Mementoes caring for Nature's Cultural Symbols

Chitra Vaidya, is well known especially as a ‘Landscape-Artist’. She was a fine-art student of Sir J. J. School of Arts. Artist M. K. Kelkar gave her guidance to learn the technique of Landscape art. Maharashtra has a tradition of the landscape art and her art fits in that traditional frame. To achieve subtle knowledge of the Western art she went to Europe accompanied by a group of artists. This excursion brought a remarkable change in her performance style. She turned about vigilant for the fundamental elements, their setting, colour medium etc and was enthusiastic in experimenting.

This novel exhibition gives us a delightful experience to our eyes. This exhibition is named as 'Call of the Hills’. The original concept of this exhibition came from Shri Milind Sathe, the Founder of Art India Foundation. The Hill Stations or the Cold Climate Places have a distinguished position situated in our minds. At one phase we can enjoy the unbound nature, clear, cloudless sky and the pleasant, cheerful climate, while simultaneously we can experience the buildings indicating the novel presence of ‘Hill Stations’, like the British Colonial mementos. All these things create a distinctive ambience. In spite of this, the personal memories attached with them create a very different and touching experience. This whole lot is expressed alive by Chitra Vaidya through her art.

All these drawings are painted in water colours and acrylic paints, among them are the pictures caring for the purity of medium, where as some are exhibiting delicate mood even through the thickness of acrylic paint. In some of these pictures, one can find that, the reality and experience - cultured mementoes in the figures of mountain ranges, doors of the buildings and artistic furniture demonstrate merely beautifulness. Particularly, there is not any human figure in these pictures, yet the feeling of his sensitive mind and its existence is there.

Here, you can see two types of pictures. Sheer nature free of human cultures the mountain ranges, trees etc. In another type, there are nature marks brought up and moulded with architectural shapes, still having intimacy with human feelings. The familiar landscape painting style is used in pictures of the first type. The extensive space and three dimensional manifestations reveal the particular style. The expressionist style is used with the colours such as red, green yellow and blue. The reflection of these colours in viewers’ mind is more impressive than actual colours. One can see a beautiful scene extended from a green trail towards brown, purple and a light blue coloured mountain range and a yellowish stretch of sky. In other one, four lines of farms stretched up to the horizon are painted in different green shades and parallel lines dividing these farms as red, orange and purple flower beds. One can see one part of horizon showered with evening-colour where as the other part looks like an overshadowed sky. The spectacular setting of colours and shapes creates a mysterious and beautiful atmosphere.

In the pictures of another type, one can see the structures revealing the heritage of the British. The guest houses, restaurants, hotels, churches at the hill stations have a specific identity. They too contribute large in creating atmosphere. Chitra Vaidya has used in her art some doors, windows, interior furniture. This Colonial heritage is now a day has remained as historical mementoes. The doors and windows in the picture have impact of Gothic styled architecture (from northern France). A triangular shape at the top of door, both sided slanting roof, sharp arches on windows, composition of geometrical shaped stained glass, such variations are used in her art. One of the pictures shows glass door in blue-gray shades, geometrical shapes and encouraging the frozen frustration, letters "ElPalazo" on the circular window at the top on the door. Whereas Portico like Gothic arches with twilight appear in another one. The red stone wall with vertical canvass occupying blue-black arched window, reflection of tree branches on the window panes all such things in her art connote distinguish.

Yet one more landscape due to its style used of shapes is attracts our attention. Though it is as usual painted in water colours, railings and steps of staircase, shape of tiled roof that casts shadow and greenery around create a spectacular pattern.

In short, the exhibition "Call of the Hills" calls for the landscapes in your inner compartment of memories and make realize a special visual experience.