ABOUT THE ARTIST
Shobha Menon’s paintings: An emotional caravan rich in imagery (2004)
by Prathapan B.
Motion, vagrant and unpredictable, and imagery, rich, powerful and emotive, characterize
the works of Shobha Menon. Visible even in her still life works which are far from
still, her paintings become vignettes of motion, like tides caught in their swell
or ebb. They do not capture or freeze a moment. But they illuminate an emotional
caravan from an indeterminate past; something that flows into an indeterminate future.
Each brush stroke seems to have an emotional corollary. They could fall bold and
broad on the canvas. They may be fast and furious and, not infrequently, mild and
timid. Light and soothing strokes seem to caress the canvas ever so fondly, adding
to the universe of experience that
Shobha’s works open for the connoisseur. The artist unveils an entire spectrum of
emotional and visual splendor before the users as they browse through www.chaaya.com.
She can startle and soothe. She can at once be disturbingly frank with her expositions
and uncannily colorful. Shobha has organized her works into nine categories – Waiting
for Bliss, Memoirs, Fear of War, Entity, Woman, Macabre, Still Life, Landscapes
and Flowers – for the purpose of better presentation on the web. The categories
do not seem to have a reference to the period of their creation, except perhaps
to an emotional time scale that might have run through the artist’s creative conscience.
In Waiting for Bliss, Shobha presents the trilogy on the ‘Mary of Magdalene’, one
that can take the pride of place among evocative art. Mary, the Apostle of Apostles,
who had a special relationship with Jesus, is shown in her quest for bliss. Draped
in her flesh- colored scarf, she is shown amid prickly cacti, which nevertheless
have a few flowers to offer. The intensity of the seeking that she has set out on
is writ on her face. Her hands, about to join in supplication and the glow in the
background lead the viewers to the next Mary, ‘Waiting for Bliss’. Her tears have
dried out and the eyes look sublime. Hands are joined in prayer as she looks skyward,
where her Lord had ascended to. The painting is dominantly blue, in contrast to
the flesh color of the first one. The scarf is wound round her palms joined in prayer.
In the background are tree shedding its leaves and spears with red tips. The face
is already aglow in anticipation of the bliss, something that flesh cannot generate.
Done in blue with a smattering of red, the work is a monumental one in terms of
evocativeness. ‘Mary in Manhattan ’, the last one of the trilogy, features a tonsured
Mary, with a book, among the sky scarpers. Her discarded scarf is hung away; Mary
is one with her Lord. There is sublime peace as she pores over the book in the painting
that shows a startling innovativeness in lay out.
The section, ‘Memoirs’, reflects a powerful range of emotions of the artist – from
the nostalgic and mildly amusing to the tumultuous. Some are simple and unpretentious
and some highly ornate and painstakingly crafted. Just like memories have a way
of theirs, some dwelling long and others passing quickly, they make a medley of
the bold and the subdued. Some like ‘Breath In’ and ‘Dragon Fly’ are smooth and
pleasant.
‘Entity’ turns out to be an interesting ensemble of paintings, some hauntingly enchanting,
with images of women dominating. Paintings titled ‘In Search of Missing Girl’ have
girls with haunting eyes and grim face forming a queer grouping. The work, ‘The
Kid’, also stands out with its poignancy.
Not merely because the artist is a woman, the woman subjects of Shobha make an interesting study. She has created
a category, Woman, to group some of her major works. The work ‘Neeli Yakshi’, with
it powerful imagery and presentation tops the heap. The monochromic work in hues
of blue is based on Indian folklore, which holds in awe, fear and respect, the tree
goddess, Yakshi, depicted simultaneously as an enchantress and a vampire. Ensconced
in her abode of dark foliage, Yakshi with her glowing eyes, flowing hair and curves,
makes a powerful impression on the viewers. Paintings like ‘Tranquility’ and ‘A
Chorine’ are pictures of quietude, having a calming effect on the viewers.
Death is a recurring theme in Shobha’s
works. Images suggesting death and decay appear at the most unexpected places in
her cornucopia of creativity. The raven which is a symbol of the dead in Hindu belief
is an unmistakable motif in her works. In fact the section, Macabre, has an overwhelming
presence of death. This section does ignite extreme feelings among the viewers.
Like a smothered wail, the images haunt their memory. The paintings, ‘Couple Waiting
for Death’ and ‘The News of Death’, make one gasp every time he/she sees them. Of
particular interest to connoisseurs will be the section on Shobha’s still life works
which reveals a range of treatments. ‘Decaying Plant in Blue Glass Vase’, has a
glassy blue permeating the environs. The shriveled flowers and drooping foliage
of different hues of blue merge into the background. On the other hand ‘Still Life’
with white flowers in a glass of water set on what looks like a corner table, has
a background of yellow hues, representing a rippling divergent motion. The work
‘Yellow Vase’ shows the vase on a bright, almost crimson pedestal with a background
of luminous hues. The work, ‘Still Life’ of two red flowers and a bud, all with
almost luminous tips, has a background of endearing blue vaguely forming a square
tunnel that recedes into the depths. The mere suggestion of the reflection of a
flower on the floor, which is almost not there, stirs a powerful longing in the
viewer. Some major works await viewers in the section Landscapes, which show the
dexterity with which she uses both gleaming bright and sober tones to present a
rare sphere of her experiences. The section, ‘Flowers’, is a refreshing one with
some clever treatment of the subject and delicate strokes.
2004
Prathapan B., is a senior journalist,
currently employed at Gulf News, earlier with Khaleej times, Dubai .. He has in
the past worked with The Hindu, The Indian Express, The Times of India , Asianet
,Indo-Asian News- New Delhi.and a California-based Web company. He also writes poetry.