KOCHI: Evolution from a painter to a mystic filmmaker is the simple life history of celebrated director P N Menon. The painting exhibition going on at Nanappa Art Gallery once again reveals the director’s inner urge to merge with the sanctity of nature.
The colours and canvas used by him to capture the essence of nature were later replaced by the light and shade of camera.
If his paintings were realistic images from nature, his films were celluloid poems like Mazhakkaru, Chembarathy and Olavum Theeravum.
Amidst the abstract versions of the human mind one can find a close-knit relationship between the artist and nature.
Before beginning his career as a filmmaker Menon was a painter, poster designer and photographer. The paintings exhibited at the gallery include the simple and subtle images depicting the untainted village soul while some others carry thoughtful abstract ideas. However all his works reflect an unruffled mood and echo the undercurrents of village life filled with sorrow and hope.
Interestingly a few frames portraying the tribal colonies and landscapes remind us of the locations of his noted films like Kadamba and Olavum Theeravum. "Menon had a wide network of friends which according to him was his ultimate inspiration to work out his movie magic,” says T Kaladharan who has made the strenuous effort to collect these works for the exhibition.
“So we have included some rare photographs which speak volumes about the unique style in which Menon dealt with the realistic living style of an average village in Kerala,” he adds.
If one photograph depicts the thoughtful mood of a debut director preparing for a shot for his first film Rosie in 1965, another portrays a relaxed discussion with friends before going for a final take in Nerkkuner. The exhibition will conclude on September 13 with a remembrance meet at Nanappa Art Gallery.
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