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As the mind's eye sees
If one could paint with the hand as one sees with the eye. A tall order. But not for Ch. Ravindra Babu. He has a natural flair for brush and paints. Once he sets down to work, the canvas leaps into life, the subjects acquiring a meaning, a character.
Ravindra Babu works basically on folk arts and traditions. His 30-odd paintings, now on display at the Jubilee Hills International Centre, are reflective of his keen sense of observation. A close look at the frames shows the pain and efforts taken by him to capture the form, the colour and the composition.
The tribes of Araku Valley, the Dongria tribes of Orissa, Lambada women of Andhra Pradesh, the Nishi tribe of Nagaland -- all are captured in vivid colours by Ravindra Babu. The intricate mirror work, beads and armful of bangles are depicted in minute details, indicating the involvement of the artist with his subjects. ``I want to record all the folk arts of the country through the medium of painting,'' says Ravindra Babu. An interior designer by profession, Ravindra Babu's foray into the world of paints and brushes is a story in itself. Having graduated from the JNTU College of Fine Arts in 1972, he started working as an art director in a film studio in Madras. While the shooting of a Hindi movie was in progress, the cameraman felt the set could do with a painting.
There was no time, the camera had to roll. Ravindra Babu was requested to do something. He rose to the occasion and within ten minutes painted the profile of a woman, which he later named as "Nelavanka''. The late Ashok Kumar, who was present on the set, liked the painting and asked the artist to pursue his hidden talent.
There was no looking back for Ravindra Babu. Since then, he has been wielding the brush to paint folk arts. He has chosen acrylic on canvas to portray his thoughts. Ravindra Babu draws inspiration from his surroundings. Once he was in a Rajasthani town to buy marble and happened to see a village belle dancing. The scene registered on his mind's eye and later he captured it on canvas.
Some of his paintings are really eye catching. Using the butterfly for inspiration, Ravindra Babu has converted its two wings into two beautiful faces and titled it "Twins''. Similarly, the popular folk song "Yenki Naidu Bava'' has found expression in his paintings.
By Ifthekhar J.S.
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
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