Review

IN THE LINE OF COSMIC FLOWS 

- Chitra Mahesh
   Chennai 2015. 

Like swatches of brightly colored fabrics set one against the other, the canvases glitter with the many dimensions of thoughts populating the artistic mind of a philosopher/thinker. And with such a person, art can only be something that translates brilliantly –almost like lightening across a monsoon night—into the stunning visualization of ideas and the process of creation. Every canvas has a life of its own and anyone can experience them in the fullest sense, even without the literal depiction of things from the visible world- objects, images or people distilled from reality and a real physical world!
  That beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, describes SrinivasanNatarajan’s work perfectly. His Acrylics on Canvas in (in sizes of  5’x5’,4’x4’, 4’x3’) using the roller and mask marking  techniques , reshapes the natural world for expressive purposes and  coincides with  science, technology and changes in urban life—why even eventually reflecting an interest in psychoanalytic theory!
  The thing with abstract art is that it does not contain recognizable objects, so there is nothing to grasp or hold onto. Yet abstract art is not "about nothing". At its basis it is about form, color, line, texture, pattern, because its influence on people is so personal and speaks to the nonverbal parts of existence. Art is an experience. It takes people somewhere... even lift them into higher spheres- the aim being to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” Often the observer is made to turn to the inward significance of what they are presented with- building it layer by layer toward an ultimate equilibrium that incorporates form, color and surface.
  All these and more would apply to the work of SrnivasanNatarajan. Primarily he deals with the line and linear drawings. The line particularly thick or thin, rule his canvas and the beauty comes through color, composition and placement of it all. He obtains freedom from an objective context and joyfully reduces form to basic geometric shapes. Every piece of his work speaks a language bursting with stories through   shape, form, colour and line. He thus creates to deviate from dependence, to a degree of independence by not adopting visual references commonly known in the world. His abstract expressionism encompasses not only the filling of the vigorous expressionism, profound emotions –sometimes romantic and at times expressive of a strong individual freedom—but also the use of a spectrum of color.
  Like gorgeously textured bars crisscrossing across the canvas, he blends color and form to bring about dreamy landscapes and spaces that represent a mind questioning everything. They are an array of colorful statements--the path of a flowing river cutting through fields of lush vegetation perhaps? Or could they be pure energy and the crackling cosmic flow?  Interpretation are as varied as the slashes and those are one of the beautiful things about it. They don’t jump out –but instead appeal to anyone to have an open, inquiring mind. One would need to enter into the mosaic to see where the journey leads to. And then it also allows anyone including the artist the freedom to explore the artwork and assign a personal meaning into the pieces enhancing this intensely personal process for an enriching experience. Through all this abstraction exists a finely honed sense of composition and deep understanding of the workings of color? Here the artist chooses to express creativity and ethos by a visual experience that is free and unencumbered.

  Srinivasan has many  stories that emerge from his mind—stories of growing up in the heart land of Tamil Nadu, of becoming one with the philosophy of Saiva Siddhantha, of wanting to marry the traditional with the modern, and of a philosophy of time and space. He brings therefor a very unique vocabulary of visuals, calming yet vibrant. He is also known to have made a conscious move from traditional tools for expressing his emotions and sentiments by engaging with digital technology. He has broken all the rules by mixing software and computer languages to create line, color, texture, light and space.

What one sees on the canvas and what the artist himself is made of are a series of experiences determining the way he works. A family background rich in culture, organizational skills and artist inclinations, deep involvement in the arts and crafts of a region where he comes from, the intense faith in a philosophy that teaches asceticism along with a pragmatic approach to life-every strand of these translate into the lines and forms that the artist relentlessly pursues to make for an organic experience.

  Having studied Saiva Siddhanta for three years at the Thiruvaduthurai Mutt, he was conferred the title "Siddantha Ratnam"—this part of his life finds manifestation in his artistic creations. He says,’’ these are things from mind to matter.’’ Indeed they are because some of the frames display a luminescence that comes from an inner joy and serenity. The spiritual happiness,   acceptance of the inevitable, the karmic connection with every other being in his life  find expression in the unfolding    and composition of figures   replete with memories, people, the spiritual god heads and fine piety and purity within.

  So what do these actually translate into? People with a touch of poignancy make you remember your own families and the past-- the lovable cowherd stands in silence to astonish you with his divinity; the village belle stands in solitude and wonders what the future holds; a mother holds her child with a smile that lights up everything; the youth dances to pycadelic delights and villages who look on at nature for nurturing. All these and more are lines and images superimposed on colorful, rich textured backgrounds making them a vision divine.

  Sometimes the coloring is even a riot of bright pinks, full magentas, rich chocolate browns, nostalgic sepia, mellow mauves, rich copper tones  and bronzes and bright blues-- or even unusual combinations of purple on lime green, blue on red--the palette is vibrant and rich. These would be the offerings and manifestations of the artist collections and memories of life!

  Srinivasan’s work in other spheres and not just with these acrylics now, is significant because digital painting that he also does is an important art where traditional painting techniques can be used on the computer to create startling images. There are even certain effects unique to each type of digital paint that can portray for instance, the realistic effects of water colors. This ability is important in bridging the gap between traditional and painting allowing the artist to work in an organized, mess-free environment

  ‘’This kind of work also allows the artist to edit, undo and re-do some strokes. But down to basics I keep drawing.  I have done many and keep drawing,’’ says Srinivasan.’’ My main concept is that of expression through lines, sketches, colors, forms and shapes. Whatever I want to say, I do it through my work. Yes, there is abstraction. But, ultimately all the elements only point out to a process and a quest. Everything is also very spontaneous. It is important to record here the fact that Srinivasan is also credited with creating colors such as Java Green, Sriblue, 369Red, KurinjiViolet and CholaBrown.  

  ‘’ Lines are a major contribution in art,’’ he says,’’ and they play a major role in my work. ‘’Creativity is endless because the artist feels he can produce millions of colors in his works- but his essential theme remains his roots. He trains the subconscious mind to put out the daily life things that make the memories to go on to the canvas. ‘’The gap between remembrance and forgetting, is what I seek to capture. Life is like that. What do you do to forget certain things? And what do you do to remember them? Is there a gap between the two? In that beautiful blankness between the two states, I try to capture the sensation in my paintings. Also my art emanates from my land. After encompassing the globe with all its technological development, professional and technical sagacity, I return and rest there.’’

Chitra Mahesh
Writer/Critic,Art and Culture,Chennai.

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IN THE ABSTRACTION OF LIFE

- Chitra mahesh
2011.

      That beauty of the line truly lies in the eye of the beholder, aptly describes an artist such as N Srinivasan, who has made the ubiquitous line something synonymous with aesthetics. The line rules his canvas and the canvas abounds with it and is truly a thing of great beauty.

    And then beauty comes as a mixed package. Some marvellously blended pastel colours, some fine textures and lines, a bit of software and a lot of digital programming, have created dreamy landscapes and spaces that possibly refl ect a kaleidoscope of dreams and sensory pleasure.

     For it is primarily pleasure that one would experience seeing the way the stories unfold on the canvas, thanks to this imaginative artist. And stories are plenty- of growing up in the heartland of Tamil Nadu, of becoming one with the philosophy of Saiva Siddhanta, of wanting to blend the traditional with the modern, all bringing forth a unique vocabulary of tranquil visuals. What one sees on the canvas and what the artist himself is made of, are a series of experiences determining the way he works. A family background rich in culture, organisational skills and artistic inclinations; deep involvement in the arts and crafts of the region where he comes from; the intense faith in a philosophy that teaches asceticism along with a pragmatic approach to life—every strand of these, translate into the lines and forms that the artist relentlessly pursues to make it a cathartic whole.

     The enormously rich cultural heritage of the Thanjavur belt, encompasses a way of life where art is internalised in every aspect—in the land, the language and in the lifestyle! Therefore, the thought patterns encourage a vision as well as a thinking that have a bearing on the future.

     An ostensibly innocuous beginning with the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Chennai, would seemingly be the place where it all began. But the seeds of what he actually does today - the realm of digital medium—began much earlier when computer designing was part of the college curriculum. The experimental artist in him was preparing him with a creative force that not only had a vision but also made it a mission.

     Computer designing was not something easily pursued those days; but yet, because of the far sightedness Srinivasan displayed, he chose to learn and understand this medium and what it could do for his art and him. He understood its potential and started mastering different software to enable him to put his thoughts and ideas down on a digital canvas.

    Thus was born the dual activity of painting and computer generated art works. As you soar above his works, the convergence of lines, spaces, light and colours produce an effect that is mesmerising—but still so fi lled with the entire culture to which the artist belongs!

     While education and learning show the work with steely concentration, the ethnic and rustic imprints of the growing years combine with a three year study of Saiva Siddhanta at the Thiruvaduthurai Mutt, to produce works that are poetic and lyrical. Some of the frames display a luminescence that comes from an inner joy and serenity. The spiritual happiness, the acceptance of the inevitable and the karmic connection with every other being in his life, fi nd expression in the unfolding and composition of fi gures replete with memories, people, the spiritual Godheads and fi nd piety and purity within!

So what do these actually translate into?

     People with a touch of poignancy make you remember your own families and the past; the lovable cowherd stands in silence to astonish you with his divinity; the village belle stands in solitude and wonders what the future holds; a mother holds her child with a smile that lights up a room; the youth who dances to psychedeliclights and villagers who look on at nature for nurturing. All these and more are lines and images digitally superimposed on colourful, rich textured backgrounds making them almost a vision divine. Sometimes the colouring is even a riot—of bright pinks, full magentas, rich chocolate browns, nostalgic sepia, maudlin mauves and thoughtful blues–the palette is vibrant and rich. These would be the offerings and manifestations of the artist’s collective memories and impressions of life. There is a philosophy all its own in these revelations! ‘’Lines are a major contribution in art,’’ he avers.’’ And they play a major role in my work.’’

    Creativity is endless because the artist feels he can produce millions of colours in his works. But his essential theme remains his roots. ”My art emanates from my land and after encompassing the globe, all its technological development, professional and technical sagacity, returns and rests there.’’

    Srinivasan’s work gains relevance also because digital painting is an emerging art, where traditional painting techniques can be used on the computer to create startling images. There are even certain effects unique to each type of digital paint that can portray for instance, the realistic effects of watercolours. This ability is important in bridging the gap between traditional and digital painting with this kind of painting allowing the artist to work in an organized, mess-free environment. This kind of work also allows the artist to edit, undo and redo some strokes. Something very onerous in the conventional kind of painting.

     “I have done many drawings,’’ says Srinivasan. “When I had my fi rst show at Chennai airport. And I have come a long way from then.’’ Indeed, as he has chartered new paths for himself combining art and digital technology to produce some remarkable works. “My main concept is that of expression through lines, sketches, colors, forms and shapes.’’

     Aptly put and like most other artists he too started out with conventional mediums such as oils, acrylics, pen and ink. But when the fascination with the new medium caught up with him, he sought to marry these very same conventional methods to the new, modern one. He understood that technical and formal means were deliberate – what was innovative was the mind-set and pictorial devices. He understood that the computer is something that would help him reach heights of creativity. This familiarized him with the technicalities of ink cartridge, laser printers, and print rollers. His aim was to work directly on the computer, not just draw, scan and transfer the image. He mastered the softwares and one then supposes that this was an irrevocable attraction that led him to march to his own music and do the kind of work he produces now. “I realised that this is what I wanted to do.’’ There was truly no looking back!

    “I don’t miss the canvas–what I visualise, I can reproduce on the computer,’’ says Srinivasan. According to him, this gives him more fl exibility even if the process is more complicated. “If the knowledge is there is joy—even if it is a struggle.’’

    “Whatever I want to say, I do it through my work.’’ Yes, there is abstraction, but ultimately all the elements only point out to a process and a quest. Yet everything is also very spontaneous. “The lines and textures come from these and I want to continue to experiment and explore. This journey is still not complete!’’

-Chitra mahesh

Writer/Critic, Arts and Culture, Chennai

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UNTITLED

- Dr. K. R. Sitalakshmi, 2010

      According to Leo Tolstoy, the activity of art consists in expressing to others an experience one has first evoked in oneself. While the need for and purpose of art has been an underlying constant and is universal, content and expression are driven by context of time and space. The medium of art has shifted from the walls of caves to canvases to the digital realm while representation has moved from realism to abstraction and beyond. Particularity of place has given variety, richness and unique forms and themes of art. The judgment of a work of art and the contribution of an artist therefore depend on how successful the evocation process has been and how the universal and the particular are present in it simultaneously.

    The modern Indian artist’s position has been a unique one. The experience of Indian modernity is complex, assimilating within itself a five-thousand year old chequered history of confluences and assaults. Modernism in Indian art, rooted in such a context, has faced many challenges of expression, originating from the intellectual and form making traditions of the West, but having to deal with the continuity of Indian life. Modern Indian artists have adopted many strategies to deal with this complexity, drawing from many frames of reference- complete abstraction, concentration on form, inspiration from Indian history, intellectualised content. In terms of techniques, they have been constantly influenced by innovations in the West. To understand the significance of the modern Indian artist’s work is to question and evaluate how well the artist has managed to frame, make meaningful or essentialise this composite experience in his/her own individualistic way. In this context, artist N.Srinivasan’s works stand out distinctly for the way in which they bring out many layers of life and use expressive techniques of a pioneering character.

     A work of art can harmoniously integrate complexities as a unity, crystallising and essentialising. It can also present them as contradictions and novel juxtapositions and leave the unity to be deciphered in the mind of the viewer. Srinivasan’s works swing between these two extremes, at times epitomising a blurring of boundaries and at times exposing jagged edges and fault lines. They represent his reading of the world and worldviews of the many real life characters and incidents that he brings life to in virtual space. The simplicity of some of the renderings- the farmer in his environment and the incongruities of modern Indian life, completed in a burst of colours make them easy to appreciate and intelligible without explanation. However, there are other works which present a more complex dialogue between the inner and the outer universe, executed with a mastery in multilayering, enabled by the digital medium. The driving force and the deeper meanings of this multifaceted range can be deciphered by correlating it with his life trajectory as a slice of Indian modernity.

     The scaffolding that holds Srinivasan’s art together is his formative years in interior rural Tamil Nadu in the 1970s and 80s. The impulse to express is an intrinsic part of folk traditions, recording the constancy and changes in the environment - religious festivals, natural beauty, local monuments, ways of life. The Thanjavur Delta area is a land of immense natural bounty, farming practices, traditions of Bhakthi and temples, folk art, music and dance. This has provided the inspiration, background, and fountainhead for Srinivasan’s art, shaping his cultural and artistic sensibilities. These threads continued to inform his art as he progressed to a more urban way of life. His formal education on modern Indian art at the Government School of Arts, Chennai, which had its origin in colonialism, helped to hone his craft as well focus on abstraction of thought processes. Here he was also exposed to printmaking techniques that gave him new tools of creation. As the digital revolution swept across the globe, consuming the Indian landscape as another layer of its modernity, Srinivasan, as a forward thinking artist, did not flounder. Rather he embraced the changes, used them as value adding tools and explored the potential of the new medium. Further, his world view expanded to include the incongruities and situations of 21st century Indian life. Herein lies the uniqueness of his work as it stands today, constituting a documentation of sorts. While the digital techniques drive the form of his work very strongly, the content and the inspirations come from closer home.

     The humble farmer series of the early years is the closest to the earth and most direct. With the backdrop of life spreading behind him- farm, village life, wildlife- Srinivasan’s farmer/villager is a very stoic though positive character with a hint of the comic in him. While we never see his face, we can almost imagine the gentle acceptance with which he takes life situations or his fierce spirit and pride or the quiet resistance which he offers. One is reminded of R.K.Narayan’s characters in idyllic Malgudi who have the same sort of quiet dignity laced with absurdity. In terms of technique, these works are among the simplest with the layering of foreground and background more direct with a stronger contrast. There are some works on local gods and goddesses, mythology and superstars which present a different form. Here while the foreground, background relationship is similar to the villager series, the colours become more psychedelic, probably to depict the larger than life quality of these characters. Such themes and forms evoke the particular, the land of Tamil Nadu where festivals are celebrated with flamboyant colour and pomp and actors are worshipped as gods. Some other pieces also bring in such an ambience - the decorated temple car, the temple tank and a religious function.

     Moving on to his later range, one observes a progressive complexity in Srinivasan’s technique and themes. The content becomes more serious and introspective with dynamics between the outer and inner worlds. Probably this has led to the interweaving of many layers in these works, without a distinct contrast between foreground and background, and using the idea of traditional print to create an array of textures. According to Srinivasan, though the digital process offers a wide array of choices to exercise, the choosing of textures, renderings and particular compositional principles to create form is not a random process, but is very closely tied to the theme itself. It is amazing to note a pastel like texture and then being informed that it was created by an abstraction of drawings of electrical circuits and chips! Some of the more metaphysical works draw from Srinivasan’s deep knowledge of Saiva Siddhantha philosophy. There are a few simpler works with a single abstract human character as the main theme with the background giving additional context. This context could be a geographical map or symbols or any particular information. There are a series where the character is in a state of transformation, expressed through a dynamism, progression and merging into a richly coloured and textured abstract background. Many of these characters, according to Srinivasan, depict a sense of waiting or purpose which could range from the most mundane to the most sublime from different perspectives. The outline of some of these comes from photographs of real life people.

     Family and group photographs themselves become a major theme in the next series of explorations by Srinivasan. However, these photographs are worked on to create abstractions and multiple modulations to suggest complex social interweavings and relationships as well as the mental state of individual persona. Further, Srinivasan engages photorealistic effects in another series that go back to social satire. Here he brings out the incongruity of Indian modernity through juxtaposition of contexts and bright colours.

     Looking at the entire body of work, these are the remarkable qualities that stand out - a certain folkish and celebratory spirit, identifiable themes that can be tied to place, seamless blending of the past and the present, empathetic portrayal of people and their engagements within and without, use of colour at times bold and at times subdued, nuanced effect of digital techniques such as the layering of textures/ patterns adding to primary meaning and sometimes toning down effect of colour. Much of the meaning of Srinivasan’s art is accessible to ordinary viewers. In this, it is not a completely intellectualised range, but falls more into the narrative mode of traditional Indian art. Also, his forms often mine the rich local traditions of decorative art rendering the sensibilities of his work closer to home. However, his works transcend the local and reach out much further beyond. They bring out the quintessence of all humanity and use expressive techniques that are at the cutting edge of the global digital revolution. Having inherent quality of the particular as well as the universal, Srinivasan’s works reflect the true spirit of all art. His interpretation and expression of the contemporary world in the most unique and evocative ways makes him an artist who will be valued much beyond his time.

- Dr. K. R. Sitalakshmi,

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OUTSIDE THE MAINSTREAM

Profile by Anjali Sircar, Indian Express,

February 01,2004

Mixing software and programming languages to create line, colour,texture, light and space, N.Srinivasan breaks all the rules.

   N.Srinivasan’s paintings defy certain canons of contemporary art, their painstakingly semi-realistic execution is anomalous in a gestural age. The subject they treat – the village in which he was born, the farmers, their celebration of the land all through the year, festivals and temples – may strike some as quaint. Yet Srinivasan’s aesthetic is not that of the native or the neo primitive artist. Just where do these renderings of life and ritual fit in? What sort of art are they?

     Born in 1972 in a small Thanjavur village called Rajamannarkudi, he grew up with an immense feeling for art. In every family in the village there was a painter who painted either the walls of houses or a temple in beautiful vegetable colors. Others produced terracotta pottery or sculpture. To the young boy, the entire village appeared like an art form. He spent time with the farmers, learnt the practice of vegetable dyes and developed visions of painting Indian mythological figures and designs.

    By the early 90’s his work began to mature, and dealt with the harmony of life expressed by the village culture he was drawn to. He joined the Madras College Of Arts And Crafts in1991 to do a five-year integrated course in painting.

    At the end of an excellent academic training, he returned to Thanjavur where the main character in his paintings became the village farmer.

    Be it oils on canvas, watercolors on paper or pen and ink drawings, the villager dominated his creativity. He also painted from nature – birds, animals and vegetation – and earned the rare privilege of sitting inside a temple and painting.

    In 1998, Srinivasan switched over to the computer to create his works of art. He never attended a computer course but spent time with highly qualified professionals in the field who talked to him about “Computer Enabled Professions”. Curious about this expression, he plunged into research. At one of the lectures he attended, he was told that after the 20th century, any profession could be converted to a “Computer Enabled Profession”, Srinivasan was impressed with the idea that with the computer, any professional could claimed the leader of success both nationally and internationally.

    He realized that technical and formal means were deliberate – what was innovative was the mind-set and pictorial devices beyond the mandated form. The artist discontinued painting manually and got down to understanding the computer as a machine that would help him reach the height of creativity. After dissecting the fastest-processing machine and its hardware, he mastered the software. This familiarized him with the technicalities of ink cartridge, laser printers, and print rollers. His aim was to work directly on the computer, not just draw, scan and transfer the image.

    Soon he began mixing various software’s and programming languages to create line, color, texture, light and space. To form a line took four to five hours, to create a color took the mixing of ten to fifteen software and to finish one painting took 400 hours. After months of experimentation, whatever he visualized as a painter became a piece of art on the printer.

    Commenting on his current level of creativity, he says, “My Creativity is endless because I can produce millions and millions of colors in my works of art. But my theme remains my village and the main player in my work is the Thanjavur farmer. My art emanates from my land and after encompassing the globe, all its technological development, professional and technical sagacity, returns and rests there. I have spent thirty long years studying my village and its people, their traditions, religion and happiness in a simple life, and these are all reflected in my work.” While he works with the most modern equipment, Srinivasan’s emotions and feelings bring life to his pictures. At the same time, his work is so innovative that even a professional will not be able to analyze the process of creation.

   None of these sensibilities is central to the spirit of contemporary art and that is one reason why Srinivasan’s work remains outside the main stream. If such an observation sounds confounding, it also hints at the highest artistic tribute which happens to coincide with the characteristic of Srinivasan’s work - defiance of canon and time.

    N.Srinivasan has exhibited all over India, participated in national level workshops and is slated to have an early show of his new works in Chennai.

- Anjali Sircar

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DIGITAL VISUAL FARE: THE ARTISTIC TRAJECTORY OF N.SRINIVASAN

- Dr. ASHRAFI S. BHAGAT
2009.

“LIFE IS ART - ART IS LIFE”. N. SRINIVASAN

     The contemporary art milieu within Chennai has witnessed dramatic changes, wherein artists have been searching for a medium away from traditional method of painting and looking into technology to provide answers for their creative expressions. Many voices emerging from the matrix of change wrought by technology sought new directions, experiments and explorations. One artist who made a conscious move from traditional tools for expressing his emotions and sentiments by engaging with digital technology is N. Srinivasan, a lecturer [Systems Assistant] in School of Architecture and Planning, Anna University, a deeply committed artist who has articulated his experiences of digital engagement in his teaching to bear upon his art as well.

THE BEGINNINGS

   In appreciating Srinivasan’s works, one factor which dominantly contoured his imagination was his engagement with the culture and artistic traditions of his native town that is now integral to his persona. It translated conceptually as memories, roots and identity. This interventional approach to his art through time and space can be explained by the artist’s background, growing up as he did in a small town of Rajamannarkudi near Thanjavur. Srinivasan’s forays into the world of painted images had started at the age of ten influenced by two eminent temple artists who were his neighbours namely M.C. Sundar and M.C. Sekar. In his native town, he had breathed art, materializing in various forms from painted domestic exteriors, murals in temples, terracotta artifacts and sculptures in stone. This early artistic association was also instrumental in Srinivasan learning the three R’s of art namely drawing, painting and creating dyes from vegetables. It also educated him on myths; eventually enabling a development of a figurative mythical vision. A rich artistic tradition therefore formed his daily diet, and it comes as no surprise that the early visual education had its ramifications as internalized memory experiences that later served as referential source for themes and subjects when he joined the Government College of Arts and Crafts for an Integrated Course in Painting in 1991. He graduated in 1996 equipped with technical skills in oils, water colours, pen and ink and with a firm artistic grip on realistic rendering based on perceptual empirical experiences.

    An artist with intense sensitivity and deep feelings to his tradition, Srinivasan was equally inclined towards other arts namely dance, drama, music; having performed in school dances and dramas as a child. Srinivasan belongs to a family practicing Saivite tradition, making an enduring impact upon his sensibility. He extended this further when he joined Thiruvaduthurai Mutt to study Saiva Siddhanta Philosophy for three years. An exposure of this nature nevertheless was to have greater implication on the development of his art as he transcended from mere mimetic representations of his rural scenario to evolve concepts, which he applied with greater strength to his works.

    After graduation, Srinivasan returned to his native village and the lure and predilection towards tradition of art and culture led him to make further inroads into the historical temple town of Thanjavur. The beauty of this temple town was not only its profound and dynamic architecture but also the agrarian ambience. Considered the ‘rice bowl’ of Tamilnadu, the town is populated with farmers busy tilling their paddy fields and involved in their tasks of grain production. The ubiquity of farmers enthralled his vision, internalizing the sights and sounds of emerald green paddy fields, which he monumentalized in his paintings where the farmer becomes the heroic protagonist, celebrating the life deeply and spiritually connected to the soil. These nostalgic forays by Srinivasan to Thanjavur and many villages around signified his deep and passionate attachment to a simple life pervaded with saivite philosophy, interesting geographical terrain, the inhabitants, arts and performances, which emerged later, significantly directed as memories and roots.

   His works during this phase of his life [late 90s] was centered on the celebration of agrarian life, in which the farmer was made heroic connected intimately to his soil. These works were rendered in oils on canvas, water colours on paper or were pen and ink drawings. Nevertheless the artist did not limit his vocabulary to human figuration;

he extended it to include nature in terms of birds, animals and vegetation.

   This attitude and approach of Srinivasan was significant in resisting the urban magical lure, maintaining connectivity to his roots, which in the bargain also provided a rich fodder for his artistic mill. Such a posture enabled him in defining the contours of his artistic persona and marking a space in artistic arena that remains rooted in tradition but represented through new technological medium namely digital prints. Within a few years of his graduation in 1998, Srinivasan was attracted to create forms and imageries through the medium of computer. At a lecture he attended on this subject it was vehemently emphasized that any profession could be a ‘computer enabled profession’. This was the beginning of his creative trajectory into the virtual world which posed challenges but at the same time offered versatility of approach that Srinivasan decided to make it as his exclusive journey with this medium. In order to engage with it knowledgably, he studied various computer software for four years. Through a series of painterly enabled software’s, he entered into the field of virtual reality to realize the world of endless possibilities that this medium could offer and generate. Harnessing his restless creative vigours he plunged into it passionately, imaginatively exploring elements of line, colours, values, textures and space.

THE CONCEPTUAL TERRAIN

   The saliency of Srinivasan’s artistic persona was not to be simply mimetic in his representation. He had mastered the skills in realism and his restlessness pushed him into exploring the conceptual terrain which he attempted by looping back to his roots and through the concept of memory, roots and identity. He had realized that the human mind did not perceive the passage of time as an amorphous, indiscriminate sequence of events or as a process. The human journey through time was what established the memory. He thus reflected on time, which opened up scope for debating on memory or roots or identity status within the cultural framework. “Memories” and “Roots” were words that had the capacity to evoke numerous emotions. Memory for Srinivasan in many ways connoted nostalgia, romantic reveries both pleasant and unpleasant, happy reminiscences or recollections of events when external stimuli set off certain images of the past. Memory was thus space and time meaningfully integrated. Roots on the other hand created an imagery of a concept of a sense of belonging, a yearning to go back in time to a particular place because of certain associations, as well nostalgia for something precious taken away and a desire to retrieve it through different means, and expressions. Identity as argued by Edward Said “is a matter of negotiation and association”, which depended largely upon the capacity of making the identifying voice heard. The implication of identity in terms of Srinivasan’s works has to be read as negotiations through certain sentiments and associations with his culture from the rootedness of a modern artist’s autonomous position, mapping trajectories that set him apart by his creative explorations and experimentations via the modes of technique and concepts.

  Srinivasan through a specific trajectory bestows meaning on events and demands an evocative understanding of his expressions. This consciousness allows flux of time to place valence on interpreting and examining cultural paradigms leading towards retrospection or meditation either on tradition, society, culture or nature. Within this context, which marks “time” as a dominant centrality in reinvestigating cultural and social traditions, Srinivasan reflects on his experiences to find an appropriate voice. Thus he meaningfully and powerfully invested in the expression of the fragility and universality of memory recollections, rootedness within his culture and search for individuated identity. Dominantly a figurative artist, but paradoxically, his professional work has been amidst geometrical abstractions of architectural spaces; namely his employment in School of Architecture and Design.

INTERVENTION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

   The dynamism of Srinivasan’s works gain in strength, constructed materially not from traditional tools like brushes, palette knife and tube colours rather with computer-aided paraphernalia and ink colours. Srinivasan has an anecdote to narrate in his deployment of technological aids and traditional subject matter. He quotes his experience of the village potter who works in the medium of clay but does not produce the normal expected wares, rather indulges in creating a tractor with moveable wheels etc. Extending this reference to his works he says he melds technology and traditional subject matter with his personalized modern symbols and metaphors to mark his signpost as individualist. Mediating through computer software as Paintshop Pro, script, Flash MAYA and Photoshop, his visual language validates the intentions of his generated images to conceptually establish remembrances, sentiments and emotions.

  The technique and colours manipulated through computer tools establish his firm knowledge in the management of digital technology. But Srinivasan craftily blends his creative skills with digitally offered tools to create diverse textured and painterly effects. His lines are sensuous as he deliberates over them, sometimes making it minimal yet suggestive, or playfully interactive alluding to symbols as a Lingam. His sense of colours though garish and kitschy, yet creates psychedelic and fluorescent effects, which he desires in interpreting within the contemporary milieu. The sizes of digital prints are large and make an impact on the viewers’ sensibilities.

    His process in creating the composition digitally is aptly described by Srinivasan. “Essentially I try to create a concept based on my observed recollections. This I try to narrate as a story through sidhantha and offer solution through vedantha. The process of visualization begins through drawings of which I do a number of them and it may relate or not relate to my concept but that does not concern me. For what is important is that through drawing I am able to create a language that helps in bringing forth my concept. I also draw directly through mouse and use Flash to create line. My manually rendered sketches are scanned. Sometime I also use Vacuum tablet for drawing.

   But drawing alone is not enough, so I bring in photographs and meld, superimpose or layer over it to create the necessary visual textures as well meaning. The textures, colours and space definition in my works are also conditioned by the concept.

   After I have decided what the final requirements of the images are, the process of layering, texturing, colour manipulation begins. And this is where the main challenge to my works is. My effort consists in creating colours through digital coding. But the idea for my colours is derived from nature and the software then becomes only a tool in helping me to materialize various shades and tones. As far as the textures are concerned, I always scan the required textures that I need to use in my work. That is how crumpled papers, dots, squares etc become integral to my methodology.

    When I have finished working on the composition to my satisfaction, I finally ready it through pixel editing software that edits all 250 to 400 layers through which I have worked for the final print. My proficiency in digital method was also enhanced by learning photography and I am presently using D2X Nikon for still photographs and mini DV camera for shooting film. In addition if I am making a video I use the Pro tool for sound. Other software that I engage with for my digital works are Coral for vector drawing, Flash for animation, 3d max & Maya for model. For the script which is also integral to my work I use Lingo, which is a language for scripting. Finally all my prints are made on archival paper using six to nine colour inkjet printer (CMYK or RGB). Sometimes I also extend my printing to jute, ceramic, wood, and other surfaces as well.

Each work of art takes minimum of 250 to 450 man hours to create, and is an intense and a labourious process. Computer is a tool which allows the facility of simplifying complicated processes but I use it to make it more complicated through different software. Finally I feel my thought process is transferred through this visual medium to the people by this dynamic computer technology.

NEGOTIATING MEMORIES REFLECTING TRADITION

   Srinivasan’s earliest series of works were generic themes executed in various mediums. Later engaging with the computer he articulated his expressions digitally with varied subjects and themes. The earliest series was premised on heroic imagery executed in 2005.

HEROIC IMAGERY 2005

    One question that philosophers have discussed is whether ‘memory experiences’ are to be equated with having certain ‘images’ or with having ‘thoughts about the past,’ or with a state that involves both ‘images and thoughts’. Memory is nevertheless a cognitive activity on the site of which remembrance is suffused with emotions. Traditionally, philosophers and scholars alike have opined that the presence of images was essential, marking the mandatory presence of the latter to have a phenomenological appeal because one was introspecting on memory images. This argument directly addresses the question of perceptual knowledge that rests upon sense data, or sense experiences defining the articulation of the empirical.

    Srinivasan reflects upon his empirical knowledge namely the sights and sounds of his native rural culture marking it as a site of memory recollection to channelize his personal experiences of migration to an urban milieu – the stress, tensions, insecurity – and to focus on these varied emotions by mediating through the traditional concepts of heroicism as reflected through Hero Worship. The Hero Worship as a concept has been validated metaphorically by Srinivasan to establish the heroic struggle for survival within an urban culture after a life of simplicity and unaffectedness in his native village. Thus he engages with the traditional notion of “Hero Worship” that only included warriors heroically laying down their life to now encompass ‘heroicism’ at three different levels of “spiritual, physical and material”. By encapsulating this concept with his trajectory of personal experiences, Srinivasan conveyed his angst and tensions through appropriately selected metaphors and symbols. He nevertheless does not experience a sense of displacement or loss but vehemently approbates on the nostalgia for a past left behind. The past emerges, or is invoked in many different forms and the term memory reminds us of this diversity. The ‘continuous remembering’ of a past amplified in Srinivasan’s works are premised on artistic traditions observed in sculptural iconography or epics emerging as internalized experiences

    Memories nevertheless structure one’s inner world. It serves and aids in guiding and structuring the search for meaning and interpretive truth in any given context. But then memories are also structured by artist’s self-image and desires. It is within this context of self-image and desire that Srinivasan posits himself recreating the images of tradition particularly of “hero worship” to inflect his urban experiences as interpreted by his modern sensibilities.

   In this series of digitally evolved works, Srinivasan has extended the scope of the hero worship theme to interpret it with versatility including within its ambit the categories of Gods, Monarchs/Nobility and Warriors corresponding to spiritual, material and physical planes. The representation of ‘Gods’ is on the premise of pure worship as ultimate Truth. Nevertheless within this category of Gods, Srinivasan includes the binary opposition of demons namely Ravanna. The Gods take on various avatars as Muruga and Rama, or conceptually signified as a Lingam. In addition Siva is also represented in his manifestation of a destroyer performing his tandava. Interestingly Srinivasan offers a postmodern visual interpretation of Siva’s cosmic dance by transforming Nataraja into a typological cultural icon in this instance a contemporary dancer with strobe effect fluorescent colours and trendy sartorial wear. In addition Srinivasan has carefully explored iconographical images within Indian plastic traditions, namely the representation of a dwarapalika a female representation rather than a dwarapala or the male representation as guardians of temples. From the Ramayana, Srinivasan has zeroed on the demonic heroicism, alluding to Ravanna, and his presence significantly visualized as an arrowhead representing ten heads. His vindictive act is reinforced by the abduction and captivity of Sita.

   In his interpretation of the ‘Physical’, the artist employs the metaphor of the “Warrior” to reinterpret the heroicism of modern life. In one of his works, the artist has created an enigmatic and nebulous contour implying the countenance of the warrior. The overlaid lines and play of colours are significantly employed to entail effects of perpetual state of awareness and awakening. This metaphorical language used by the artist implies active and agile mind. It bespeaks of perpetual tension and angst as the warrior works on strategies involving possible target victories. Within this category is also the representation of Lakshmana from Ramayana who bravely, courageously and heroically sacrifices a life of palatial comforts to lead a life of perpetual tension or living on the edge if comprehended within contemporary reality.

   The “Material” dimension of heroic worship is represented through economic status. The artist here employs the status symbols namely a monarch/emperor or a noble to record his idea of the worship of the money. Since social status and position largely validates a material heroicism, Srinivasan has visualized in one of his work the representation of the Chola monarch Rajaraja. As a heroic monarch conveying his multidimensionality, he is now a faint memory as he recedes from his composition through repetitive and diminutive forms. Employing the devise of continuous narration [representation of the same image more than once to reiterate the significant position of the protagonist] from Indian pictorial tradition, Srinivasan refreshes the memory of this nearly faded idea in representation.

“RETROSPECTION OF MY STUDENT DAYS” 2006

   This series, technically demanded a laborious process, assiduously blending photographs and scanned images of pen and ink drawings as well crushed paper. Srinivasan intuitively developed his working methodology premised on conceptual demands. Since he was layering time and space in these suit of works, the photographs and line drawings translated to metaphors of memory through insertion of nostalgia. Says Srinivasan, “Even if we have come a long way from our past, we still have an allusion of it in our heart. I have tried to bring the cherished moments of the past through this”. His simple but endearing subject involves architecture and interior domestic spaces, negotiated through the play of light and dark that enacts moods of sentiments expressing the emotions of the artist. In this suit of digital prints Srinivasan, opens space of familiar conventions, ubiquitous in every household and manifest as family photographs. These relate to past ossified moments that get resurrected to narrate precious, rewarding, or happy instances related to it. There is an allusion to the life of the protagonists that the photograph memorializes, not the physicality but the trace of their persona on the family, which has valence for later generation and hence for posterity. In its formal analysis, he has played upon textures metaphorically translating as textured personalities of family members and the idea of reverie is reinforced with dull matted colours and superimposition of forms that produces a layered narrative.

WAITING FOR WHAT - 2007

   Philosophically inclined, Srinivasan ventures into the realm of metaphysics and transcendence with questions as, “where we are? What are we? And waiting for what? Complementing his concept is the material that he engages with in these suit of works, which comprises of paper punched textures, and brilliant hues bordering on the transcendental reminiscent of the leaping acid colours of El Greco’s spiritual paintings. Here the methodology involved overlapping photographs; creating layers of texts and subtexts that enigmatically harbour meanings that needs to emerge at the right time and moment that is, alluding to the experiences in life that awakens many dormant senses in search of certain truths pursued by individuals. In addition he has also scanned his drawing and overlapped it with photographs creating disjuncture, in the interstices of which rests the answers to the questions he has raised. The compositional process was laborious and involved 250 layers and 750 man hours.

TRACE OF EXISTENCE - 2008

    A compelling factor in life, when displacement happens is to interrogate the physical space of a particular territory/region from where migration has occurred to another place. Srinivasan in this suit of works has engaged with cartography, photographs and drawings of the region to articulate a thread of connectivity, particularly through art and culture and the ethnic population. His works are therefore dominated by the presence of ubiquitous icons as forms of Siva, political denizens as Periyar, film stars et al bringing his art into the domain of postmodern sensibility through these fragmented interventional devices or modes. His visual language also developed digitally in consonance with his drawings and paintings offering a similar reading within postmodern tradition. He further reinforced memory of his region through deliberation on styles of domestic architecture. Hence the juxtaposition and superimpositions interestingly marked the trace of his existence in the delta region as varied layers of his life lived there. The colours are earthy, muted and brilliant interspersed also with characters from the Tamil script. The layering in his process of work also creates a narrative that semantically inscribes past through thin veils, which links it to his emotions and feelings. The fragmented imagery, the iconic presence sans its sanctity and the integration of popular culture in terms of festivals and the kitschy colours marks a trace of his memory within a secularized zone. Some of his works are titled Festival memory (God Asking for whom), Nostalgic event (Asking for the God) For this suit of works, his process included photographs of maps and local folks from the delta region.

    These were then skillfully integrated through computer aided drawings to evolve them into composition. In order to give the rustic feel he has finished his works with mud house wall texture and straw finish.

DEMAND FOR FLUID (HYDRO ENERGY) – 2009

     The fluidity of life in metro is dependent on its energy as fuel for automobiles and other vehicles. Satirizing the demands made on ‘fluids’ which also includes water, the artist in this suit of works has juxtaposed old and new forms of communication as the donkey energizing a truck, camel the auto rickshaw or an elephant positioned with a vintage car. The glance especially to the latter conveys the lack of fuel efficiency which translates in the form of an elephant that with its ponderous physicality is equated to the automobile and high fuel consumption. Through photographs shot at Rajasthan, Srinivasan cleverly has done the necessary juxtaposition including drawings of animals rendered realistically. Compositionally the works are iconic in which the machine and animal are the protagonist, with the background thoughtfully worked out as the desert for camel, granite for elephant and donkey is provided with no particular ground because its only goal is ‘hard labour’ as the only purpose for its existence. The social sensitivity of the artist is foregrounded in this particular suite of works in his awareness and experiences of the preciousness of the energy that requires to be economically used, fuelling at the same time the awareness of preventing environment hazards.

     A Critique In analyzing the suit of works that he has produced in the last five years, one dimension of his artistic personality emerges, and that is his engagement with drawing, which fundamentally conditions a creative artist’s process of conceptualization. The versatile articulation of his drawings is narrative, descriptive, symbolic and metaphysical. His drawings are rendered either physically or digitally, and the manipulated lines are brief scratches, confident contours describing the physical body or as fragments that gestalt to convey a form. The lines exude confidence through firmness, control, agility and geometricity. He also imbues it with emotional quality conveying sentiments, nostalgia, reverie and feelings. Bordering on the expressionist or decorative style his linear renderings nevertheless convey moods and emotions. And it is this dimension of Srinivasan’s work which is at the heart of his drawings, providing the criticality in his digital medium. And the easy facility is premised on his constant engagement in drawing and sketching all forms, shapes, animals, birds, humans, landscapes, either realistically or consciously distorted to serve the required purpose. The dominance of line also retrospects to his art pedagogy at the art institution and to the Madras art Movement, which had emerged from the locus of the Madras School of Arts and Crafts. Srinivasan in many respects is traveling and meandering down memory lane which ultimately provides the conceptual crux of his subject.

     A meticulous, systematic and organized approach to his artistic creations under girds his output, yet he is a visionary with philosophic predilections and interests in Saiva Sidhantha, offering binaries of practical living with metaphysical orientations. Consistently over the past decade, Srinivasan has assiduously, diligently and intelligently has worked through his concepts to create a large body of works.

   His works have been showcased as drawings, digital prints, installations, videos and three dimensional sculptures.

- Ms. Ashrafi S. Bhagat M.A., M.Phil, Ph. D.,

is an Art Historian, Art Critic and an Author. She is Associate Professor and teaches at the Department of Fine Arts, Stella Maris College, Chennai. She writes exhibition catalogues for artists and on issues concerning modern and contemporary art in newspapers, magazines and journals.

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THE PIXELS AND PAINT OF LOVE

- AnjaliSircar

      His works are not cosmetically beautiful, but are quite fascinating because of their constant allusion to the land, the people and the environment. N Srinivasan’s craftsmanship and unusual context are arresting beyond words. He is one of the most compelling artists in the current scene and it is difficult to compare Srinivasan with any other contemporary painter. Born in the small town of Rajamannargudi, Thanjavur district, in a Saivite family, Srinivasan found himself drawn to art in his childhood itself. There are celebrations in his village throughout the year. The farmers worshipped many gods and goddesses, painted the walls of temples and their houses. They were also involved in terracotta work, and it was natural for him to lean towards art. When he grew up, the artist joined the Madras College of Arts and Crafts for a five-year integrated course in painting and did a post-graduation in Public Administration in 2003.

     After completing his education, Srinivasan returned to Thanjavur and having seen the numerous Gods and Goddesses in temples — big and small — was drawn towards Hindu mythology. His first paintings were figurative in nature and because of his devotion, he was given the privilege of sitting in a temple and painting. He, however, did not copy any temple art and his original creations embraced the human being, animals, birds, vegetation — the entire environment in short. But the focal point in each of his paintings was the Thanjavur farmer. For 15 years, he dominated the artist’s canvas, and Srinivasan called his works, “Celebrations”.

    Then, Srinivasan left behind his obsession with Thanjavur and began travelling to experience life in other parts of the country. There are moments, when by way of contact with objects whose scale is far removed from the everyday, we become unmoored momentarily from the set of references that custom has established for us. Most often it feels exhilarating, if somewhat unsettling. The travelling brought about a qualitative cha¬nge in Srinivasan’s art. Now instead of painting with a brush, he uses the computer.

    Success came after hundreds of hours of hard work. He began mixing various softwares and programming languages to create line, col¬our, texture, light and space. It took four to five hours to form a line, a colour was selected after going through 10 to 15 software’s and the painting itself would take 400 hours. After months of experimental printing, Srinivasan mastered the process of mixing to such perfection that whatever he visualized as a painter became art on the printer. His work is so innovative that even professionals may not be able to analyse how it was produced. The artist’s task is not the accurate rendering of the environment but of his soul — his feelings should be reflected in the art. Time and place are credited with building of the most powerful of geniuses. This is particularly true of those most sensitive souls — artists. One can, therefore, say that in the discussion of someone’s artistic and spiritual development, the description of his homeland deserves special mention.

   As a sequel to “Celebrations”, Srinivasan created a new series of paintings called “Tracing life”. As he travelled throughout the country, he studied the lifestyles of all classes of people and discovered a common characteristic — everyone wanted peace and happiness. Everyone was in search of love and camaraderie.

    Having made this discovery, Srinivasan wanted to depict this universal Indianness in his paintings. He had to search for new colours and new picturisations, which was not easy. First, he had to evolve cool as well as warm colours according to the climate that pervaded the region. Mixing hundreds of colours, he arrived at Java green, Sriblue, 369 red, Kurinji-violet and Cholabrown. As the background texture, he used the land and its various people, churches, temples, monuments and travel photographs. A million colours were again mixed to make animated installations for this series.

   Srinivasan paints with candor, and while these paintings do speak of certain truths, we feel that we are being addressed by an artist-philosopher who is firm in his faith, a believer whose spiritual intuition is his sole world.

- Anjali Sircar