Page 79 - Kerala calling OCTOBER 2020

Cholamandal artists who are hailed
to be Neo-Tantric artists, but has
shown the ability to transcend the
Panicker school of abstract art.

A relentless practitioner of the art,
B. D. Dethan is a classic example of
a modernist whose comfort zone is
his studio filled with paraphernalia
for painting. He could also be called a
reluctant portrait artist. Dethan enjoys
painting expressionist portraits of
imaginary people, who he considers
as phantom creatures but more real
as they open up the emotions that
otherwise living people hide cleverly
in their double-edged daily lives.
that often aspired to generate a novel underlining his adherence to the Dethan also takes up Tagorean poems
visual sensibility, drawing from canonical definitions of modernism. for making spontaneous drawings as
different sources of inspiration. His famous series titled ‘Kali’ (Rage) he likes the poetic evocations, without
captures the turbulent times of the
Paris Viswanathan studied under 1970s and 1980s though the artist attempting illustrating the same.
the legendary art teacher and had given visual expressions to the Though eclectic in style, B.D.Dethan
modern painter, K.C.S.Panicker, same in the early 1990s. A home- is successful in establishing a hallmark
at the Madras College of Art grown Expressionism has been style which is difficult to miss even if
and left for Europe in late 1960s, definitive for Dethan in his visual they are seen on a public mural or in a
after securing his place at the experiments though in the ‘Botanical private gallery or drawing - room.
Cholamandal Artists’ Village, an Fantasies’ series he has engaged more
artists’ cooperative initiated by with the Surrealist visual lingua. Noted painters Velu
K.C.S.Panicker himself. He travelled Viswanathan aka Paris
all over Europe, encountering Paris Viswanathan, apart from Viswanathan and B.D.
epiphanies of life and art, and earning an international standing Dethan aka Dethan
settled down in Paris, earning his for himself in the field of art, has Mash are the recipients
honorific. Constantly renewing his been an exponent in experimental of the Raja Ravi Varma
connect with nature and cultures, cinema, a regular in the international Puraskaram
he painted the experiential values film festivals held in various cities,
that he gained over the years in a including those in India, and has
language perfected by practice and directed full-length experimental
passion. Known as a colour-field movies based on the Five Elements. Paris Viswanathan
abstract artist, his works, mainly Travelling along the Indian shores studied under the
done in casein, a colour pigment on he had filmed various hues of legendary art teacher
canvas evoke aerial visual sensations sands, sounds, rituals, natures, and modern painter,
of terrestrial planes below and deep habits and habitats of people. A K.C.S.Panicker
spiritual anchoring. closer look at his cinematic outing
and the still photographs would
B. D. Dethan is an eclectic modernist reveal how the same international
whose ability to wade through abstract language based on spiritual B. D. Dethan is a classic
various styles and approaches feelings and sensations functions example of a modernist
has now become a thing of our as the foundational aesthetics whose comfort zone
modernist cultural lore. The images of his transdisciplinary artistic is his studio filled with
and nascent narratives in Dethan’s productions. Paris Viswanathan
works do carry the sensibility is also one of the celebrated paraphernalia for
of internationalism without painting
prd.kerala.gov.in/publication/keralacalling/OCTOBER 2020 79 KERALA CALLING