Harvesting old memories

Harvest 2011, the contemporary art festival, apart from paying homage to MF Husain, promises to tempt the Human inside you to introspect and achieve a greater cause

Harvesting old memories

Harvest 2011, the contemporary art festival, apart from paying homage tou00a0MF Husain, promises to tempt the Human inside you to introspect and achieve a greater cause

Exactly two months after the art world grieves the loss of the legendary yet controversial painter MF Husain, Harvest 2011 art exhibition brings his memories alive. But it is different this time. Harvest, now in its 11th year of bringing artists from all over the country under one roof, has 75 painters inspired, endorsed or coming from his peer group showcasing their creations.

"For us he was a very special artist as he participated in our exhibition and at least one of his works were always showcased in our previous exhibitions," reminisces Payal Kapoor, Director of Arushi Art Gallery which is holding the art exhibition. "This year we have focused on the themes closer to him including Benaras and animals like tiger," she says. "This time we have his Four Seasons, a work of his horse series and a woman and bull on show. For us, it is a concretisation of not only his exquisite brush work, powerful lines and profound sense of colour, but also of his facility with the narrative, his portrayal of the inspiration he drew from the animal form which he later became famous for," mentions Suneet Chopra, art critic.

Akbar Padamsee, Paritosh Sen, Anjolie Ela Menon, Krishen Khanna, KS Kulkarni, Seema Kohli, Manu Parekh, Paresh Maity, Sanjay Bhattacharya, Neeraj Goswami, Jayashri Burman are among others artists participating in the colourful fiesta.

Sanjay Bhattacharya has been a part of Harvest ever since it was conceptualised. His three-feet long painting, on two canvases joined together, tries to captures the serenity of Benaras and closeness to Shiva which one feels at its ghats. "The canvas has been joined on purpose, to pass through a big vessel kept at the centre of the painting to arouse a feeling of partial fulfillment.u00a0 A human being is always on a quest to achieve satisfaction but the thirst never quenches completely. No matter how close we feel we are to God, there is always a scope to be more giving and forgiving."

The society, however, was not very forgiving when it came to criticising Husain's painting. "People have a right to criticise an artist's work if they don't like it, but protests should be peaceful. Political elements have turned violent in the past to protest Husain's work, which is wrong," Sanjay adds.

Seema Kohli, another artist showcasing her work titled Reflection at Harvest, has centred her attention around Krishna on a mix medium canvas. "For me, Krishna is a celebration, just like harvest is done to celebrate a change of season. In my strokes, Krishna sees Radha in his reflection. His body, covered with eyes, symbolises awareness of the world around him," she says.

And for all the art
lovers, seeing an interplay of colours, lines and textures under a singular canopy is a celebration by every means. So hit the art gallery and see how the modern and contemporary art in our country is coping up in an era post-Husain.

At: Arushi Arts, The Gallery Mall, 13 M.G. Road
On till: September 10
Timings: 4 pm to 9 pm
Ring: 46107251