A parallel life in this world that exists all the time along with the formulation of our dreams, aspirations and illusions is the continuation of the real and the truth of the existing. To exist there is desire and energy - interpreted as a collision of time and space, revealing that all matter consists of energy. Kurma Nadhan’s works include an interesting and yielding mix of ideas and techniques, underlining the core concept of an energy that makes most of his images. The way, things interact or are interpreted, from an energetic perspective has much to do with resonance. For the artist, this reverberation is manifested in a uniqueness and individuality as seen in his drawings, paintings and serigraph or wood cut prints. His creations are based on an objective understanding more than a literal reproduction of images. The forms in his paintings grow during the process of developing the art work. Therefore to understand further, it is necessary to dispose of the \\\"subject\\\" in his art (the subject in the elaborate sense). To clear the mind of the preconceived ideas, and to nurture the faculty, which allows an automated lucid rendering of lines on the surface without any specific purpose or command over the subject matter in the creation, ironically obscuring the subject in the work. In progression, the simple pure forms take shape.

 

His drawings are created by allowing the hand to run freely, only with a slightest possible deliberation. In time shapes are found to evolve, suggesting conceptions, forms that are ultimately of a personal or individual style. This means that in its most fundamental form, the action in creating an art work is a magical process, for the action relies on a form of energy which can be measured, but not defined. Kurma’s art is a constant struggle to get the mind in an ‘oblivion’ state, without a pursuit towards materialistic or intellectual suggestions, instead a conditioning to attain a personal empowerment, symbolic in meaning and wisdom. As a result the art created is the sensation visualized.

Most of his early works articulate stories from moments or experiences encountered in his life. To map the trajectories in styles, as in one of his serigraphic prints are repeated images of a narration in different colors, representing a significant masquerade of a clock, staging a surrealist guise. This work resembles one of Salvador Dali’s well-known surrealist piece, which has an image of a soft melting watch. It appears that the artist could be epitomizing Dalí\\\\\\\'s theory of “softness” and “hardness”… the freezing or melting away of time.  The melting clock could also symbolize the irrelevance of time. In this work the energetic human-like form is holding a huge onion, symbolizing an aura having many layers of energy. The charcoal effect reinforces this energy which gives a swirl to the smaller moving cocks that add momentum to the rapid human form clinging on to the onion.

 

Kurma’s brightly colored wood cut prints in blue and red depict deities from Hindu myths and stories. The energy symbolizes the essence of Oneness. Denoting oneness with the Supreme Being or the merging of the physical with the spiritual. The different ‘astras and vahans’ (weapons or instruments), along with the main figure are descriptive of the function, or the force of nature which it invokes, adding momentum to the entire episode on the surface.

     

 

 

In his smaller paintings on paper, we shall notice that he disregards notions of perspective and the environment that creates it. The primary form or figure is in focus. The form creates the action and the movement and is the carrier of the energy.

The works normally look like sketches from his imagination. The artist works directly on the foreground, introducing lines to direct the viewers\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\' attention around the central figure in the composition and to get rid of the unnecessary details, since they could suggest something beyond the artistic purpose and could appear as something that wasn\\\'t resolved as few of the works are not pre-planned. While some works are created impulsively, step by step, others are scrutinized anecdotes based on familiar experiences, re-creating the story by newer means - through the choices of settings, players, actions, and various narrative devices. The artists\\\' responses to his shift to Baroda, the training he got there, the changing exhibition venues, and audience expectations all play a role in the imagery and the evolving styles. The standards of ‘storytelling’ are re-examined in relation to the themes of childhood, relationships, the family, and the community; the production and reinforcement of a new identity; attitudes towards different people and places; the edge between the present-day reality and personal myths, are all inculcated in his process and meaning of art making.

 

                                                                                                  

Nirali Lal

September 2010