A depiction of the subtle layers of the mind that dictate action…. Recently (on 4th April 2008), a painting exhibition ‘Memoria : The Primordial Dance’ by Vivek Anand was inaugurated at Shri Ram Kala Kendra, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi. The exhibition will continue till 11th April. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Vivek Anand, Smt. Uma Anand (Vivek’s Mother), Ketan Anand (Brother), Krishan Khanna, Renu Khanna, Uma Vasudev, Ebrahim Alkazi, Shobha Deepak Singh, Pankaj Singh (son of Rajnath Singh) & Vani Tripathi (actress and social worker) among many others.
On this occasion Vivek Anand said, the paintings for this exhibition came after a lot of soul-searching and waiting for the ideas that I wanted to depict to gel. After reflecting on the various exhibitions that I have worked on, I found that the idea of vibrations emanating from different sources and their influence on our mind was a good base to try and understand human psyche. If one were to reflect upon the Buddha for instance, he had summed it up with the saying “Karma creates all like an artist, karma composes like a dancer.” Keeping this saying in mind, I have tried to portray the circumstances that reflect the emotions that govern us and shape our lives and our future. To do this I had to reflect on the main instrument of our decision-making faculty: the mind.
He says, ‘Memoria: The Primordial Dance’ is a depiction of the subtle layers of the mind that dictate action. To begin with we have the representation of the all-pervasive non- matter, interpreted in the color black or dark brown or dark blue. Within this is the super-conscious mind depicted in the star-like memory chips that float in the dark container. Surrounding the dancing bodies, in a blaze of color, is the unconscious mind that envelopes them and thereby galvanizes them to action.
According to Vivek, Memoria is a struggle towards clearing my mind from the chaotic mental reactions within modern man and a mindset that is governed by the various informative or persuasive channels that rule modern life. To do this, I have simply divorced myself from the constant and obvious barrage of currents of thought that are daily triggered by the various reactions that surround our daily lives; media, hype and inter-relationship reactions. I have then simply let my mind wander through the basic and primitive emotions that lie in our minds; emotions that life is essentially based on and without which it cannot subsist. The outcome till now is represented in the set of paintings that are on show, and hopefully will be the start of another set that may clear my own mind of its self-inflicted cobwebs, and perhaps lead to a searching of the soul that finally clarifies my mind.
The paintings are in order of precedence: (1) Memoria; duality, (2) Memoria; awakening (3) Memoria ; evolution, (4) Memoria; karma’s dance, (5) Memoria; time-pieces, (6) Memoria; duet, (7) Memoria; desire, (8) Memoria; change and (9) Memoria; despair. In my extension to this set of paintings, I want to extend the theme to one of resurgence, within a slightly different set of parameters.
About Vivek Anand:
Born on June 8, 1950, into the eminent family of creative film-makers of Bombay, Vivek is the younger son of Chetan Anand, eldest brother of Dev and Vijay (Goldie) Anand. His mother the writer Uma Anand comes from a line of distinguished educationists, scholars and writers.
Vivek, after graduating with Honours from St. Stephen’s College Delhi, went on to get a degree through the London Polytechnic, UK in 1976, doing a definitive thesis on the world-famous Dutch director Bert Haanstra in Holland. On his return to India, he worked in the field with the late Padma Bhushan Dr. Komal Kothari of Rupayan Sansthan, on several projects in Rajasthan.
In 1982 he accompanied the Exhibition ‘Gods of the Byways’ with Dr Kothari and E. Alkazi, theatre director and art expert on invitation to the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford to bring Indian traditional Folk art to the UK. Vivek then joined the Indian film industry as cameraman, working in both feature films and TV serials. He aided his father, the late Chetan Anand, in the nationally acclaimed TV series “Param Vir Chakra” as cinematographer and director. He has made several music videos. He has directed the Children’s film ‘Neel Parbat ke Paar”, starring Naseeruddin Shah and his own son Surya Rishi Anand as a child artist.
His exhibition “Divine Element” on Vedanta was a moment of truth for many Delhiites in 2005, and was critically acclaimed. He has recently turned to painting, which for the past decade he had been doing as a personal hobby
His recent Exhibition at the Cymroza Art Gallery, Mumbai, “Mumbai Blues and Genetic Flight” caught the attention of the art world. Vivek’s works, both photographs and painting, are represented in many private collections in India and abroad.
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