5 All Day ( http://www.facebook.com/pages/5-All-Day/308122452548281 ) is a nice, intimate space located opposite the Gordon House Hotel in Colaba, in the lane behind Regal Cinema. They launch their artist promotion with me, and I am grateful to them for picking me as their first, on a Friday night which sees music and art being showcased together.

The Beylu Boys are ambitious travelers with a love for music and their instruments which includes the Turkish guitar and Trumpet, they have spread their music all over and their favourite place so far has been ‘Istanbul’ as Janski says.

The combination of of the 30′s swing and Spanish guitar played by Sannaan Kumar takes you back to a time that one could wish was a part of. Sannaan takes on the guitar with some classical stringing and keen sound with very selective taste, he brings out his best tunes and chivalrous charm only to keep you wanting more.

5 All Day promises a beautiful evening and beautiful art by me, Jai ‘Zaiu’ Ranjit and music with these performers and their exotic instruments (Mr Sannaan Kumar,Mr Ayki and Mr Janski presents Street jazz and 30′s Swing).

P.s. No entry charges apply. So swing by with your hopes high.

This is the link to their event page : http://www.facebook.com/events/186730388081294/

The artwork being showcased on my part is a collection of works from the time I started painting in 2007 till today in 2011. Works in abstract and works in my own quirky Picasso-esque portraiture come together to cover ideas of philosophy and imagination.

I do hope to see you tonight, Friday the 25th of November, 2011 from 10pm onwards!

Several art galleries in South Mumbai have decided to band together to create more accessibility for the public. They’ve decided to keep their doors open on the FIRST THURSDAY and the LAST SUNDAY of every month beyond the regular 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. timings by extending working hours till 9.30 p.m.

This means that if you haven’t been to the opening of an exhibition before, chances are you will now. Also, it’s a boon for those who love art but can’t go see any because they’re still at work when the galleries normally close shop for the day.

The galleries in question here are :

Chemould Prescott Road http://www.gallerychemould.com/

Gallery Beyond http://www.gallerybeyond.in

Gallery BMB http://www.gallerybmb.com/ 

Chatterjee & Lal http://www.chatterjeeandlal.com/ 

Mirchandani + Steinrucke http://www.galeriems.com/ 

Gallery Maskara http://www.gallerymaskara.com/ 

Lakeeren http://www.lakeerengallery.com/ 

Project 88 http://www.project88.in/ 

Sakshi http://www.sakshigallery.com/

The Guild http://www.guildindia.com/

Volte http://www.volte.in/ 

Right, now that that’s out of the way, let’s get down to the shows themselves!

First up, Gallery BMB‘s current presentation, Transcience.( http://www.gallerybmb.com/exhibition/CurrentShow/CurrentShow.html )

A solo exhibition of photographs, installations, sculptures and a multi-piece marker painting by Yardena Kurulkar, it is interesting. Now, I know that ‘interesting’ is a dangerous word to use, but, here I use it most positively. For some reason, the only words that come to my mind are ‘deliciously twisted’. 

As you enter the gallery, you’re confronted by a set of images to your right, of a human head moulded in clay in various states of watery submersion and dissolving. As soon as you turn away from these images, you’re standing in front of a white, lidless tank, which comes across more like a coffin than anything else, filled with water. Inside is a human form in clay, making the water murkier and heavier as it slowly dissolves into a pile of unrecognizable mush. What is troubling for the mind is that while the face has dissolved completely, the abdominal area is above the water level, and though wet, hasn’t melted away. In fact, it’s a paradoxical existence : the wet clay has cracked as though baked by the sun in a desert.

On the other side of the central wall in the gallery is a vast array of heads. Yes, heads. Stoneware clay human heads half submerged in water and an inch-thick layer of oil within glass cubes, on a rather large iron rack. A morbid collection for sure, and yet extremely intriguing. In the back room, we come across the creepiest piece by far : a stoneware clay child wrapped in moulded cloth, resting upon an epitaph-like slab on which is engraved

“Rock-a-bye baby
In the tree top
When the wind blows
The cradle will rock
When the bough breaks
The cradle will fall
Down will come baby
Cradle and all“

All this inside a sealed glass case.

Now, you might think that this show seems so morbid from the way I describe it, but it isn’t actually. Despite the show having such a ‘creepy’ vibe to it, it’s very easy to relate to, something that was affirmed by the artist’s statements as follows :
“Yardena Kurulkar’s work is the consequence of years of reflection around the journey of Life and Death. Her work aims to capture the essence of their co-existence, their inter-dependence, the similarities between them and the contradictions they pose…The fear of death can be confronted only when we recognise its transience rather than perceive it as terminal. Death after all, is an indispensable cog in the cycle of Life.”

This is perfectly shown in a highly simple conceptual piece titled  ”Death of a marker“, in which the artist has taken a brand new marker and drawn a constant, high amplitude sine wave over a series of sheets of paper letting the marker dry out on it’s own as it goes through its life cycle from being freshly opened to being completely drained of the ink, it’s life-blood. 

All in all, a brilliant collection of work, with great congratulations due to Yardena Kurulkar.

Next up : Balaji Ponna’s “Looking Is Not Seeing” at The Guild Mumbai.

The Guild is known to be a very active gallery that encourages thinking outside the box and displays all forms of art proudly. This exhibition is no exception. Balaji Ponna is a large mind in a small body, and his works reflect this. The canvasses are large, the ideas even bigger. Working on a socio-political theme since 2004, Balaji’s ideas are direct and well thought out. The paintings are oil on canvas and are summed up well by the phrases written on them in simple typography towards the bottom in the middle. The text does not intervene or interfere with the image : it “stays on the surface by virtue of its flat, two-dimensional nature”.

The show has three separate installation pieces as well, which are very nicely carried out. Paver blocks we walk on everyday on the streets have been painted various colours and have, moulded onto them, figures in various positions of repose or movement. A yarn hung from the wall is being spun into a noose. Bricks kept standing in the shape of a triangle have the top end shaped like a roof.  These pieces work well with the paintings to place a heavy stamp on ideas of political distrust, corruption and loss. Contemplation is invited, and this Baroda-based artist has created works that act as starting points for the viewer to begin from.

Over at Sakshi Gallery we have “Staging Selves : Power, Performativity & Portraiture“.

A group show in photography curated by renowned art critic, curator, writer and scholar, Maya Kovskaya. It presents work by Ravi Agarwal, Sheba Chhachhi, Gauri Gill, Samar Jodha, Tejal Shah, Waswo X Waswo, Malekeh Mayiny, Han Bing and O Zhang.

A show with several strong pictures, these artists “have made it a part of their practice to question, problematize and blur the artificial binary between the ‘staged’ and the ‘documentary’, self-consciously investigating the power relations implicit in the pretension of ‘representation’”. The images are varied in location, time and culture, but all have a strong sense of personality in common. You cannot escape these pictures, and you honestly don’t want to. The humanity in all the photographs is visible : strengths of conviction in the documented, belief in oneself in the staged. 

If  you weren’t excited about art in Mumbai before, you should be now. With shows like these following the unbelievably engaging ‘On The Sidereal’ at The Guild and the ‘Open Studio with T. Venkanna’ at Gallery Maskara last month, this season looks to only get better and better!

On a slightly personal front, these gallery hops are going to get more frequent, as well as the resulting blogposts. If you wish to join me on a gallery hop, follow me on twitter (I’m @zaiuranjit ) and look out for the #GalleryHop hashtag!

Until next time! Keep creating!

Jai ‘Zaiu’ Ranjit

Take a look and give her your take on fashion, styles and looking good!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Purple-Carpet/106247776136519

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXphE-VVdTY&feature=youtu.be&hd=1

We hope you like it, and hope to make many more too!

Smaran’s on twitter : @SmaranSahu, has a blog : www.n7photography.blogspot.com and his videos can be found at :  http://vimeo.com/n7films

My eyes adjust to the bright light.

My skin reacts to the heat,

Sleep losing the morning fight.

My mind begins to work,

Waking me up to the joys of the day ahead.

My lips quiver in anticipation

Of all the things that will be said.

My ears are eager,

They await the sound of her voice.

My heart beats faster

As I hear her steps in every surrounding noise.

She is near me now,

I can feel her electricity.

Her colour and energy

Send me into a state of frenzy.

Ah, but that was just a dream,

A dream most sweet.

I truly awake now :

The dream was a reality that knocked me off my feet.

I have found it possible to harness this power, this energy, and store it until required. The strength required to battle the pounding surge of emotion is deep, and you may think you are going to fail, but it’s at that precise moment that you realise what and who you are : just another stone that’s worn down by the surging water of a river to a pebble, or the incredibly stubborn rock that stands its ground and refuses to be reshaped.

In a moment where love, sorrow and connections to the past and present fight for the golden laurel, you must ask yourself, “Do I want to know who and what I am, or am I too afraid to face myself?”

I answered that question today : I am not afraid. I know who and what I am. I’m the stone no river could wear down. I’m a living part of the universe. I live, I shall die, and the Universe will continue to grow with changes to destinies and fates effected by my choices and questions.

I have loved, I am in love, I will love. The power of this moment is astonishing, breathing inspiration into my very core.

I hope that you, dear reader, have experienced this moment yourself. If not, dear reader, I hope you do.

BELIEVE ME.

As I write this, the mural is STILL not finished. It’s been a piece of work 6 weeks in the making. A process that has driven me to the edge and is threatening to nudge me over, the painting of this mural has given me a figurative and literal pain in the neck. You’ll understand why pretty soon.

Let’s begin by introducing you to the space :

Cool Chef Cafe (http://www.facebook.com/coolchefcafe)

Thadani House329/A Worli VillageWorli Sea FaceTurn Left After Bandra-Worli Sea LinkMumbai 400030+9122 24301127 / 322311997666660660

Cool Chef is a family run business of food and fun run by the Thadanis. Kaviraj, the younger son, is the Kitchen, while Tarun is the promoter and event co-ordinator of sorts. Together, they’ve dreamed up a bar to add to their restaurant, which doubles up as a party venue.

Located opposite the Coast Guard, near INS TRATA at Worli village, it’s not the easiest place to find unless you’re looking for it, but it does have a relaxed, jazzy, Goan vibe to it which makes up for being a little bit of a find.

Now, the bar project itself.

Tarun got in touch with me in April, and told me about this new bar that he and Kaviraj were starting, and that he wanted me to paint a wall in it.  That’s where the process begins.

Week 1 : The Beginning

I go to Cool Chef Cafe to meet Tarun and talk about the project. He briefs me on the bar concept and what ideas he has. While we eat lunch together, he shows me images of a bar painted by artist Todd James a.k.a Reas as well as paintings.

I’m asked to use his images to create a design for the wall, but to dress up the many naked women with large ‘boobies’ that Reas favours in his visuals. Among the images I’m shown are those of terrorists wearing fluorescent pink, green, yellow, red and blue clothes wielding green guns. Interesting, I must say.

I’m shown the space, and explained how two rooms will be turned into one large space by demolishing the separating wall. Okay, doesn’t sound so tough, does it?

Sigh. If only.

I measure out the wall and take my notes. Once home, I take a couple of days to come up with a proper scale drawing of the wall I’m supposed to paint.

Week 2 : The Approval

Once the design is ready, I email it to Tarun and await his comments. Positive response with amendments. Changes made, sent for approval. Quick response. Colours are liked. I tell Tarun to let me know when the wall’s ready.

Week 3 : The Annoying Wait

Tarun tells me to come in and see the space. I go. The wall’s untouched. A window is being removed first. Next trip again the wall’s still standing. Annoyance creeps in. I tell him to let me know when the wall is actually ready.

Week 4 : The Beginning of the Work?

The wall’s finally brought down and a false ceiling is being made. Again, I must wait. The walls are not ready to be painted on. They must be scrubbed and readied still. A few more days lost because the wall guys have done the scrubbing and put the putty (laambi) which takes a day to dry. Then primer goes on. First coat. Takes another day. In the mean time, Tarun asks me to draw out one figure from the design on the wall so that he can see how it might look. I do so. “Hmmm. It’s not working, na?” is the statement I hear.

Okay. He says he’ll talk to someone to decide on the design again. Okay.

I go in again. I’m told that they want to put on a SECOND coat of primer so I should come on Monday. Also, Tarun tells me that we’re scrapping the design we’d approved, and that I should do something abstract of my own.

Oh, and I’d be painting ALL THE WALLS AND THE CEILING OF THE BAR now.
Week 5 : THE WORK COMMENCES!

FINALLY I’m allowed to start drawing. It takes two full days of work to draw out the design, since the paint has not been bought yet. In those two days, Tarun and I make a trip to Asian Paints in Bandra to choose the colours.

Colours selected, but not yet bought. A full day goes to waste. Tarun buys the paints and calls me in. Ah. Fresh paint. Fresh walls. The magnitude of this ‘mural’ has not hit me yet. I’m assuming at this point that I’ll be done painting in like two or three days. Cocky, right?

So I begin. And it hits. HARD. This is going to take more than just a few days. Painting moves slowly, because there’s a ton of other things happening at the same time.

Ideally, a painter is called in after all the carpentry, masonry and electricals are finished with. Not so here. I’m trying to paint while wood and marble are being cut, holes are drilled into the walls in the wrong places twice and then the right places and plaster of paris sections are constantly broken and remade.

Painting the walls is no big deal : armed with rollers, large sections are conquered. It’s the small ones that are painful.

Painting the ceiling? Pain in the neck, as I’ve mentioned before. Cravings for flat scaffoldings on which I might lie down and draw and paint become a very annoying desire. I must paint through the pain.

While all of this is fine, have you ever felt like you’re about to melt like chocolate in an oven at 400 degrees Centigrade?  Painting in this space feels like it. Possibly worse, because it’s the same heat inside as it is under the torrid summer Sun of May. There’s only ONE stand fan in the room and it is shared by 4 labourers and me on a stool in the opposite corner of the room from where they’re being all dusty with their cutting and grinding.

Heat, pain and no network on the phone mean I’m losing my mind and getting tired all too fast. It’s a workout, both physically and mentally.

Week 6 : The End Is Nigh.

As the 6th week ends, hopes of finishing are left standing in the dust as we roll on by. With little help coming from the social media SOS’s I’ve been sending out, it’s been a long, hard battle to find any form of comfort in the fact that I may be finished soon.

As I work in silence while things go on around me, I’m given horrid news. Tarun dislikes the yellow on the wall, and the light pink. Both colours he chose. Double work. Annoyance.

I grit my teeth and continue.

The annoyance disappears just as quickly, because my lovely student Dharmista and her younger daughter Khushali drop in to lend a hand and see what’s been keeping me from taking classes. They take up brushes and rollers and paint in large and small sections to give me some hope of a quicker finish.

A couple of other friends and Tweeple join in over the days and I get more and more done.

Today, I had to stop short of finishing the whole thing because I ran out of spray paint. Silly, right?

Week 7 : It Ends.

My hope is that by Tuesday, I’ll have finished this mural completely along with all the changes that the Thadanis want. Like changing the location of the door they want to break the wall for. And colour changes. It’ll happen. It will.

—————————————————————————————————

It doesn’t. It goes on. Week 7 melts into Week 8 with severe delays and changes. Also, Week 7′s Friday sees a soft opening for the unfinished space with a Salsa Night..good response, people like the colours and design.

Week 8 : After all the changes and madness I’m losing my mind. I’ve gone to Pune over the weekend for work, and told Tarun that I’ll be back Monday, so to keep my cheque ready. I get delayed to Tuesday, giving him an extra day.

The cheque’s not ready. I’ve come to do the final touch ups. I complete everything and am made to wait. I finally meet him 2 hours later, and he’s got a cheque. Thing is, it’s only for 5,000. Not 30,000. He wants to negotiate the price down a hell of a lot, which I refuse. I explain to him how working on this project has cost me income from students and other opportunities. How I’ve been walking from Worli to Matunga Road (around 4km) in the evenings because I didn’t have enough money for cab fare. He still tries to negotiate. I’m frustrated and angry at this point so I agree to a small drop in price on witnessed agreement to installment payment every week from the next week.

It’s finally over, barring payment.

An Afterthought :

If you ever hire an artist, make sure you can afford our services and can pay half up front if not the full amount. We do not take kindly to delayed payments when that is the only source of income for us. Just an afterthought.

If you get a chance to drop in at Cool Chef Cafe’s new bar, check out the artwork and let me know what you think!

SO, I decided to take the leap and start with baby steps. I got a good response for my silly little snippets, so I upped the ante with the next one. Music!

Now, for those of you who don’t know me,  I’m not the most tech-savvy guy around, even for an artist in the 21st Century. I’m using Windows MovieMaker for these ultra-short films, and I’m still learning the ropes of music mixing and editing, so forgive me these faltering attempts.

Hope you enjoy watching!

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150173816475883

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150174202945883

Last year, I found a Canon QL17 G-III Canonet camera at a raddi-wala.

Today, I found a Canon T80 with an AC 50mm f/1.8 lens in a cupboard at home.

Now, if only I could find buyers for my paintings with such ease, life would be much more of a smooth sail.

Picture take-out-ing will happen soon!!!

Acrylic on canvas

6ft x 3ft

2011