Towards World Records: An Artist’s Aspiration
N.Nandhivarman
The status of artists in various
societies through ages needs a comparative study. Plutarch said that “ no
generous youth, from seeing the Zeus at Olympia or the Hera at Argos longs to
be Phidias or Polyclitus, for it does not of necessity follow that if the work
delights you with grace, the one who wrought it is worthy of esteem”. It was
the story in Greece .
Those days of the quotable quote have become bygone days with widespread public
art galleries coming up to place the artist in high pedestal. The Art Gallery
in Louvre in 1793 and the National art Gallery in London in 1824 placed the artists for public
approval by display of their masterpieces. Napolean III organized Salon
des Refuses during 1863 in which artists thronged
to exhibit their works together till 1886. Without government patronage artists
wanted to assert themselves, hence in 1884 the first Salon des
Independents came into existence These initial steps elevated the
status of artists in public esteem. “Peters Principle” a book oft read by Late
Murasoli Maran enunciates the golden rule for self-improvement. It prescribes
that on attaining one-step ahead; an artist must always aim for higher levels
of achievements. And in Pondicherry
we have one painter who practices this golden rule.
“A mysterious map for
each
An uncharted ocean
for every man
With unmarked lands
to reach
Body was made a
temporary boat
For active mind to
ride
To sail and drift
from place to place
And an illusory soul
to hide
Life chases distant
dreams”
wrote B.V.Selvaraj I.A.S, Secretary Education of
Government of Pondicherry. Keeping in tune with this poetic description a
painter Pondicherry
is trying to sail in an uncharted ocean. His active mind chases the dreams to
secure a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. He is Rama.Mathiazhagan,
who is a Lecturer in Visual Communication Design at the Department of Fine arts
in the Bharathiar Palkalaikoodam. “La Giaconda” is a famous painting by
Leonardo da vinci but unless we say Mona Lisa, no one will easily understand
what it is. Similarly among painters of Pondicherry
if we mention the one who paints “Thalai Keezhaga” in yogic
posture all know the master performer.
In order to blend
painting with yogic practice Rama. Mathiazhagan started his earnest attempt in
1999. “ In the year 1999, I designed a mask that would hold a marker pen. So
when I positioned in the yogic posture of viruchigasana I could draw portraits
with the marker pen ”says Rama.Mathiazhagan. Then he completed 3 paintings in
the year 1999. Light, Jesus and Landscape were the themes of these paintings.
In 2000 Lord Ganesha, An Astrologer, Sarvodaya Leader Acharya Vino Bhave and 23
such pictures were completed giving impetus to his skills. On 26 th December
2000 in the august presence of Chief Minister N.Rangasamy he conducted an Art
Exhibition displaying his skills before an astonished audience. This led to his
exhibition catching in TV Screens.
Having found a novel way to paint
Rama Mathiazhagan sought to secure a place in the Guinness Book of World
Records. Since his method of painting is a novel one the Guinness authorities
had given him a Claim ID 25573 and a Membership Number 25017. “ Categories in
the book are not made up to suit an individual proposal but rather evolve as a
result of international competition in a field, which naturally accommodates
superlatives of the sort that we are interested in” explains Scott Christie of
the Records Research Archives of Guinness World Records in his reply date 8 th
July 2002 to Rama.Mathiazhagan.
Portraits and landscapes apart from national personalities
like Periyar EVR, Mahakavi Bharathiar, Vallalar
are among the hundreds of pictures drawn by Rama Mathiazhagan in the
Padma viruchigasana posture. Chief Minister of Pondicherry N.Rangasamy who
inaugurated his exhibition appreciated his talent and like him all
Pondicherrians are looking for the day when one of its talented men find a
place in World records. Sir Peter Paul Rubens “ The Massacre of the Innocents”
is the most expensive painting which was sold for a record price of $
76,695.702 at Sothby’s London
on July 10 of 2003. We hope one day our accomplished artist will also produce a
painting that beats this record. To place their names in world record every
painter must aspire, and in such ambition he not only improves his self, but
also earns name and fame for his motherland too.
Courtesy : New Indian Express dated :20th
November 2004
