People's Democracy

ART WITH A DIFFERENCE

IN the run-up to the 18th Party Congress of the CPI(M), Delhi witnessed a unique exhibition of art works on various forms by a galaxy of well-known artists – a feast not only to the eyes of art lovers but for those who do not consider art as just a luxury. It was an exposition with a difference. The theme: ‘People in Progress’ and indeed the works seen in totality were human-oriented and not exclusive to the dictum: "art for art’s sake."

Indeed, 90 artists were probed to put together an exhibition to mark and raise funds for the Eighteenth Party Congress of the CPI(M), which is being held for the first time in New Delhi. And, the Party was overwhelmed and surprised by the response. Over 80 artists responded. They hailed from Kashmir and Punjab to Kerala and Tamilnadu and from Rajasthan to Bengal and Assam.

In the words of Suneet Chopra, one of the key organisers, "Some created special works for this exhibition, others gave works they already had which they felt would go with the theme. And putting them together, we got the feel of the essence of our society, of a remarkable unity in diversity from the angle of technique, style, execution and expression."

Himself an art critique, Chopra added: "The bringing together of this enormous diversity in the cause of an organisation that will serve the different needs of the mass of our people who are workers, peasants, dalits, youth, students, women and unleash their creative strength to develop towards a sovereign society, free from communal and caste oppression, without exploitation and with the sense of self-confidence and independence, transforming the conditions of the world we live in today is noteworthy. The artists have in their different contributions focussed on different aspects of this enormous task."

CPI(M) general secretary, Harkishan Singh Surjeet inaugurated the exhibition which saw former prime minister VP Singh donate his prized paintings to the CPI(M) Party Congress without batting an eyelid as he inspected each painting on his own and said in reaction "Today we see art, in another form. Art as a tribute to the toiler and works of art for a cause." And watching the exhibits was a virtual ‘who is who’ of the art world rubbing shoulders with Delhi’s intelligentsia and leaders of the CPI(M) along with youth and student leaders.

One could see the destruction of Iraq, the genocide in Gujarat, the octopus of communalism, a worker in peace after a day of toil, the rustle and bustle of modernism, real vision through the eyes amidst a chain of rats. A red shirt floating majestically in the backdrop with a warning against overwash with MNC soaps. Images of imperialism and its leader the USA ‘monkeying’ all over the globe, reminder of PL 480 aid with strings and the menace of globalisation. Pieces of another art, a rickshaw puller in peaceful slumber in his rickshaw in his red sleeping berth, legs put out triumphantly, small coloured pebbles amidst a streak of red and the best of our cosmopolitan tradition, amidst motley of abstractions.

The paintings on view included those of: Veer Munshi, V P Singh, Apoorva Desai, Saba Hasan,Vivan Sundaram Arpana Caur, Manoj Nayak, Ganga Singh, Indraveer, K M Adimoolam, S H Raza, Ruchika W Singh, Shamshad Hussain and Sudhir Pant Nand Kishore. Chairperson of the Academy of Fine Arts and Literature, Ajeet Caur, allowed the exhibition gallery to be used free of cost.