When I decided to take art as my vocation, there were all-round familial objections,” reminisces 73-year old, Delhi-based artist. “This was in the 1950s. Those days art meant painting banners and billboards, or taking up lowly paid teaching job in a government school… My father objected to my decision very strongly. After all, I had already finished my degree in Economics, and landed up in decent job in a well-known company in Chennai. For what earthly reason should a young man with bright future give up a promising career and take up the brush? But once I had decided there was no going back.”
Even while working, K Damodaran would often visit the beach and make numerous sketches. He would take his work to K C S Panniker, a celebrated artist and Head of the Madras College of Arts for comments and advice. Looking at the young artist’s passion for art, Panniker not only encouraged him but also enticed him to join the art course in the college. To substantiate his provocation, Panniker would tell his own experience as an insurance agent before jumping into the art world – and making a successful career of it! Thanks to his encouragement and support, Damodaran quit his job and joined the college. But college was not a bed of roses. He had to financially support himself for which he took a variety of odd jobs. Only after four years did he get the scholarship which eased his difficulties to a large extent.
While he excelled as an art student, Damodaran also nursed serious interest in many other areas. “Literature, philosophy and political study had been my favourite pursuits since my young days. While in college, we would get magazines like Life, Time, Punch and several others from London for the library. I would even skip classes to get hold of them and read them with great interest and attention.”
His interest in music – whether Indian classical or Western – has also been sustained to this day. “When I listen to the masters, I find so much joy and dedication in their compositions. This applies to many visual art and artists as well – be it Picasso, van Gogh, Paul Klee or Kandinsky. My work is a sum total of my own personal experiences and these unforgettable influences. That is why I have never stuck to one style or technique but am always trying to evolve. I was known for my drawings and figurative work in the beginning of my career. Now they have become abstract. I have not consciously changed but things have evolved on their own. Even after spending nearly 50 years in this field, when I stand in front of an empty canvas, I feel humble.”
Damodaran has held more than 25 solo exhibitions in important cities of the country besides participating in many group shows. Outside India, his works have been shown in Tokyo, Ljublijana (Yugoslavia), Algeria, Mexico, Germany, USA, and Korea. Winner of Delhi Sahitya Kala Parishad Award (1981), Madras State Lalit Kala Akademi Award (1964/1966), National LKA Award (1988), Hyderabad Art Society Award (1989), among others, Damodaran is well-known and regarded in the art world.
A socially conscious artist, Damodaran’s paintings bring out the joy of nature. Bright and subtle colours swamp his canvases which bear authentic strokes of a knife or paint brush. One observes many lyrical twists and intricate patterns in his work which seem to harmonise an external landscape with an internal rhythm.
While some critics perceive swift moving vitality in his compositions, others have applauded the integration of pictorial space, depth and delineation as well as subtle symbolism. “Damodaran is a well-informed, sensitive artist who is deeply attached to the Kerala landscape, to his cherished memories,” writes art critic, R S Yadav. “He transforms nature into a happy memory, a dream world that is ready to live for ever with you in that state. His colours are expressive and have the energy of sober thoughts.”
Frank views
While Damodaran had unadulterated admiration and reverence to his guru, he also had his differences with him. “I was not enthused by Pannicker’s concept of creating an artist’s village. I always believed that the artist is a part of society and should live in the midst of people. I did not support Cholamandalam artist’s village which was to be located away from the city and where artists could work in isolation. I was branded as a rebel for my frank views and attitude.”
Damodaran also bemoans the widespread double standards and hypocrisy in today’s art world. “I find that many artsists have sold themselves to the market and made their art a commodity. They want to churn out things which will satisfy the buyer and not necessarily their own internal compulsions and creativity. To achieve financial success, they manipulate the market, auctions and cheat themselves in the process. They even manipulate the media, which is largely uneducated and gullible, by issuing clever but hollow statements and prescriptions.”
But isn’t financial wellbeing not important to an artist? “I agree one needs money for sustenance, to buy good material and lead a comfortable life. But in order to achieve that one should not sacrifice one’s ethical and creative values. Instant gratification should not be an artist’s sole driving force. We should also remember that success in market is often transitory. If you are genuine, it will show in your work; that work does not need validation from others – be it the buyer, collector or media. After all, when Beethoven or Mozart composed their wonderful scores, whom were they trying to please but themselves?”
