Scenery 1998
by James C.W.Chae
1997~1998
Bangalore, India
To be shown
in
The 7th Exhibition of EXOUSIA
16-23 March,1998
Gallery Sumukha
Alliance Francaise, Thimmiah Road, Bangalore - 560 052. INDIA
and
The Kin : Indo-Korean Trio Exhibition
(C.W.Chae, Wilfred Polycarp, Siddharth P. Battjewargi)
August 25 to 31, 1998
Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore, India
Scenery 16-II-98. mixed media on canvas. 183 x 122cms. 1998.
STROKES OF SELF-INTROSPECTION
THE TIMES OF INDIA
BANGALORE
Sun. Aug 30 1998
Siddhartha Bettjewargi, Wilfred Polycorp and Chae have attempted to introspect about the common elements between Korea and India in the age of post/neo-colonialism. Rightfully, their meeting point was at Santiniketan as students of art. In the works of these artists one realizes that they accept the true spirit of Santiniketan’s nationalistic style only as a starting point. Later they deviate from within, making space for self-introspection.
Wilfred applies the strokes romantically. Half-way through, he mischievously tilts a tree, places a girl on a high mound and so on, creating artificiality within a natural surrounding. It is presented in such a style that only seekers can grasp the irony within. Siddhartha’s works prove that he is involved in unlearning some of the initially-imbibed Victorian realistic style of painting. Hence, the picture-surface ingredients flow freely from within the human figures into the surrounding landscapes and vice versa.
Only the shades of Chae’s visual contemplation is evident in the way achromatic paint and coconut fibres are used to form the shadows of his initial visualization. His mental image always needs to be imagined through what is seen. It is a kind of praayaschitha(self-correction), on behalf of his generation, wherein he hunts for the charm of the old world, lost under the pressure of neo-colonial circumstances. ■ By H. A. Anil Kumar
Scenery XII(A) -97. mixed media on canvas. 60 x 60cms. 1997.
Scenery XII(B) -97. mixed media on canvas. 60 x 60cms. 1997.
Scenery 2-III-98. mixed media on canvas. 60 x 60cms. 1998.
Scenery 24-II-98. mixed media on canvas. 46 x 46 cms. 1998.
Scenery XII(D) -97. mixed media on canvas. 60 x 60cms. 1997.
Scenery XII(E)-97. mixed media on canvas. 46 x 46cms. 1997.
Scenery XII(F) -97. mixed media on canvas. 46 x 46cms. 1997.
Scenery XII(G) -97. mixed media on canvas. 46 x 46cms. 1997.
Scenery XII(H) -97. mixed media on canvas. 46 x 46cms. 1997.
Scenery XII(C) -97. mixed media on canvas. 60 x 60cms. 1997.
THE TIMES OF INDIA,
BANGALORE (
Sun. Aug 30 1998)
Indian Express, Bangalore, India (Sat. March 21. 1998.)