Painting past glory

FIFTEEN YEARS ago, Mr. Peter Wells, after graduating from the Bath Academy of Art in U.K., came to India like any other visitor from the West. Little did he know then that he would soon develop a passion for the `Jewel' of the Raj.

The Indian connection had begun even before he set sail to India. His father, Mr. David Wells, was a Major in the Gurkha Regiment of the Army and had worked in Calcutta at the time of partition. Besides, his mentor, Sir Howard Hodgkin, too advised him to visit India.

Mr. Wells, who had since become a professional painter, is now working on a project to re-decorate the 500-year-old Jata Theertham temple in Rameswaram. Legend has it that Lord Rama took bath in a tank, situated close to the temple, for purification of his soul and body after killing Ravana.

With the help of a handful of local students, he has painted the images of different gods and goddesses such as Shiva, Murugan, Parvati, Ganesha and Hanuman.

Maintained by Swami Pranavananda of Swami Vivekananda Kudil, the temple is situated at an inaccessible place.

To help others ``reach this holy place'', the idea of creating a website on the temple struck him. The Virtual Temple is now available at http://www.han5.demon.co.uk (click on India), the homepage of the artist.

``There is more social interaction among the artists here than in U.K. It is easier for an Indian artist to meet his fellow artists and have a chat or art-gossip over a cup of tea. But, in the West, the interaction is very structured and one has to seek an appointment before meeting him or her,'' says Mr. Wells comparing the contemporary art life in the West and India.

The British artist, who has also published a couple of novels for children, worked for an NGO in Orissa before coming to Tamil Nadu. In Orissa, he came across a student, Dandapani.

When he heard the name first, he heard it as ``Tanda Pani'' (cold water). He was instantly attracted to this ``term'' and made `Dandapani' as the principal character in his two works of fiction.

Mr. Wells, who also drew inspiration from the Indian artist Bhupen Khakar, says several Indian artists have been able to successfully fuse their traditional art forms with the modern trends of the West, though initially some artists almost reproduced what was brought out in Europe or U.S.

Another important feature about India is that more people are now investing in art than before. This gives greater encouragement to the artists.

In this era of information technology, the preference among art attracts negligible students from schools and colleges compared to computers. ``But then, the shrinking pool of artists will enhance their individual worth,'' adds Mr. Wells. The works of Mr. Wells and the students will be on display at British Council for a month from Tuesday.

By T. Ramakrishnan

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