‘Art is a silent language which needs to be preserved’- RP Bhattacharya
Port Blair, Sept. 23: An art is a silent language which evolved much before language itself. It has been a medium of communication among the people. Over the years, art has been restricted to people’s drawing rooms or confined to exhibitions, where the artists struggle to get audience to understand their expressions.
There has been a big void between art and common man. People either do not understand the art forms or have been too busy in their lives to give a thought to it. In the islands, where people from different states and walks of life have settled over the years, their struggle to earn their livelihood has never given them much space to witness and appreciate expressions in the form of dance, music, paintings and sketches.
The Kala Kendra Society under the Department of Art & Culture and led by its Secretary, Smti Neha Bansal, IAS is on a war footing to hunt and promote the local talents by providing them a platform. The Society has been conducting various programmes to encourage participation of people, may it be quiz, music or art. The latest among the long list of activities of the Kala Kendra is the Artists Camp which was inaugurated on 9th Sept 2018 and will continue till 25th Sept. 2018. As many as 14 artists from the islands are participating in the camp, which also has provided them an opportunity to interact and learn from each other in order to improve their art. The camp is a rare chance for the common islanders too, to witness the shaping of an art. All the 14 artists have been shaping their art in different themes with acrylic base. Here is what few of the artists had to say when Andaman Chronicle interacted with them at Andaman Club.
Ram Prasad Bhattacharya, an artist who has retired from Govt. service explained, “Workshop or camp is a place where people can witness shaping of an art unlike observing the finished product in an exhibition. It also helps the artists interact with fellow artists and at the same time improve on self. It definitely helps in rectifying mistakes if any.
“Art world today has distanced itself from the common man. Art is now restricted to exhibition halls unlike earlier days when art remained amidst the common man. A common man today does not understand the expression in a painting because of this distance that has been created”.
Bhattacharya expressed, “Art has evolved since primitive period, much before even language was developed. It’s a silent language and needs to be preserved”.
“Here in the islands, there are little opportunities for people to see art to understand and appreciate them unlike mainland India. Such camps should be a regular exercise, to ensure connectivity is not disrupted. Else this initiative of Kala Kendra will gradually fade away”, Bhattacharya adds.
Dr. Neelakantam, an artist participating in the camp explained that this is the second time such a camp is being organized in the islands. Earlier Lalit Kala Kendra, Kolkata had conducted a camp in the islands.
“Such camps are of immense benefit to the local artists who get a chance to get-together on a single platform and interact with each other, while trying to understand their own merits and demerits, thus helping them improve on their skills”.
“I’m working on contemporary painting on Fantacy as a subject. I’ve been doing it since past 27 years and had started painting as a student”, Neelakantam explains.
Neelakantam feels that such camps should be organized atleast twice in a year for the benefit of local artists.
Ali Akbar, another artist participating in the camp explained how he had entered into the world of painting. He said, “We had contested in a competitive exam to join the course in mainland. It was out of our own interest”.
“There is much improvement in promotion of art & culture in the islands with Kala Kendra Society stepping in. This camp, is a chance to get-together with fellow artists and also understand the artists and their art, unlike an exhibition”.
Ali Akbar observed that such a camp is being conducted after a long time and said that for such initiatives to succeed, there should be good coordination among various departments of the A&N Administration. Such camps are required to promote local talents and encourage them.
Akbar is working on acrylic on canvas wherein he is attempting to project the natural beauty of the Islands. Oil and acrylic are two base mediums. Pen & Ink, Water colour are some of the other mediums, the artists use, explained Akbar.
“Every artist has a favourite medium though they are capable enough to work on any medium”, he said.
Akbar feels that there is also a need to help the local artists participate in such workshops conducted across the country from time to time. If the department works on these lines by providing a bigger platform, it will be more beneficial for the local artists. It can be organized atleast once in two years. The Administration should have a tie-up with mainland institutions, wherein we are able to showcase our exhibits”, Akbar adds.
Parmeshwar Rao also an artist participating in the camp while speaking to Andaman Chronicle said, “It’s been a while now since we had participated in an art exhibition. The last we attended was Bengaluru. We had participated out of our own interests and funding”.
“Though the Education Department had conducted such camps earlier but the initiative of Kala Kendra is a great opportunity for local talents to express themselves. If artists are not given such platform to perform, it becomes demoralizing over a period of time”.
“Art is not well known and recognized in the islands because the scope to gain knowledge is very limited. Regular exhibitions and camps like this will not only encourage people to become aware of art and its different forms but will also help artists update themselves”, Rao opined.
While the artists had so much to express, Andaman Chronicle took a chance to interact with the Secretary Art & Culture, Smti Neha Bansal, who is the force behind all such initiatives to promote art & culture in the islands.
Bansal said, “The month of September 2018 has been dedicated to fine arts and literature. It began with a solo fine arts exhibition by Dhruv Nath Singh”.
“The Artists Camp is basically meant to give visual expression to the artists of these islands. It’s about seeing the islands from different perspective… see the enthralling beauty and the myriad hues of the land and its people.
“During the Artists Camp, Kala Kendra has also been featuring documentaries on artists and the art movements”.
“This month Kala Kendra has also gone out of Port Blair to entertain the awesome people of Diglipur with dance and music. The next mega events to come up include, ‘All India Writers Meet’ with book cum exhibition in association with Sahitya Academy. The meet is scheduled to be held on 28th and 29th September 2018. Another mega event in the pipeline is Gandhi Smaran from 2nd to 4th October 2018, which will be held in association with Sangeet Natak Akademi.
The initiative by Kala Kendra Society to promote local talents by providing them a platform to perform has been receiving much appreciation from across the Islands. Kala Kendra has also provided an opportunity for the islanders to come forward, witness art and its forms, understand and appreciate them.
With the ambitious Neha Bansal leading the Society, it can be hoped that Kala Kendra will prepare a list of calendar activities to be conducted throughout the year. This will not only help promote local talents, both known and hidden but will ensure that the ball is kept rolling in future.