Banners, flag makers make a fast buck, thanks to Samaikyandhra stir

‘Make hay while the sun shines’, goes the adage. Many appear to be cashing in on the agitation in support for Samaikyandhra as it is gaining pace with every passing day. The people, who are making the most out it, are the makers of flex banners, flags, effigies, cloth banners, posters and most importantly the folk artistes such as Gangireddu owners and Kolatam.

Venkatesh, who is into the art of ‘Gangireddulaata’ and a resident of a village on the outskirts of Vijayawada city said, “During normal times this period of the year is considered to be lean, as we look for daily wage in the farms, but with the agitation we are in great demand.”

According to him ever since the agitation kicked off, he and his friends are having a busy time. “In a year we are busy with our art only during Sankranti and Vinayaka puja, thanks to the agitation, cash has been raining,” said an innocent Mr.Venkatesh, unmindful and quite oblivious of the outcome of the stir.

The Gangireddulaata has become a regular feature in the agitation, thanks to the innovative approaches being adopted by the various striking JACs.

Mr. Venkatesh charges about Rs. 5,000 for one hour show and his troupe comprises two fully-decked bulls and seven musicians. “Since last 10 days we have been performing at least two shows a day.

Sometimes, we are booked by the APNGOs or by the Autonagar Technicians Association or by some other JAC,” he said.

Not only are the Gangireddulu owners, effigy makers are busy with their art of making effigies of Sonia Gandhi, KCR or Digvijay Singh.

According to one effigy maker on Eluru Road, the charges range between Rs.300 and Rs.1,000 and on an average he makes about five effigies a day.

The cash box has been ringing well even for the flexi makers. We undertake project on turnkey basis, said Ganesh, a DTP operator, explaining the concept. “We make flexies, posters, flags and banners and business has been good in the last few days, thanks to the agitation,” he added.

The order ranges from 100 to 200 banners and flexies on a daily basis and the charge for banners range from Rs.10 to Rs.15 per square foot for banners, he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Sumit Bhattacharjee / Vijayawada – August 20th, 2013

He develops his works from the archives of his experiences and exposure to Indian tradition. Chippa Sudhakar, a Hyderabad-based artist, who recently showcased his multimedia works at Gallery Veda in Chennai, engages with different media to build a narrative through metaphors and symbols, giving a voice to his concerns about contemporary reality. Chippa uses wood, glass and resin in acrylic for etching, carved relief and colour washes.

Wood as an organic medium is subject to decay. The artist employs it to allegorise the mortality of existence and its fragility in a world dictated and dominated by diverse technologies with man exploiting nature perilously to near-destruction. His glass resin sculptures reflect upon life that has assumed the humdrum of mechanical subsistence.

As a creative individual, Chippa has engaged productively with his excellence obtained in technique and skills to develop a visual language which is dominantly figurative. The process of creating art nevertheless is inherently complex, conditioned by the contingencies of moments in the experiences of the artist’s life. As a sensitive artist, Chippa has perceptively observed certain realities of life, which he has extended to communicate visually through an artistic vocabulary and formal elements.

His recent works are forms of his thoughts, are constitutive of his experiences and show a thematic engagement with varied social, cultural, environmental, ecological, technological issues; to make explicit his concerns in a world that is riding on a trajectory sans emotions and sentiments in the race of survival. His mixed media on wood including the book format has the representation of his stockpile images as the shaven head, lotus flower, florid creepers, triangles, squares and cryptic pictographs of ubiquities as the house, trees, plants, flowers, boat, pot, lamp etc. These images, which serve as metaphors and symbols, have been culled thoughtfully and suitably from nature, culture and technology to convey a particular message—like, the house (security and familial relationships), trees and plants (nature), boat (fulfillment of aspirations and dreams), lotus (security and renewal), auto parts (mechanical life) etc. These eloquently help in engaging the viewer to decode the meaning. Chippa’s works mesmerise through their simplicity, naivety and clean and uncomplicated imagery, which elicits responses in throwing up valid questions. Are we becoming insensitive to our realities by leading mechanical lives? Is there an element of sympathy or feelings and empathetic emotions still remaining within us? Is technology ruling every aspect of our lives? What are we striving for? What do we want? These questions provocatively unfold through his indulgence with concepts and different media, explored with sharp acumen. He has created three-dimensional life-size heads from glass resin with insertions of auto parts and flowers; mixed media painting on wood with relief carving; has painted book forms and etchings that allow him to convey different dimensions of life in today’s glocalised world. He says, “I delve into the nature of the medium and strive hard to arrive at an understanding of its character. The process of exploring and experiencing different media is similar to knowing and understanding people around me. Relationships are an integral part of my work. The imagery and motifs emerge instinctively from my mind”.

In analysing Chippa’s works, it is important to  consider his articulation with formal elements, namely shapes, colours, textures lines, values, helping in clarifying his ideas. The engagement with sculpture articulates the narrative of mechanised life, with concerns for producing more wealth and possessions. His life-size transparent heads with mechanical auto parts reveal these ideas. Some heads contain flowers in white and purple, marking his take on spirituality. The heads were coloured in red, blue and purple, symbolically signifying anger, calm and meditative serenity or spirituality respectively.

Textures in Chippa’s works have a dominant role lending an enigmatic quality, attracting the viewers to a closer scrutiny. This is further reinforced by his earthy colours as yellow ochres, raw umbers, sepia, reds and foliage greens as well as deep sea blues sky blue, spiritual purples and sunset orange.

Book is a poignant metaphor in Chippa’s work. Many of his works have text and numbers, reinforcing their potential visual power.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Magazine / by Ashrafi S. Bhagat / October 20th, 2013

As a part of beautification of city, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) will soon take up mural art works in mosaic, cement and mixed media on wall surfaces at public places and on the pillars and ramps of flyovers in the city.

In this connection, the corporation has invited tenders from artists and art firms.

The GHMC will open technical bids on August 14. A  committee constituted by the GHMC commissioner will evaluate and select the technical bids basing on the experience of the artists or firms. The proposed themes will be evaluated by a committee and the financial bids of eligible bidders will be opened later and finalised.

Depending upon the themes proposed and rates quoted, empanelment of artists/firms will be made for taking up the works.

GHMC officials told Express that interested artists can examine the sites and obtain all information necessary for executing the works.

As the art work is to be taken up outdoors, standard colours and paints of branded companies must be used so that the works last long, they added.

After completion of the work, it will be verified by the work scrutiny committee or by a competent authority. Payment will be released only after the committee certifies that the work has been executed as per specifications.

The committee can also notify the bidder of any defects, which must be corrected. If the defect is not rectified, penalty will be imposed and same would be deducted from the bills, they said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by S.  Bachan Jeet Singh / ENS – Hyderabad / August 12th, 2013