JOIN USSize does not matter
But for those of us who are on the fence about whether one should applaud a finely detailed yet small format work, or marvel at art which intimidates by its sheer size, two art shows in Delhi are all set to break the conventional notion of size and medium in a work of art.
Presented by Anant Art Gallery, a semi-retrospective of watercolours titled ‘Between Heaven & Earth’ by the late Bireswar Sen from February 19 showcases paper works in 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches. Interestingly, his art captures the grandeur of nature which would, in less capable hands, transfer itself onto a much larger canvas but Sen chose to paint his landscapes — majestic mountains, lowering skies, sweeping vistas, tangled forests — on a small, almost minuscule a scale.
Says Prof B N Goswamy, curator of the show: “It is possible that part of the reason behind his choice of this scale was that the technique he had come to favour over the years — a variation of the ‘wash’ technique of Abanindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, and others — imposed its own limitations. It is also possible that he wanted his own work to bear a different look than that of German artist Nicholas Roerich, whose themes were not dissimilar and with whom he shared so many other affinities.
“He might even have been challenging himself in the process while asking the question: Is it possible to capture the grandeur of nature, its stateliness, and recreate it on a dramatically small scale? It is not unlikely that, familiar with the old tradition in which miniatures were viewed from close, held in hand, he had thoughts about how his paintings should be viewed: From close, held in the hand, and read, not gone over in haste.”
Charting a route different from the mainstream school of thought always came easy to Sen. Like the great Nicholas Roerich with whom he struck a close friendship and shared a vision, Bireswar Sen was greatly drawn to the mountains, painting the Himalayas again and again. But for all the sweep and the majesty of the mountains that he so loved, he painted them, unlike Roerich, on a small scale, the average size of most of his studies no larger than a postcard. But in his works — some 80 of these will figure in the exhibition — there is no absence of grandeur, no loss of stateliness. One does not in fact even notice the smallness of the scale, for as one gazes at them, one keeps moving inside each work, crossing icy peaks, exploring caverns, taking in vistas of sky and earth.
What adds greatly to the charm of these works, makes them so engaging, is also the human presence in these works: Painted on so minuscule a scale as to be almost unnoticeable, but always there: A pilgrim approaching a cave, a disciple bending at the feet of his master, a maiden picking her way through a forest, a traveller wading through a field of snow, a child following her mother at the edge of a lake. There is drama in these situations, but no theatrical effects.
In a work titled ‘Me and my Mother!’, the holy man is seated, meditating, close to the mouth of a deep, snow-bound cave and in ‘One whom we see not, is …’, an ochre-clad figure stands under the shadow of a rock gazing at the vast expanse of receding peaks in cobalt blue under a calm sky.
While Sen’s retrospective discreetly questions the notion of size in art, another gallery in the city, Latitude 28, poses the same query in the more candidly titled ‘Size Matters or Does It?’ from February 18 onwards. The show works largely because of the reversal of sizes as it juxtaposes a large canvas with a much smaller work by the same artist (GR Iranna’s 4.5x16.5 feet canvas titled ‘Kawwali’ is placed with his much smaller work and Pooja Iranna’s small installation made with staple pins titled ‘Converging/ Segregating’ is a small size work placed with her bigger work titled ‘Discovering’ in 33 x13x28 inches), in an affirmation of the new art wave that allows experimentation in size, apart from content and medium.
The participating artists include Arun Kumar, Baiju Parthan, Chittrovanu Mazumdar, Dilip Chobisa, G R Iranna, Jayshree Chakravarty, Manjunath Kamath, Pooja Iranna, Pushpamala N, Sarnath Banerjee, Siddhartha Kararwal, Niyeti Chadha, Prajakta Palav, Manisha Parekh, Minal Damani, TV Santhosh and Simrin Mehra Agarwal.
Says Bhavna Kakar of Latitude 28: “The motive of the show is to allow artists to move beyond their trademark styles and prove their proficiency at handling both big and small format works. Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were contemporaries, yet the ‘Mona Lisa’ and the ‘Sistine Chapel’ are both considered major works of art after almost five centuries.”
This is not the first time, however, that Kakar has utilised the concept of size in art. One of her earlier curatorial ventures also showcased small format works — ranging from photographs by Niyeti Chadha, a 1 inch x 1 inch book by Thukral and Tagra and small paper installations by Ashim Purkayastha, apart from the more classic drawings on paper and oils — and this show is a fitting sequel to the same.
According to participating artist Manjunath Kamath, “I have made 12 small works in 5 inch by 4 inch which can be symbolically called a series of 12 small lies. Lying is an essential part of our life. The size may vary… big lies, small lies but they are omnipresent.”
Says artist Pushpamala N about her 4x6 inch work titled ‘Lady on Bicycle’, “Women learning to ride the bicycle was part of the social reform movement in India, along with women’s education and widow remarriage. It signaled a new freedom and mobility. In the early part of the 20th century, women would pose for studio photographs against painted backdrops with a book in their hand. Spectacles, lady’s purse, book, and umbrella were markers of modernity.”
It is not difficult to gather, therefore, that subjects as diverse as human nature, social mores, customs and political thought, can find their voice in works which may be small but the message is loud and clear — that size shouldn’t matter, at least in art!
POONAM GOEL