Towards World Records: An Artist’s Aspiration N.Nandhivarman

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 :20^th November 2004