Tuesday, November 10, 2009

lamination, madam?

the paintings made it home safe and sound and wrapped up in plastic, thanks to the delicate craftsmanship of two hard working boys at chennai airport who smoothly and systematically laminated the box from tip to toe. here in the studio, i am happy to be able to sit with the series and reflect on the impulses and influences that guided each piece to completion. what a rich experience it was. an excerpt from the final report:

"The outcomes of my research had much broader implications than my original intent. At first, I planned to study the Kolam design tradition as the primary inspiration for my creative work. I did study Kolams, but through the process of incorporating Kolam design with my paintings, I found that it was not my visual language, per se. So, I began to look at the broader cultural and natural forces that shape life in South India. By following the monsoon and attending Ganesh celebrations, weddings, and pujas, I connected with much more than the designs themselves, but the energies of order and chaos, creation and destruction, permanence and impermanence that Kolams embody on a smaller scale. Adopting this wider vantage point strengthened my creative work and made for a series of paintings that are clearly indicative of my utter enthrallment with South India."