19 August,2015 08:46 AM IST | | Krutika Behrawala
Portraying a lion as an explorer and a monkey as the king among other cartoons and figures, Bangalore-born multi-disciplinary artist, Raghava KK, has swapped conventional roles to tell a story of evolution and the shift of power, albeit with humour
As sure as the prehistoric fish grew legs, acrylic on canvas
What: Portraying a lion as an explorer and a monkey as the king among other cartoons and figures, Bangalore-born multi-disciplinary artist, Raghava KK, has swapped conventional roles to tell a story of evolution and the shift of power, albeit with humour. Presented by Art Musings and titled Ridiculous Copycats, the art exhibition, starting today, will showcase 12 acrylic paintings on canvas, along with a few watercolours on paper.
As sure as the prehistoric fish grew legs, acrylic on canvas
Waiting for a tailor to fit you with a straight jacket, acrylic on canvas
A lot to get done on a Tuesday, acrylic on canvas
"I have created a comic book-style narrative that starts out simple and builds in complexity that mirrors society's increasing diversity. This series explores the way that power shifts from the individual to society and back again in a continuous swing. I re-visit historic scenes, while telling the story of errors in replication (simple and then, more complex) that end up allowing one species to dominate not just one world, but other worlds too. It tells the story of conflict due to diversity, where conflict is essential for progress," he elaborates.
Maybe that was just me, acrylic on canvas
The real vandals are the restorers, acrylic on canvas
A history of weather, acrylic on canvas
How: All the exhibits are hand-painted and it took around three years to accomplish this work. "The first stage is to hand-draw all of the characters. The second stage is to use the computer to assemble them. In this stage, it is not about the importance of any individual element or character, but about the elements of vision - balance, stress, levelling, sharpening, attraction, and grouping - needed to compose the artwork. It is impossible to explore all possible combinations of these elements by hand, so I use technology. Later, I manifest them as a traditional acrylic painting," he sums up.
Another knot in the string of time, a good three minutes ahead of me, acrylic on canvas
Fixed forever in the stars, the air, the earth, acrylic on canvas
Take a poem and hold it up to the light, acrylic on canvas
Where: Till: August 24
At: Jehangir Art Gallery, MG Road, Kala Ghoda.
From: August 25 to September 20
At: Art Musings, 1 Admiralty Building, Colaba Cross Lane.
