L. Munuswamy's abstract paintings are among the more straightforwardly hypnotic works on display as part of Madras Modern: Regionalism and Identity, at Delhi's DAG (on till July 6). Two works in particular-Elephants' (1959) and 'Fashion' (1963)-show us Munuswamy's singular grasp of line and space. The latter has a very Willem de Kooning colour palette. The female figure that emerges in 'Fashion' amidst the visual density and the text running horizontally and vertically, has a curiously contrived quality to it, the fashion industry's idealised vision of a consumer object. Even if we overlook the de Kooning influence, it's clear that Munuswamy's work represents modernity in full bloom in the Madras school.
The exhibition brings together the works of K.C.S. Paniker, Debi Prasad Roy Chowdhury, J. Sultan Ali, S. Dhanapal, R.B. Bhaskaran, S. Nandagopal et al. Curator Ashrafi S. Bhagat's accompanying, eponymous exhibition book contextualises the Madras Art Movement, a "late phenomenon of modernity in South India within the national context". This is the second edition of the show, after the inaugural edition in Mumbai in 2019.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
A Life IN MUSIC
To celebrate five decades of a storied musical career, Padma Shri Hariharan is headlining a special concert in Delhi on November 30
MURDERS MOST FOUL
SAMYUKTA BHOWMICK'S DEBUT NOVEL, A FATAL DISTRACTION, IS A WHODUNIT THAT GOES BEYOND MERELY PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE MASTERS OF THE GENRE
Jungle Book
Avtar Singh creates a compelling tableau of characters brought together and torn asunder by migration, epidemic and circumstance
BON VOYAGE
The award-winning stage adaptation of Yann Martel's Life of Pi is coming to Mumbai this December
Earning His ACTING CHOPS
HIS LATEST STINT IN THE BUCKINGHAM MURDERS, WHICH JUST RELEASED ON NETFLIX, CEMENTS THE MULTI-HYPHENATE RANVEER BRAR'S REPUTATION AS A FINE ACTOR
Strike a Pose
SOONI TARAPOREVALA'S SERIES DEBUT WAACK GIRLS ON PRIME VIDEO SHINES A LIGHT ON THE STREET DANCE STYLE OF WAACKING
FATAL ATTRACTION
In I Want to Talk, Shoojit Sircar continues his exploration of death with the portrait of a tenacious man who beats it time and again
LOVE LETTER TO THE MOUNTAINS
'Journeying Across the Himalayas' is a new multidisciplinary festival in Delhi with a focus on the Himalayan region and its communities
The Art of CURATION
Sunil Kant Munjal, founder patron of the Serendipity Arts Foundation, on how one of our biggest multi-disciplinary festivals came about and what to look forward to in this edition
THE ROCKY ROAD AHEAD
A US court's allegations of bribery in solar power contracts and US markets watchdog SEC's charges of concealing wrongdoings have jolted Gautam Adani's business empire. Even as he mounts a strong defence against the indictment, the group faces a crisis of investor confidence that may impact its growth plans
