"Gods and Others"
An
exhibition, featuring Menon's much awaited new works, titled
'Gods
and Others' is scheduled to begin from October 12, at the
Admit One Gallery, New York, with an Opening reception with Artist. It
will stay on till November the 6th. Welcome to an exclusive insight and
a rare glimpse of the collection on display.
" The
Current Exhibition makes a departure from the usual emotional tenor of
her work. She uses elements of kitsch together with the imagery that is
identifiable with her usual and recognizable signature, sometimes as ironical
counterpoint and ocassionally as sheer embellishment. In the present series
these have come together as an eccentric pastiche in what may appear to
be a creative imperative. For years she has been collecting kitsch - the
shiny aluminium and plastic brightly painted images of Gods and Goddesses
of the Indian pantheon which are ubiquitous in every local bazaar. The
manner in which she draws from these garish and often naive pictures is
jackdaw-like in its resourcefulness. The bright images redeemed from cards
and calenders provide stark contrasts: between so called High and Low art,
between gaudiness and the sombre gravitas which is usually associated with
Menon's oeuvre. It is almost as though she herself mocks at the renaissance
patinas and melancholy figures for which her work is so well known. If
earlier artists plunged backwards in history in the post-Independence quest
for Indian roots, this is an engagement with the prevailing visual matrix
of our own times, bringing the vivid culture of the street and bazaar to
the exclusive confines of gallery walls. Reinforced by the artist's formidable
technique and creativity, each of these pictures is embued with satire
and the result is both intriguing and thought provoking."
Sneak Preview of Works on Display
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