Nostalgia (நினைவுகள்)

Titled "Nostalgia", this painting was intended to portray the childhood impressions that shaped my artistic sensibilities.I grew up in a small town on the foothills of western ghats, which has a famous Shiva temple belonging to the late Pandya period. When we moved to this town, the temple did not have a tower. In the 1950s the temple tower was destroyed in a fire and the damaged tower stayed as such for some years, till it was demolished in 1967. The temple remained without a tower (only with the passageway), until a new tower (ராஜ கோபுரம்) was built in1990.

Images of the partially damaged tower (மொட்டை கோபுரம்) had fascinated me. Conspiracy theories were doing the rounds as to how this tower was damaged. The sculptures in this temple represent the master stone craftsmanship of Pandya period. Larger than life in size and stylized elegance, these sculptures have left a permanent impression on my mind. Nearby water falls surrounded by the beauty of the western ghats has always been an inspiration for my artistic pursuits.

 “NOSTALGIA” – Oil on canvas – 24” X 36”

In this oil painting, I have painted the protagonist in the foreground, while the memories are depicted in the background. Foreground is painted in polychrome as against the background in monochrome to create a dramatic effect. The impressions of damaged temple tower, temple car, temple sculpture and water fall are represented in the background. This painting was exhibited in the 34th Annual Mahatma Gandhi Centenary Exhibition-2003, conducted by Victoria Technical Institute, Chennai. 

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