Review

by Navya Ashok Kumar

Home is normally defined as a space of living, but in terms of our attachment with our homes it becomes a living space in itself. Artist Srinivas Prasad explores and captures these spaces of existence that every living organism longs for, with his body of works which becomes a metamorphic reminiscence to our consciousness. The artist, who hails from Sagara, a place where serenity, peace and a meditative atmosphere can be experienced, creates sculptural works that which takes the onlooker into contemplation.

The idea of a home a place of living has definitely changed with time. The artist has a very naïve approach to the very basic and the very simplest of the things that mostly get unnoticed with our lives everyday as we dwell over everything else apart from the very basic needs that we all need to look upon for a living. His show, entitled Nirantara- meaning incessant, continuous, was on till the 22nd of October 2011 at the galley Ske, Bangalore. The body of works displayed at this space was made using recycled materials to produce structures that manifest the metamorphic reminiscence of a home. The artist had skillfully used materials that are used everyday and had tactfully transformed them into a body of art.

As one entered the premise of the gallery it was hard to initially find a space to stand and look at the first piece of work that was on display which was entitled Usiru (which means breathe in Kannada). The structure which was a representation of a nest was massive and occupied the entire space leaving just a considerable amount of space for the onlooker to look and move around the work. Here the onlooker was left feeling like a bird which cannot find a place to rest in front of this massive structure, this structure had a tiny flag swaying in the centre which could be viewed from the back of this installation through a hole. Srinivasa's works have a thin sensitive and an ironical layering of a philosophical idea of a home which is basic for every living organism. Igloo another work which was made of cloth wrapped utensils and a few objects of everyday usage was put together to cover the structure igloo. The structure had an opening for the onlooker to enter in; the whole structure gave a feeling of a nomad's lifestyle, occasionally bringing in thoughts and ideas of our own lives as a nomad. The wrapped objects that covered the structure brought one a nostalgic memory of a few objects that are not used beyond a certain point of our lives, and the ones that are of usage everyday and which will probably ware off one day. His works generate the thoughts of how impermanent our permanence holds here as we share and bond over the basics.

Another work entitled Rebirth invited the onlooker to enjoy the cozy space it held within-visually. The structure which looked like a tent was made by gunny bags, and inside this space were colourful papers and balloons hung representing a celebration of some kind. A celebration of life irrespective of who we are where we come from and where we finally go, we all celebrate life to the fullest. Routine another work by the artist had an overflow of hexagon shaped balls that were scattered across the premise giving very little space to move around. As the name suggests 'routine' the structure represented and suggested an excess of it, quite loud. The hexagon shaped balls were wrapped by newspaper which ironically also represents our daily routine of kick starting the day with the dosage of the newspaper.

In Nirantara the artist (works) dwelled on the consciousness of the onlooker with the concept of a home, belongingness, impermanent permanence, necessities of life, death and continuation in a very simple yet a strong way. The sculptures not just expressed the ideas of a home but the ideas of creating meditative spaces that brought one to peace and joy. The artist drove the onlooker's consciousness into a harmonious tune that which tuned one to understand the familiarity of our lives which are so simple; his works played a hide and seek between the need and the want.