Gratifying the rich

K. Muralidharan’s mixed-media paintings Tales, Myth and Time currently on view at Galerie 88 are not surrealism as we know it. For surrealism nurtured a new breed of Western academic art in a distorted form in order to accommodate Marxian concepts with Freudian psychological insights to “shock the bourgeoisie”. Muralidharan’s paintings, however, aim at gratifying the ostentations of the nouveau rich. He helps them to fortify their feeling of happy childhood memories. His visual fantasia uses vivid elements of folklore, mythology and fairy-tales. There are also miniature paintings on paper of goddesses, whose breasts are like birds and who are armless and wingless, looking at the viewer with forlorn hope. However, the delineations are childlike and not without a certain charm.

Sandip Sarkar

Promoting tribal art

The Indian tribal art and cultural society, Madol, organised a workshop of dance at Rabindra Bharati University, Jorasanko campus, from February 27 to March 3. Founded by Krishna Shankar, a senior dancer, the organisation presented various programmes to promote tribal and rural art and culture of different states. Featuring different styles from North Bengal, the artistes and participants of the workshop brought out the festive mood with their joyous movements and enthusiastic presentation. Atithibaran painted the rituals of welcoming guests with colourful dance sequences, showcased by the Rava team of dancers. The five-day festival ended with a seminar and interactive session on the necessity of promoting folk and rural art.

Sharmila BasuThakur

Earthy and eloquent

Often there are surprise flashes in life that one would love to freeze in a wind cup. Frozen moments from five continents, essentially a collection of black and white photographs by Kumar Prasad Mukherji, was a similar experience. Mukherjee’s skill lies in his ability to express what he sees. His Spartan frames are as earthy as eloquent. Be it in Germany, Rome, Japan or America, the photographer’s works ? recently on display at Gaganendra Pradarshashala ? offer an insight into a country’s people and culture. While he softly unveils the fragile layers of a Japanese life, his frames of an American life are stout in contrast. Mukherjee handles light and shade in a pliant manner ? occasionally achieving an elusive depth ? and his spontaneous compositions impart a lucidity to his works.

Tirna Ray