this residency, obviously, is the Chairman, Sri Murali Cheeroth, who made it happen with the Secretary, Sri Balamuralikrishnan, and their entire team. To host such a residency is no small accomplishment. To offer a dedicated space to artists from different parts of Kerala, regional artists, to bring them together, spur interaction, and bring forth works is something extremely essential to the creative climate of any region. Such initiatives are necessary for not only the growth of the artists but also for the creative community as a whole. It sends the message that art and artists are fundamental and our contributions are valued in society. It is the embrace that each artist awaits in his/her/their career. I wish and hope that many more artists receive such opportunities to help achieve their path and make way for their aspirations.

Deepa Gopal, Aji V N, Smitha Shajith, Abdulla P A, Biji Bhaskar, R B Shajith

Last but not the least; I would also like to thank the renowned artist, Aji V N, who spent a day with us. Aji put forward a slide presentation of all his major works explaining in detail his thoughts, travels, reads, colour palette, framing, et al. It was illuminating and enriched us.

Thank you Kerala Lalithakala Akademi!