Tag: art

Syrian Boy

All the governments needs to do more when it comes to #WarRefugees but lets not forget the real culprits here are Assad, ISIS and Russia for making these people leave Syria in 1st place. 

Rang Rasiya: A movie about father of modern Indian art Raja Ravi Varma

Rang Rasiya_Colors Of Passion_Raja_Ravi_Varma_painting_posterAfter almost a decade Director Ketan Mehta’s Movie ‘Rang Rasiya’ finally hit screens today in India.

Rang Rasiya (Colors Of Passion) is about my favourite Indian painter and father of modern Indian art Raja Ravi Varma, who gave faces to Indian gods, and made saree a popular Indian garment.

I had a great opportunity to watch english version of this movie last year at Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Its an interesting movie on censorship of Art.

Raja Ravi Varma was dragged to court for painting God and Goddesses in half nudes and how he eventually fought back and won the case.

Both strikingly beautiful and audacious, Ketan Mehta’s film charts the life of the great Indian artist Raja Ravi Varma (played by Randeep Hooda), from his early days under the patronage of a King of Kerala, moving on to British Bombay in the late 1800s, where he makes his fortune.

Here the genius gives birth to Indian modern art and helps inspire the independence movement and the dawning of Indian cinema with his depictions, which bring to life the Hindu gods and goddesses. He must first find his muse who comes in the lavish form of Sugandha (Nandana Sen). Varma’s fascination for his model turns into a torrid, paint-smeared, love affair, which is reflected in his art. The religious power brokers see his increasingly eroticised work as dangerous and Varma is dragged to the British courts to be tried for blasphemy.

Mehta’s homage offers not only a spectacular insight into a turning point in Indian history, but also questions the freedom of the artist in contemporary society. Not to be missed!

Other good reason to watch this movie is because my friend Feryna Wazheir, a very talented British Indian actress who plays a parsi Journalist for Times of India in this movie. she was a last women in Raja Ravi Varma’s life.

 

Raja_Ravi_Varma_Photo

Raja Ravi Varma (29 April 1848 – 2 October 1906) was an Indian painter and artist from the princely state of Kilimanoor (presently in Kerala) who achieved recognition for his paintings depicting scenes from Indian literature and mythology including the epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana. He is considered among the greatest painters in the history of Indian art and his paintings are considered to be among the best examples of the fusion of Indian traditions with the techniques of European academic art. Varma’s paintings portrayed sari-clad women in graceful manner which became an important motif of that time, reproductions being found in many homes.

 

 

 

 

Some of the Paintings by Raja Ravi Varma

1948 London Olympic Poster

london olympics posters from 1908, 1948 and 2012

This week London is about to stage its third Summer Olympics games and it is the only city to do it 3 times. 1st it was in  1908 then 1948 and now its in 2012.

Olympic posters have always been fascinating cultural pointers, these posters are signs of the times and sum up culture of London.

1908 London Olympic Poster
1908 London Olympic Poster

 1908 London Olympic Poster

No official poster for the modern Olympic Games would be produced until the Games in Stockholm in 1912. The picture you see is no poster, it`s a Programme cover from the Olympic Games 1908. Designe by A.S. Cope

1948 London Olympic Poster
1948 London Olympic Poster

1948 London Olympic Poster

An official poster was produced in connection with the Games. As there was not time to stage a competition for the design of the poster, the choice rested between a few designs submitted to the Executive Committee.

As regards production and distribution, 100,000 copies of the official poster were printed.

The first step was to approach the governing bodies in Great Britain of the seventeen sports concerned in the Games. These bodies accepted quantities varying from 400 to 2,000, covering a total of nearly 10,000 for distribution among branches and affiliated bodies. All travel and tourist agencies with offices in London were approached, as also were all airlines with services operating to and from Britain. This accounted for a further 6,000-7,000.

A circular letter from the Director of Organisation inviting co-operation in the distribution was sent to the Town Clerks of nearly 300 towns and cities in Great Britain, and to the Directors of Education of all counties. This was followed by parcels of posters with varying numbers in proportion to the size of the towns or district concerned. The response was excellent. Only three towns failed to co-operate, and a large majority promised to display the posters on corporation vehicles, in schools and sports pavilions, and in public places in their areas. Every London Borough was covered, and each area in which sections of the Games were to take place was given special attention. In addition, every housing centre was given a generous supply. Repeat orders were being received right up to the time of the Games, and the whole 100,000 were eventually distributed.

Source document:   (Official report 1948, page 112)

London 2012 Olympic poster
London 2012 Olympic poster

2012 London Olympic Poster

Anthea Hamilton creates narrative environments through sculptural assemblage and collage. Her work in part is informed by the history of physical prowess and representations of the human, especially female, body. In Divers the poised legs seem to capture a gymnastic pose or show, perhaps a synchronised swimmer diver holding a balletic position. Interestingly, the only Olympic sport exclusively contested by women is synchronised swimming. Divers evokes the engaging theatricality of synchronised swimming, perhaps the most artistically challenging sport of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

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Parag Sankhe Website