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Canvas of Awadhesh Misra…a radiant space of throbbing past…past as memories...memories as lines, intertwined forms and vagrant colours of nasty patches, hasty brush strokes… surpassing the canvas and touching to the helm of his mind, heart and artist beneath. The whole thrusts of expression of his own 'Village-Psyche’ finds the vent of a satirical form of 'Vizooka' (Scare Crow) to which the farmers install in their fields to protect their crop from birds. In this Vizooka series the satire aspires a bitter and blunt note against corruption in public life, usurping attitude rampant in man and fall from heightened values of politics, justice and governance. Not only this but the suppressed expressions of a constitute city life, where this man is chewed up under the mincing teeth of urban-haste which is a new definition of culture. In the sense his throbbing compositions catch the hollow of time. With this Vizooka series Awadhesh has assigned a new dictum of abstraction to the abstraction itself. Beneath the satirical undertones he silently touches the strings of village culture and suddenly the lost harmony of nature fills our hearts. The master of artistic translucence of hue and lines in Awadhesh intricately creates a unique world of expressive unease and blasphemy of system. How would you like to paint this impulsive advance of mediums and techniques in relation to artistic creativeness? Lines possess a very essential importance in a painting like a soul. When colours start eroding their existence, then it is only lines subsistent. Moreover, it is only lines which create a form that is the central thematics of a painting. But if we talk about present discussion, of which we are an assemblage, it is so now that the definitions, concepts and instincts are changing. We are entering in a whole new world of media and technique asiding away from colours and lines, where, may, there be art but with support of science and technique. Talk of installation, for instance, which was a very astonishing medium, once, but the impact of this 'new media' is going to slide back it. Now the light tones and shades are going to be determined on computer and the eyes will be glued to the monitor. There is no need of any arduous mastery of lines and nor the skill of crafting of shades and tones. Forms are going to be akin to the eye of camera and it is only needed for us to become skilled in ease with the technique and science. In this changing scenario, apart from of these new mediums if we talk of paintings when the line-work has started gradually shrinking, in a sense but line it is still impulsive in your worked. Compositions underlie lines with an astounding attraction, what will you say? Yes, it is true that there are few artists who take drawings as basal aptitude to their paintings. But not only this, the work on canvas is also getting skimpy. What to say, there is a state of utter confusion as what to paint? Many painters started sculpting the images and installations and many sculptors are doing printmaking. It seems as if it is an age of lessened self or perhaps they have harmonized with the mighty-market. But still now, I do draw and paint both. Lines create a subtle interwoven texture in drawings as well it is a very balancing support of the patches of colours in paintings, Abrasive texture provides the roughness of life to the paintings. Though in subtle, those attitudinal inspirations, still, are present in me, some how more concrete (with my art education at Banaras). Due to that drawing, textural ease of forms and sensitivity of tones are central in my paintings. It was all about the aspect of my craft but when to talk of the emotive aspect of mine, it is significant that my birth place is a small village - Mathgovind of District Faizabad in U.P, where pervading through every blunt of seasons, dense of rains, floods, draughts, reddening of sun and chill of winters, I have been a part of agro activities of my family. That bliss, that eagerness of childhood still peeps through my compositions and often becomes thick in the colours and designs. When that life of poor scarcity with an undercurrent of dreams and unwavering will have to conquer the heightened sores of sky comes into mind, then a tiny tear of solace appears in the corner of eye. Your canvas is an overture of forms. Correctly, it can not be said that how it is going to be explained. Inspite of that the Vizooka attracts the attention of perceiver. Is there any special reason to draw a Vizooka? See, there is nothing like absolute abstraction in paintings. There is always some form, though may not be signifying something in particular, as a central point in a painting which actually represents, some how, to society and nature. Mere a stroke of brush creates a shape on canvas resembling to the interstate of mind of an artist or comes in ancillary role of supporting to the main form in a 'silent' way. Thus many forms over my canvas collectively narrate either any tale or explain a particular time or arrangement of life. Specially, the subjects and colour scheme of my paintings never reverberates any Negativity, but they always portray a creative Positivism. The brightness of my colours possesses a glimpse of vibrant Indian culture, positive thinking and compassion of thoughts. Presently, the dark/bright colours are in the use. In your recent paintings in the background the bright yellow, red and black colours a Vizooka is painted. Would you like to relate any special meaning to this? The use of dark or light colours depend upon the mood, actually there are so many rituals and folk arts in our country. Locally, the slang and outfits always change but as to regional dresses and folk arts only the bold colours are being used. Also there are various types of folk dances such as Dhobia Nach, Biraha, Chamrauwa Nach, Huduk, Kaherwa, Kathghodewa, in which traditionally dance outfits are made in bright colours. Besides that wide spread brightness of nature in my village is also a factor. There is everything original in village life there is radiance of yellows, reds, grays, whites of flowers of various crops, as if the nature had worn the colourful dress. The clouds of 'Sawan' and their special colour scheme is only to be experienced by one who has lived in villages and when I face the canvas with a brush in my hand and palate, this whole memory begins to pulsate in my mind and the reflections of that memory come to the canvas. The painting, about which you are talking, is composed in a dark red with a Vizooka standing erect, and an animal form. Virtually, these are age old mates. There is a frame of Chulha (Oven) which is the base of food and subsistence. One can not imagine the taste of Chulhe ki Roti (bread baked in earthen oven). Anyone, who is brought up in city life, simply can not imagine the taste of that bread and also about the running tears of mother in process of enlightening the Chulha. This is the reason that the form of a Chulha ever finds a place in my drawings. As to the message of this painting is concerned this is the colour of bliss, which is subjective to the festivals and festiveness of rural life, which ends the monotony of life. The zigzag of lines are laden with text or intended to be. These lines somewhere get burdened by colours and some where peep through the craft. This creates a texture full of sensitivity of tones. In your paintings abstraction and form are in vice-versa and in the scenes the colour and lines frequently create the images of rituals. In your abstract paintings also a circle and some figurative forms may be identified. Is not it so? Actually, I want to see the abstract side of life that is the ultimate core. Likewise my paintings, also, are apt to this abstraction but in a composition under the background of the texture they play with colours. These forms have no detail, but just symbolical. Whereas the question of rituals is concerned that had been deeply related with me and knowingly or unknowingly they thrust with their faces on the canvas. Besides, the main form of a painting certain supportive-figurative forms do get painted in order to make the painting complete and attractive; moreover, somewhere it is a corrective measure also. Perhaps it happens to every artist as a sequencing of paintings. The images of sun, moon and circles have no classical meaning in the paintings, but is the only eagerness of a child who is listening a tale with his grandmother lying in bamboo cot in the courtyard, which doth comes. Is there any special viewpoint regarding symbols and images in the selection of colours? I work in every colour scheme but sometimes try to make an effort to paint some in separate shades. Sometimes it becomes successful as the colours dancing in mind come to the canvas beating the same rhythm. The symbols and images remain changing according to the subject and emotions. Sometime back I was painting a series in which festive mood of colours, forms and symbols were subject but in this series the childhood memories are subject. The thick layer of colours gives a texture to the painting which can be felt by touching them. This is the visual language of art. In the emerging new art market, on many levels, canvas is becoming out of date. In this changing scenario of changing mediums, how do you determine the future of canvas? Some fifteen years back a campaign was in argument, ‘canvas versus video art’ but that was died down due to the depression of market. This campaign was sponsored by market itself. But always there was canvas and always will be. I am not against the new media but only for the sake of experience not for being swayed away by the glamour of new media. Though the excessive experiencing is to be avoided, lest the technicians will be more powerful than the artist. The whole emergence of this new media in itself is a proof that it is not unequivocally acceptable. The feel and touch of a canvas and a sculpture is the only rein which will lead to the seer towards the original creation. Solely, it will secure the future of canvas. The relation of canvas….. It started with drawing the forms of airplane, bullock carts and birds with finger or with a little stalk people always were promoting but there was no guidance regarding art teaching. Thus by the passing time I have completed BA at Faizabad where I met a person, who was trained at the College of Arts and Crafts, Lucknow. It was an origination of my endeavor of art education, as I have topped in Art Master's Training at Lucknow and been awarded a Gold Medal in Fine Arts at BHU. Later on, I have completed my doctorate from Rohilkhand University, Bareilly. I was fortunate enough that I have received promotion and support of my family and my wife Dr. Leena Misra for making my relation with canvas more deep by making me free from all domestic and family chores. Picasso once told that, 'there is no existence of an art work… that is no physical entity but art is a way of living.' Don’t you think that still art is not related to the life and a common man has no concern with the art? As to the question of the relation of common man with the art, we can not say that it is not so. Many art forms have been originated in the life of common man, though; the contemporary art is not, yes! But towards this lack of communion not any single side is responsible. One of this is, that art has made its contact with the market and auction houses which is driven by the dream of an artist to become celebrity and sumptuous with money but a common man can not dream of a house worth crores where he can put a painting, rather he is under a struggling phase for his bread, mainly. Thus at this point the whole society is responsible. There is no art which enhances the terror and violence and casteism and communalism. The need of the hour is that this type of thoughts should be communicated to the society that art makes one to become more sensitive and it is the sensitivity which generates the values like sympathy and empathy. Since a decade you have been related with the editorial work of Kala Dirgha, Journal of Visual Arts. Whether this editorial work puts any hindrance to your creativity? No, both are supportive to each other. In the course of editing the Kala Dirgha, I regularly come through the work of various artists, art events and movements. I feel that each artist needs 'something' to break his monotony and this 'something' is the Kala Dirgha to me. That's why the regular publication of Kala Dirgha and shows are going simultaneously since the year 2000. Your shows are regularly being organized abroad. What type of comments do generally you get there? Exhibitions have been organized of my paintings at London, Birmingham, Dubai and Muscat where they got lauded richly. Many of them have got sold and I regularly beget prompting praises by visitors of my website: www.awadhesharts.com. Many of my paintings have got adoration over the covers of literary books. Whichever I got is pleasant. What else is needed for an artist? I dream that my paintings reach to the every corner of the world. Any future plans? In this year, some prestigious exhibitions are in the pipe line at Mumbai, Delhi and other cities in the country. If time is no scarcity, I will try to organize more and work more, too, not for the market but towards the enhancement of my soul, virtually, which is the whole universe. Though I want to paint the whole ethos of suffering and pain, not in any negative sense but in a deep sense of positivism, which is the core of my being. I am an optimist up to the core. So I want to live and create the picture of bliss and celebration of life. I want to live with this whole existence of which I am a tiny part. I think, this is the only way to mean for which I am created; this is the ultimate thankfulness as a man and an artist.
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