Narendraraghunath

New Indian express

Of dots and lines


Jyothi Raghuram First Published : 10 May 2010 05:52:56 AM IST

Sculptor-painter-academicsoftware professional barely sums up the persona of Narendra Raghunath, whose maiden solo painting exhibition is on at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath.

Narendra’s exhibition evokes curiosity for several reasons.For one, it has no nomenclature.
None of the nine works have a caption either. Many times, while viewing abstract paintings, the captions limit the viewer’s interpretation of the work.In Narendra’s case, his presence gives the lead to each painting.
He briefly explains the concept of the work, and leaves one to mull over the imagery. And it is then that his paintings become representational, communicating at the visual and emotional level. And herein lies Narendra’s artistic skills.

Another unique aspect of his works is the idiom. The series uses only lines—vertical, horizontal and reclining, with not a single brush stroke to soften the effect. The starkness, despite the liberal use of bright hues including orange and yellow, derived through the sweep of wooden pieces, communicates as much as the lines, the theme being the urban lifescape, particularly its chaotic, stifling, and vertical growth.
“Mathematically, a point is very interesting because it has no dimensions. But when two dimension-less points are put together, it becomes a line with a form”, reasons Narendra, who is doing his post-graduation in Art Design and Communication at the Centre for Environment Planning and Technology University, Ahmedabad, on lines.

The lines and patches in the series of paintings connote the urban situation with its boundaries, barriers etc, while also trying to glean urban beauty.

The mid-size paintings, along with three large canvasses, capture the city skyline, its chaotic and cluttered life, and its literal night-time reflection, the white-red-black centrepiece riveting in its beauty of form, colour, and geometry.

Narendra is headed to Belgrade, Serbia, this July, to present his performance art installation at the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space.

Also on display at the same gallery is Surendran P Karthyayan paintings of predominantly blue and green in acrylic, synonymous not only with nature, but of Kerala, his native state.

The exhibition is on till May 15.