The mystique of the epic
Art is a creation of an artist who delves into their imagination to recreate the pieces out of their dreams and to bring back the lost glorious forms of art is much more than a simple creation. Following this belief, the recent exhibition of paintings by Suvaprasanna held recently at 'Kolkata Centre for Creativity' has set an example of art as a retriever of lost faith.
Suva is a septuagenarian, an art activist and a mainstream painter, who has been in business for more than 40 years. His recent foray in politics is debated aloud. But there hardly is any analysis of the artist's creativity. His soulful commitment in building a commune of artists, named as 'Arts Acre' could be easily compared to the 'Blue Riders' of Germany or the phenomenal 'Dada
Fraternity' in Europe and 'Between the Wars' also is underscored.
The show under discussion is titled as the 'Mystique of the Epic'. In all the 15 same-sized canvases, Suva has depicted certain exclusive situations of the 'Mahabharata'. A profusion of narrative elements coupled with a rather romantic usage of a loud palette, the show draws people at once to the grand juxtaposition of mysticism and reality in the epic. 'Mahabharata' has been interpreted millions of times through the ages.
Suva has intelligently set aside all past references and avoided the typical flavour of 'Chitramala' textuality. In the original epic, details of time, place and action are all combined subtly. The artist has not gone into such a method. He simply picked up certain episodes with his masterly sense of space and composition and developed his own narrative. Orientalists of Bengal had depicted epical issues with realism as the keynote.
Suva has used his own sense of realism in each piece. One can feel the space where greeneries abound and where the characters are enjoying sort of an ethereal finesse. He has avoided the gristly murder scenes, which are a gripping part of the story. Instead he imbued the oeuvre with a quality of pleasantness and calm. All his own creative techniques have been used in compositions leading to a visual sensitivity. The scene where Draupadi is flanked by the 'Pancha' Pandavas, for example, emanates a physical decency and glow. Pandavas are lightly coloured against Panchali's pale blue body and her passionate stare. The yellow wash after Shakuntala's meeting with Dushmanta is another impeccable act of creative mastery. The floating yellow suggests that the king has brought a message of spring to the virgin.
'Mahabharata' is a huge morality play. Some lines are lifted and written in golden shade on the canvas, without ever hinting at any pontification. The message of the epic is a victory of the good over the evil. Paintings of Suvaprasanna in this series point at it. The artist's duty is to draw the audience to internal harmony and cadence of life. By bringing up 'Mahabharata' as a theme, the artist has unveiled a mood of sweetness and light to the viewers.
It is time for all to revisit the epic and to explore the mystique of it. The artist is not a social reformer. He is a Columbus, not a Copernicus, suggested Joe the philosopher. Suva's commitment to life must have desisted him from unveiling the darkness that grips 'Mahabharata'. To reinstate 'Dharma', "I am born in every era," says the standing Krishna in the last piece. The statement is an ineluctable truth of human history.
