ART ALIVE GALLERY PRESENTS A SOLO SHOW BY ANJANEYULU G ON TILL 20 FEBRUARY, 2021
Focusing on objects of everyday use, commonly found in small towns and villages, the artist uses hyper-realism to capture the essence of the mundane and give them an iconic status. The artist isolates the objects in his works that are often placed against a flat wall with a sharp shadow that adjoins it, adding depth to his paintings. In this show, captured in great detail and with precision are simple objects, a tape recorder, an onion basket, tea kettles and more which are perceived independently of their surroundings. The artist creates a sense of timelessness around the objects that are associated with his memories that tie him to his roots.
The artist’s technique places the objects in this collection in isolation; they belong to not only to the artist, but also to the viewer. This alienation allows the viewer to experience the objects in their own right, associating their own memories with each. While a tea kettle takes the artist back to his youth, the lantern identifies with the reminiscence of adolescence past. Anjaneyulu guides us, through his nostalgia, to our own memories, lost in the layers of time, lost in our archive, in our own Museum of Memories.
LANTERN
Lanterns were for hanging from long hooks dangling from the ceiling. Somehow most of them would be in blue, blue-green or plain green. Lanterns and the saga of great men who read under their dim lights and reached great heights was the stuff of school lesson legends. The warm soft glow of these lamps and lanterns is something I miss while I have to shade my eyes from the painfully bright cold blue lights from the fluorescent lamps and the cold impersonal glare of cold blue LEDs. All in all, I enjoyed the struggle involved in locating a lantern that just suited my purpose and was interesting to execute.
TAPE RECORDER
The profound impact of music on my mind gave birth to the artist in me many a times. Music is infact everything to me- my refuge, my muse, my inspiration & what not. The classic Cassette player & Tape recorder changed the way the world saw music. In a way, cassette players revolutionized music like no other bringing it close to common people of all spheres. I’ve always wanted paint this beautiful memory of mine & it just happened for my undying love of music. Therefore, I chose to expose the crude, real form of it as well in one half of my painting.
TEA KETTLE
Ever since I got into college & started painting, around 2:00 to 3:00am, I used to walk to the nearest tea stall to have some tea. It seemed like a perfect end to a long day. It was there that I saw this vessel in which the tea vendor used to prepare piping hot tea. I’ve always wanted to reproduce that rustic flavour associated with the tea vessel since long on the canvas & it has finally happened now. The hustle & bustle of the tea stall, the tantalizing aroma have all etched a perfect memory on my mind for me to work upon.
THUMMA KAMPA
This specie is known as ‘Thumma’ in Telugu. (For those botanically inclined it is from the genus Prosopis).The thorns growing to a length of an inch and a half, bleach to a brilliant ash white as they dry. They are sharp, painful and you hope you never step on one. For those of us who never knew footwear, these were thorns that you instinctively looked out for. Never ever step on them. But we were adventurous and we were not afraid of its sting. They used to form the axle of our pinwheels made out of old newspapers and old school note books. . I spent a considerable amount of time going around the vanishing rural areas until I found a branch that seemed almost right. That almost nailed it and I found this seemingly simple subject a very interesting and fairly tough subject to capture on canvas.
Through an exploration of Anjaneyulu’s personal memories and intellect, we attempt to dive deep into the myriad stories that are told by each of his objects, creating an archive of stories and diverse experiences.
The physical show is exhibited at Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi open to viewing by public. Visits by appointment only with all necessary precautions followed.
https://www.artalivegallery.com/
https://www.instagram.com/artalivegallery/
https://www.instagram.com/anjaneyulu_studio/
