Colours
of the consumed
By Randima Attygalle
A basket of goods with a 'broiler chicken', a plate
of Koththu and a teenage boy with the latest hair-do. How do we
relate these to artistic expression?
Vajira
Gunawardena- a young graduate in Fine Arts from the Institute of
Aesthetic Studies, University of Kelaniya and an artist who has
exhibited at the George Keyt Foundation's shows and national arts
festivals organized by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs seems to
have brought in a consumer focus to his second solo exhibition titled,
‘My Recent Paintings’ now being held at the Paradise
Road Gallery.
His
paintings are on the theme of the 'consumer being entangled in the
web of goods in the market and their illusions'.
"Through
the exploration of this unusual theme, I wanted to depict how all
of us in this consumer world have become pawns of the market and
the media, so much so our values, hopes and desires are shaped by
them," says Vajira.
Vajira
has employed eye-catching colours on canvas with spray paint and
lacquer to present two novel modes in paintings.
"In
the market, we see lots of colourful objects which appeal to the
eye, almost lure us and I wanted to capture them in my work,"
he explains. His work titled Sublime Object, a vibrant mix of orange,
aquamarine and red depicts a television, a three-wheeler and a chicken.
"In this painting, I want to illustrate how the market culture
has made us machines, how we take media propaganda as the gospel
truth and when we can't afford all the products advertised, there's
natural frustration," explained Vajira.
Koththu,
a typical symbol of our fast-moving world, where both husband and
wife are breadwinners, and a home-cooked meal is a luxury, seem
to be an ideal title for Vajira's work on canvas where red predominates.
There's
minimum emphasis on 'scaling' or proportion in Vajira's work. “I
have purposely done away with scaling or proportions in my work
to highlight this marketable theme- that we have become part and
parcel of various objects in the market like televisions, computers
which are supposed to expedite our routine work and entertain us
but which in fact, make us lose our humanity,” says Vajira
whose painting Watching T.V portrays a man before a T.V- both man
and T.V of the same proportion.
He
also believes in fusion of what is so called 'low art' and high
art. 'Graffiti art' which is considered 'low art' and a pictogram
of sub-cultures that has emerged with the concept of urbanization
has found its way to Vajira's work. " Graffiti art is commonly
found on walls and in subways in cities like New York and London
and it's a medium of expressing the inner most passions and frustrations
of people, especially the youth," says Vajira who is an advocate
of the 'beauty of variety'. "I personally don't see art in
compartments such as 'high' and 'low'. There's something special
to extract from any work of art- no matter if it's a canvas in a
gallery or a work of spray paint or graffiti."
Vajira
invites the art lover to enter into a 'dialogue'. " We cannot
be cocooned in a small world of our own, but have to move with current
trends which is also evident in my style of experimental art. All
of us are becoming slaves of this fast moving materialistic world,
and we can become the master only if we mark the boundary between
the world of goods and human values. Then we can reap the best of
both without going to extremes," he says. Vajira's exhibition
is on till March 18 from 10 a.m. to midnight daily.
Abstract
inspirations
'Inspirations in the "Evening Light', an exhibition of modern
abstract art by Pakistani artist Rauf Ahmed Mugal, is on display
until March 12 at Plâté Gallery, 580 Galle Road, Colombo
3.
Rauf
has derived his inspiration from his everyday surroundings. This
is his second solo exhibition in Sri Lanka, the first being at the
National Art Gallery in 1997, where his paintings of local birds
were all sold out. Rauf will be at Plate Gallery for the next 3
months to display his work, to paint local history and to do "live-
sketches".
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