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Literary Review
A dream derailed?
A BOOK on art is a collector's piece, often an heirloom in the family library. A catalogue recording an art exhibition or an art camp tends to be of a more transient nature, often glanced through once, then tossed away. Unless it combines the intellectual inputs and pictorial magnificence of catalogues published by the British Museum, New York's Museum of Modern Art and their like. Between these two definitions lies the crux of my dilemma in reviewing this catalogue by the South Eastern Railway to mark the Indian Railways 150th anniversary.
Stemming from a 2002 camp at Vishakapatnam in which 19 artists participated and the subsequent 21-person touring exhibition that touched the Andhra port city, Bhubaneshwar and Nagpur en route to Kolkata and New Delhi, it couches the daily role of the railways in contemporary artistic terms. But let's word their vision as South Eastern Railway general manager V.N. Garg did in his introductory notes, "The paintings thus produced would become a part of Indian Railways heritage collection, a unique national treasure to be preserved for the coming generations."
While both the sentiment and the effort are laudable, the catalogue is less so. Though the reproductions published by the South Eastern Railways Zonal Cultural Association in this "tribute to contemporary art" are fairly competent, the compilation lacks a curatorial essay of quality that might have explained the collection's raison d'etre with intelligence. Design-wise, its format is drab and unimaginative, rectangular images greeting the eye as I flip pages in search of visual challenges. Just pen profiles and biographical notes of each artist, most well recognised in the national pantheon, add little to its value for posterity.
That raises a slew of questions. Who was the catalogue's intended audience? Was it merely for casual visitors to the exhibition, not for art-watchers or connoisseurs nationwide? Why was there no effort to consciously curate the show and cull talent from across the country, instead of leaning towards a discernable eastern bias? How did some of the images produced fit into the concept "of the railways and its interface with society", as outlined by Garg? How does Lalu Prasad Shaw's "She", depicting a notably Bengali woman looking out of a window, fit the bill? Or Suhas Roy's delicately coloured water colour and pastel 16 x 25 inch rendition of "Radha", a dark-eyed beauty amidst floating blossoms? Or Sanat Kar's angel-rich "Dream" in acrylics?
Of the predominantly realistic paintings between the catalogue's covers, some stand out. For instance, Pradip Maitra's looming locomotive swathed in clouds of smoke on the catalogue cover. And Ranen Ayan Dutt's delicate depiction in water colours of "1945: Darjeeling Unbounded", a curve of platform dappled with people. And veteran Paritosh Sen's acrylic rendering of "Waiting for Apu", the steam train in the backdrop chugging into the distance as the rural idyll unfolds in Satyajit Ray's cinematic "Aparajita". And Lalitha Lajmi's sepia-toned water colour of "1863: Saloon Class Compartment". And Jayashree Chakravarthy's rugged, evocative acrylic of a "Passing Landscape at Vishakapatnam".
Of the other artist invitees, the majority have produced works that are individually distinctive in style, but lacking in original perspective or passion. Delhi-based Jatin Das and Hyderabad-based Laxma Goud are cases in point. Some works are too straightforward, as if generated by a situation devoid of inspiration. Such as the technically-competent paintings by Chandra Bhattacharjee, Amitava Banerjee and Subrata Gangopadhyay. Why do these works lack the poetry, the palpable levitation that painting allows for?
But to return to the catalogue. In an age when a graphic designer like Vinay Jain can produce an aesthetically stunning catalogue for the Craft Council of Delhi's Chamba Rumal revival exhibition, what's the excuse for substandard presentation? At a time when Rashmi Kaleka can design breathtaking catalogues for Manjit Bawa's shows, why should textual and visual sloppiness be condoned?
Indian visual design has come of age today, even if the Indian Railways' sensibility towards it has not. If its heritage collection is to draw art aficionados to it one day, perhaps the powers-that-be should sanction funds for a distinctive display within centrally located premises. And clearly define whether the collection is to focus on railway-linked themes or just major names in contemporary Indian art.
If this dream is to stay on the rails, another focus has to emerge from behind the smokescreen. That of a thoughtfully-written, deeply-researched, beautifully-presented art book on its visual treasures.
Art Ways 2002: A Tribute to Contemporary Art, South Eastern Railway Zonal Cultural Association, price not stated.
ADITI DE
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