Sunday, June 17, 2012

The Magic Realism of Punjab

The stunning mural creations of Orijit Sen and his 13 collaborators at the Virasat-e-Khalsa multimedia museum in Anandpur Sahib, Punjab. This electric work done over 3 years takes the visitor through sights and insights of Punjabi life today, with sudden whiffs of the legends and stories that Punjabiyat is so soaked in. So one can see the alcohol shop right next to the chemist's as anyone who has experienced the alcoholism in Punjab will tell you and then there's a Heer Ranjha dreamscape. 
 What is truly unique is that it is done in a style which revives the best of miniature painting traditions that undivided Punjab was once known for. What takes it one ravishing step further is when the play of light and specially sung folk tunes of Punjab give the visitor a live commentary of the parallel lives and times of the Punjab. Past and present rub shoulders like buddies who know each other affectionately. Yes, the gurus and the pirs are never far from the open hearted spaces of a people who live very much in the now. Punjab has always been a historical conveyor belt caught between love and war, so fast flowing canals are etched in a way that have to intersect with power lines. 

 5000 people have been coming to see this free entry - museum daily since it opened in November 2011. Designed by Boston-based architect Moshe Safdie, twin buildings tower over the landscape — one topped by five crescents. The other by five petals. Together, representing the 10 Sikh Gurus. Orijit's work is part of a larger narrative that takes the viewer through every significant bullet point in Sikh history or virasat-e-khalsa. Photos by SHAILAN PARKER and text by Tisha Srivastav.



Famous paintings


sail - created by RickyRuckus

John William Waterhouse is a famous English Pre-Raphaelite painter of the 19th and 20th century. Waterhouse paintings are loved today by art fans who enjoy the mythological ..



Famous paintings mashed up with cartoon characters 

Monday, June 11, 2012

Sunday, June 10, 2012

The WALL Project

Art has always been an intrinsic part of India’s heritage, whether in galleries or on temple walls. But The WALL Project dreamed of taking art out of the galleries and into the public sphere; they saw public spaces, used by all classes of people as common ground, as the perfect place to start. Collaborating with students of Fine Arts, members of the community, even the BMC, they began the initiative to add colour, form and texture to their spaces.
  They began in Bandra, with its lanes, bridges, parks and houses. Tulsi Pipe road, ‘The Great Wall of Mumbai’ was their big project, bringing together 400 people of all ages and artistic ability. They found community supportive, energetic and enthusiastic – people of different backgrounds came together on one platform to brighten their city’s walls. 
 Bringing their own paints, brushes, buckets and tools, they were empowered to share the best of themselves. Creating public art in public spaces, “Colour to soothe your eyes and form to tease your mind and make you smile. It is a conversation with all who pass by.” Yahoo! was in conversation with members SHAZEB SHAIKH and NIYATI UPADHYA who’ve enjoyed watching the Project grow from humble roots in 2007-2008 to a movement that has taken on a life of its own.
  It’s now visibly active across 7 major states, and is mapped as a living museum of contemporary urban culture in the Lonely Planet guides to India. The WALL Project is now setting its sights on bigger things, hoping to create murals and other forms of public art into city landmarks. It’s clear there’s a new a new kid on the block in the archives of Indian heritage, and it’s on your city’s walls. Enjoy it, share it, be part of creating it.