Hearts for the sake of art

Four friends, all proud alumni of CAVA have joined hands to found Mysore Art Centre. The centre has the sole aim of providing a perfect platform for artistes to exhibit their creations and also build a denizen of art lovers, writes Sreekantswamy B.

Art is where the heart is. This holds  true, when four friends, all alumni of Chamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts (CAVA) in the city, have come together for the sake of art.

Mahesh, Vijay C S, Vinay H S and Raviraj M D have jointly founded- Mysore Art Centre. An exhibition of paintings and sculptures had been organised recently, as a prelude to many such expos planned by the centre in the coming days.

A spacious hall on New Kantaraja Urs road had been converted into the gallery. It was the same place, which was a workshop for years for renowned artiste H S Harsha. It was also the place, where four friends began to assist Harsha.

Thus sprouted the idea of founding the centre, given the potential the city of Mysore has, and the artistes in need of a perfect place to take their creations to the world.

Mahesh told City Herald; when we decided to move out of the workshop, came a thought of bidding a perfect adieu. So, the exhibition. The three day exhibition was organised from May 19.

Four different paintings of Harsha- vigilants on their way to surrender, hunter with severed heads of different animals including human beings, a distraught man with thumb impressions and a woman farmer sowing ‘blood’! after selling her cattle.

The first painting here depicts the obstacle in the form of crocodile in the path of vigilants planning to give up arms. While the second aptly describes the man’s greed for hunting, destroying wildlife.

The third is what the agrarian society in large is hit by- farmers selling their fertile rich lands for want of money and left with no piece of land to till. The fourth- the farmers again selling their once loved livestock for the lack of fodder and also inadequate facilities to continue with the grazing of herds.

While the red is commonly known colour to portray blood, the artiste here used magenta colour. It’s left to the artistic minds of the visitors to understand what exactly it conveys.

Rangayana artiste Dwarkanath’s painting is a recreation of life today both in urban and rural parts. Another from the same artiste, is a reflection of Sanjeevini Park on Kamakshi Hospital road.

Mirror image of a man holding a crystal clear ball in his hand- both in the dark and light, by another artiste stands out.

A dining table has been recreated with a difference. The eatables here are not of real, but a terracota creation- from plates to food, cups to others. In the category of sculptures, a blackstone has been carved to the shape of an autorickshaw with school bags hanging on either sides.

Says Mahesh: that’s what’s happening outside, with most autorickshaws ferrying school children. Another is that of elephant with its body covered by leaves.  Ask for a meaning- Mahesh says, there is no such binding on the artiste’s imagination that his or her product should have a theme.

Apart from hosting shows, the centre also runs a school in J P Nagar. Unlike others, it is a school with a difference with no age group for the students to seek entry here. Passion for art is the only prerequisite education and the foursome turn tutors for them. The school now has four students, and is nearing its first anniversary.