Saturday, July 25, 2009

VISIONS OF FREEDOM - Art Workshop for Grownups

(Scroll down for more workshops)


What does it mean to be Independent?

How many of us are really Free?

What is Indianness in Art?

Why are such annoying questions raised every year on 15th August, from school assemblies and boring talk shows to jingoistic films?

To show you why, this 15th August, we take you back in time to when such questions were earnest and vital, and led to some exciting answers. What’s more, we do it through Art. The Pomegranate Workshop presents ‘Visions of Freedom’, a 2-session presentation-cum-workshop that explores the emergence of National Consciousness in Indian art and the artistic engagement with Traditional Indian Art in pre-Independence India. The workshop will be conducted by Anupam Singh, a practicing contemporary artist with a Master’s Degree in Fine Art from MS University, Baroda.

Visions of Freedom will explore the nature of linearity and colour in Indian art traditions through a slide-show, examining various art forms and artists from Ajanta painting, medieval painting, folk and tribal art to modern Indian art movements such as the Bengal School, Shantiniketan School, Progressive Group. Artists discussed include Abanindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Benode Behari Mukherjee Jamini Roy, M. F. Hussain, J. Swaminathan, Jyoti Bhatt, K. G. Subramanyan, Neelima Sheikh, Gulam Mohammad Sheikh, Tyeb Mehta, among many others. This will be followed by a practical workshop which will involve the participants in developing their own compositions by discovering the aspects of linearity and colour/texture and exploring what freedom and independence means to each in relation to our contemporary society.

One of the important and defining characteristics of traditional Indian Art has been the emphasis on Linearity and Flat Colour, where the line defines the form, unlike the play of light and shadow and the three dimensionality that define western art traditions. Lines were used to distinguish spaces, define textures, and provide scope for subtle craftsmanship; while the use of flat colour conveyed the dense colour-soaked life of India.

At a time when western systems of education were introduced at all levels and in all fields across India, there arose a different kind of ‘Modern Art’. Artists who were a product of their time brought with them a kind of alternative Cultural Nationalism in the realm of the visual arts, creating awareness about blindly adopting to western models of art making. One of the prominent means of spreading this nationalism and this awareness was to look back at past traditions, an emphasis on the aspect of linearity, usage of flat colour and developing the composition via various textures, thus developing a dialogue that was both political and cultural in its implications for attitudes of nationalism in Indian Art.

The workshop is open to participants at all skill levels. If you’ve never held a paintbrush before, we have simple techniques that will enable expression for you. If you are an artist looking to explore further, then this workshop holds great promise. The idea is to delve into the works of the great artists and go back in time to understand another era and the tremendous art that came out of it.

About Anupam Singh: Anupam Singh is a visual artist, with several creative interests. He received his art education from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata (Bachelors in Visual Arts, 1997) and M.S. University, Baroda (Masters in Fine Arts, 1999) respectively. He has received fellowships which included an Artists Exchange Program to Amsterdam (Netherlands) and an Artists Residency at the Kanoria Centre for Arts, Ahmedabad. He has participated in several exhibitions, artists workshops and public art projects. He currently lives and works in Navi Mumbai.

Workshop Details

Dates: Sat 15th and Sun 16th Aug

Timing: 10am – 1pm, both days

Venue: PL Deshpande Academy,

Ravindra Natya Mandir,

Sayani Rd, Prabhadevi

(Behind Siddhivinayak Temple)

Course Fee: Rs. 1200/- inclusive of all materials

Contact: Priya Srinivasan – 9892210539

Akshat Nigam – 9833012484

Note: All Cheques to be made out to Pomegranate Eduworkshop Pvt. Ltd. Payments can be couriered to the office. In case of cash payments, the timings are 11 am – 4 pm, Monday – Saturday. Our address:

The Pomegranate Workshop,

14, Shantaram Nivas,

Gokhale Rd (North)

Dadar (West)

Mumbai – 400 028

(Just above the WHP Jewelers showroom near Portuguese Church)

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