Tamil Heritage Trust
invites you to |
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25-30 Dec 2012, 10 AM - 12 Noon. Tatvaloka Auditorium,
76, Eldams Road, Chennai 600018 |
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25
December Tuesday |
Rock Paintings
by Gandhirajan
Rock
art -a global phenomenon, started about 40,000 years ago, covers
paintings carved into or on the rock surfaces
and figurines engraved into the ground. India has the third largest
concentration of Rock Art in the world featuring rich thematic and
artistic styles and clues to ancient life-style and the mysticism.
Gandhirajan will discuss various rock art sites of Tamil
Nadu, their idea, artistic treatment, composition and symmetry. He will
also do a stylistic comparison of rock art in South India.
Gandhirajan
is an Art historian, Researcher and Guest lecturer, well known for
discovering many ancient rock art sites
in Tamil Nadu. He has conducted extensive documentation of rock art and
mural paintings and organized many photography exhibitions. He has
co-directed films on History and Anthropology.
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26
December Wednesday |
Panorama of Indian Paintings
by Arvind Venkataraman
Painting
pre-dates history. Cave men festooned their walls with scenes of daily
life, hunting and valour. The themes
may be simple, but their depictions show a spirit and force, that speak
to the soul of the viewers. With the advent and progress of
civilization, both theme and technique dramatically improved, though we
only have rare examples in Ajantha and Bagh that still
survive. The spirit of Ajanta pervaded the region and its neighborhood,
adapting locally for narrative and flavor. The continuity and
transformation of paintings through time and space will be explored by
Arvind.
Arvind Venkarataraman is a software professional and a serious culture enthusiast. Out of his passion we have an encyclopaedic
documentation of hundreds of temples and thousands sculptures indexed from across the country.
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27
December Thursday |
Paintings of Ajanta Caves
by Swaminathan
Painting
pre-dates Ajanta is an unparalleled treasure house of art, spanning
eight centuries. They display costumes,
jewellery, the musical instruments, social order, court etiquette,
conceptions of beauty and morality, elegance and majesty, and every
emotion from joy to despondence to humour. Experts have gleaned aspects
of the painting techniques, such as preparation,
perspective, balance, coloring and shading, revealing a level of
sophistication rarely matched and never surpassed.
Swaminthan,
an engineering professor, has been fascinated with Ajanta since
childhood. His extensive reading of literature
on the paintings and his infectious and approachable presentation of
the Ajanta heritage, has delighted novice and connoisseur alike.
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28
December Friday |
Pallava Paintings of Kanchi and Panamalai
by Sivaramakrishnan
Few
paintings survive in Kanchi and one mural at the Panamalai temple, to
showcase the Pallava painting repertoire.
But they are bewitchingly beautiful and hauntingly delicate. The
contrast of the vigor of Shiva's dance and the delicacy of a watching
Parvati's pose are a testament to the Pallava artist's skills.
Prof
Sivaramakrishnan, of Fine Arts College, Chennai, will present a native
appreciation to the arts in a disarmingly
earthy narrative style, that charms as much as the topic. His analysis
from the artist's point of view will help the listener revel, revalue
what he sees.
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Paintings of Jaina Cave Temple, Sittannavasal
by Chandrasekharan
The
paintings of the Jaina cave shrine in Sittannavasal, or what survive
have been an enigma. If the dancing damsels
portrayed here are that of some of the best dancers in Indian, the
lotus tank scene anticipate modern techniques of composing.
Artist Chandru (Chandrasekharan), a well-known authority in arts and a former
principal of the Fine Arts College, Chennai, will present
the paintings in his inimitable style.
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29
December Saturday |
Chola Paintings of Brihadiswara Temple, Tanjavur
by Vijaya Kumar
The
multi-facetted emperor, Rajaraja, the great has adorned the inner walls
of the sanctum of the Brihadiswara Temple
with religious lore from the Saiva tradition. Discovered only in the
1920s, and photograph in the last decade, the last surviving paintings
of the Cholas are a visual treat not to be missed. These paintings are
not open to public viewing, and this is an excellent
opportunity to experience them with narration.
Vijay, known all over the art world interested in Indian culture, through his blog, Poetry in stone, is another enthusiastic
amateur, whose passion and dedication makes him an excellent communicator.
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30
December Sunday |
Paintings of Vijayanagara and Nayak periods
by Balusamy
Following
the Muslim interregnum, the Vijayanagar Empire brought in fresh air of
religious fervour, which manifested
in exuberance in temple architecture, arts and festivals. The narrative
paintings on the walls and on the ceilings by the Vijayanagara Kings and
their successors, the Nayak, is a reflection of contemporary mood and
practices.
Dr S Balusamy, Professor of Tamil, Madras Christian College, famous for his research on the grand Arjuna's Penance panel
in Mamallapuram, is an authority on the Vijayanagara-Nayak paintings, which he has documented extensively.
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Tamil Heritage Trust
2nd floor, 30, D'Silva Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600004 Phone: 044-24671501, 98842-94494, 98840-66566 Website: www.tamilheritage.in |