The thinking artist
PREMA MANMADHAN
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The Lalitakala Akademi Fellowship for Lifetime Achievement in painting and sculpture comes as recognition for Kaladharan's services.
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Photo: Vipin Chandran
ART ALL THE WAY: Kaladharan has been associated with art ever since he finished school.
Ever since Kaladharan finished his schooling, he has been associated with art. It started off with hunting for a holiday class for his friend. But he joined instead and art became his life. Drawing, painting, organising camps, clubbing art with theatre, impromptu installation and the film society movement filled his daily routine for close to three decades. The Fellowship for Lifetime Achievement in painting and sculpture, by the Kerala Lalitakala Akademi, comes to Kaladharan, 51, at a time when the art scene has changed very much.
"In those days, money was never in our minds. Artists got together, helped each other and our seniors taught us much. Giant figures in art and literature, like Kanai Kunjuraman and M.T. Vasudevan Nair were our models and the Emergency shaped our thinking. Principles meant much as well as friendship and other relationships," says the Kochi-based artist who learnt art from veteran M.V. Devan among others and later was the heart and soul of Kerala Kalapeedhom, the only place throbbing with art-related activities for many years, before other galleries came up. "My father built it on my insistence and it was rented out to Kalapeedhom for a nominal rent then," reminisces Kaldharan. Kalapeedhom was eventually shifted to a room at the stadium in P.T. Usha Road.
Orthic Creative Centre
Today, in the very place where Kalapeedhom stood, stands `The Orthic Creative Centre,' a gallery with ample space for interaction among artists and the public.
Why Orthic? `Orthic', his style, is a name that Kaladharan coined. He took to painting on glass early in his career and it was to modern art that he turned as soon as he turned professional. But it was not on the right side of the glass as on canvas, that he painted.
After painting, the glass had to be turned over. So, he had to visualise the painting before starting work, wrong side out. One had to think a lot for that, thus the term, `orthic', from `orthu,' meaning think and the `ik' comes from several words like bathik, gothic and graphic, Kaladharan says.
In 1982, he held his first solo `Orthic' exhibition at Kalapeedom. Since then, he has held more than 50 shows, including a group show in Germany. Kaladharan's forte lies in holding innumerable art-related programmes and introducing youngsters to art in an offbeat way. As the secretary, he had the run of the place and innovation was the watchword. Summer camps for kids often saw veterans teaching kids, usually for free. Story reading sessions brought together a community interested in art and literature. Kalapeedhom slowly became a place where people with similar artistic tastes could meet. Kaladharan also introduced drama to art. He would put on loud coloured robes, masks and painted faces to catch kids' attention, teaching them the rudiments of art.
"I did all this with little money. My friends are my strength. They would oblige me when I requested anything. Om Puri, Mulk Raj Anand, Sivarama Karanth, G. Sankara Pillai, Adoor, they have all come to Kalapeedhom and given talks," says the bearded artist who says he shaved only when he got married.
A series of his art shows were held in the nineties, called Mollide, Amminide etc. "Ammini was actually a cat but nobody believed me. When I held a show, `Shobente,' a proposal came and she was called Shobha. I agreed. That's my wife," he laughs.
Long before installations became popular, Kaladharan says he did it without really knowing it was an installation. He drew an 86/50 ft drawing and at the end of the show, burnt it. "It was my anger and unhappiness that went up in flames. I was greatly consoled after a personal problem then," he says.
Kaladharan coordinated the International Symposium of Sculptors in 1990, with the Corporation of Kochi. For one who so loves art and who took it to so many, the fellowship comes as recognition of his services.
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