KOCHI: It was a chance meeting on the Internet that led to a partnership between the photographer and the artist. The result was an unusual visual treat, where the line between photographs and paintings blurred. Kaleidoscope, the ongoing ‘Photo Painting Exhibition’ at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery displays the works of photographers Sudhi Anna and Ragesh Narayanan and artist Abdul Salim. Out of the 20 watercolour works of Abdul Salim, nearly half are painted replicas of the photos by Sudhi and Ragesh.
You won’t find surrealism or symbolism in oil and acrylic here. Nor will you find photographs which capture abstract formations. And therein lies their beauty. The photographs capture anything which appeared picturesque to the photographers - the scenic Kerala -Karnataka route in the early morning light, bright flowers against white walls. The photo of a fisherman in Thirunelli seems to drive home the point that you don’t need to go to exotic locales for beautiful pictures, they are all right under our noses, in Kerala.
The photos acquire a surreal quality when translated to watercolour. Photos like that of the old lock is a study of shades of blue, which has been brilliantly captured in the painting. Much like the thaniyavarthanam by percussionists, the photos and the corresponding paintings when viewed side by side compete with each other. The sets can easily confuse a visitor as to which is real and which is art. “That is exactly the basis of our friendship,” says Sudhi.
Sudhi and Ragesh, friends and former classmates, happened to see Abdul Salim’s paintings on the Net, which appeared like photographs to them. Salim, on the other hand, found their photographs resembling paintings. Soon the trio decided to conduct an experiment, an exhibition of photographs and their painted versions. However, owing to time constraints, Salim could not do paintings of all the photographs.
The exhibition also has earlier paintings by Salim, again realistic paintings i n w a t e r c o l o u r , a rarity nowadays. “Many don’t attempt it because it requires real talent. Salim manages to include minute details in watercolour, when making corrections in watercolour is not easy as with oil,” says Sudhi. Thus you can find the paintings which won Salim the State Award, the Camlin South Indian Zone Award etc.
All the works are framed similarly in simple black, bringing the focus on the works. None of the photos follow any particular theme and are named accordingly - a study of a blue boat against the blue sky is called ‘Blue,’ while golden paddy stalks against a yellow sun is called ‘Yellow.’ The only common theme, if any, is that all of them are experiments with light.
Abdul Salim is an art teacher at the M M O V H S S Panayappilly. Sudhi Anna is a freelance photo journalist while Ragesh Narayanan works as a modelling photographer. Both are natives of Iritty, Kannur.
The trio are planning their next joint exhibition, which will revolve around the works of the late Kamala Surayya.
“It will again be a photo painting exhibition,” they say. “Not all photographs can be made into paintings and so we are working on it together,” says Salim.
They are also contemplating an exhibition where the paintings will continue the scene of the photographs.
The current exhibition will end on May 7.
ashaprakash@expressbuzz.com