Why the Soul of Surrealism is in India

Lee Krasner“Nude Study from Life”, 1938.
©2013 The Pollock-Krasner Foundation/ Artists Right Society (ARS), New York.
The Menil Collection, Houston, gift of William J. Hill, in honour of Christopher de Menil.
Courtesy of The Menil Collection, Houston.

If all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players, then where do the Surrealists sit?
 According to my imagined global map of where art movements should be located, the Impressionists are based in the South of France, the Blaue Reiter in Germany, the Nabis in Stockholm, Cubism in Iceland, the Old Masters (da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, etc.) in Italy, Aestheticism in Decorative Arts in Shanghai, Digital Art in Oslo, and Lyrical Abstraction in Tokyo.

Of course, this is entirely subjective, but I think that certain countries, or cities, really do go hand in hand with the style or ideals that various art movements represent.

 In my opinion, Surrealism would be well represented by some small artistic or spiritual commune in India. The theory of Surrealist Automatic Drawing alone represents this to near perfection. The idea is that the drawing comes from allowing your hand to move at random across the page, leaving the image free of logical or rational thought processes, and allowing chance to play a large part in the final result. Another part of the thinking behind this is that, without the logical part of your brain being used, the subconscious also affects the final result – thereby allowing a hidden part of the psyche to be revealed.

“The real functioning of thought”: André Breton (the founder of Surrealism) pinpointed the expression of this as the ultimate aim of Surrealism. So, yes, in my eyes, a spiritual commune in India is the perfect base location for all budding Surrealists. Namaste.

Left:

Ajanta Caves.
Maharashtra, before 2^nd century BCE.
India.

Right:

Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple).
Amritsar, Punjab, 1585-1604.
India.

If you are interested in Surrealism, but a journey to India seems a little far (or far-fetched), the Menil Collection, Houston, is the perfect alternative. Currently hosting the exhibition Late Surrealism, you have until August 25th to get to grips with your subconscious, and those of the artists represented. If you’d prefer to do so in the privacy of your own home, grab a copy of Nathalia Brodskaïa’s Surrealism!

- Fiona Torsch

Do not judge a building by its façade.

Public housing has a rather negative image – initially associated with slums and poverty, these areas were (and still generally are) avoided by middle to upper income citizens. Whether in fear of catching starvation, encountering violence, or simply being disturbed to see how the other half really lives, public housing venues are the last place you would find the “well-to-do”.

Le Corbusier, Shondan House, 1956.
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.

However, this sort of housing can actually be quite nice, and some countries are incorporating it into their city schemes for the entire population, not just the poor, huddled masses.

Tronos y curry

Cuando piensas en la India te vienen tópicos a la cabeza como: yoguis, curry, miseria, La ciudad de la alegría, Bollywood, trenes atestados hasta la bandera, la madre Teresa de Calcuta y un río Ganges de dudosa salubridad. Por supuesto, también te viene la imagen del Taj Mahal, el palacio-mausoleo encargado por el emperador Sha Jaján para enterrar a su esposa favorita, Mumtaz Mahal (la buena mujer murió dando a luz a su decimocuarto (¡!) hijo, no se puede decir que no se mereciera el monumento).

 



Taj Mahal, 1638-1648, Imperio Mongol (Sha Jaján).
Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

 

Este palacio, además, es representativo de una importante época en lo que ahora es la India: el Imperio mogol (siglos XVI y XIX), estado islámico cuyas principales figuras bien podrían haber inspirado a George R. R. Martin: el último gran gobernante, Aurangzeb, mató a todos sus hermanos y metió en prisión a su padre, hubiera sido íntimo del rey Joffrey (y de alguno más). Incluso la bonita historia del Taj Mahal tiene su parte siniestra, se dice que al terminar la obra Sha Jaján (padre del piadoso Aurangzeb) hizo que se les cortaran las manos a todos los obreros que habían participado en la obra para que nunca hubiera otra igual.

 



Raja Ravi Varma
Paravur Kayal (lago), 1897
Óleo sobre lienzo, 43,18 x 58,42 cm
Sri Chitra Art Gallery
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

 

Pero más allá de las guerras y las intrigas, fueron tres siglos muy productivos artísticamente. Y eso es lo que The British Library nos invita a descubrir en la exposición « Mughal India: Art, Culture and Empire» que se puede visitar hasta el 2 de abril. Y si te apetece descubrir un poco más sobre este fascinante país, no dejes de leer el estudio magníficamente ilustrado de Vincent Arthur Smith, Art of India (en inglés).

“A Teardrop on the Cheek of Time”*

The Taj Mahal, 1638-1648, Mughal dynasty (Shah Jahan).
Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

When the Mughal Empire is spoken of, I am willing to bet that the majority of people will not be overly familiar with this particular dynasty. It is true, that I am (or was) guilty of being ignorant of what this Empire was, in fact, even where it was. However, I am not so remiss as to be unacquainted with the Taj Mahal! This inspiring and beautiful World Wonder is perhaps the best-known monument to arise out of the golden age of the Mughal Empire. There have been many architectural triumphs throughout the ages which have been acknowledged as truly great, but perhaps only a handful with a personal and moving history.

The Taj Mahal is one such. As possibly one of the greatest displays of heartbreak and sorrow that the world has ever seen, the monument stands tall; displaying Emperor Shah Jahan’s everlasting love for his departed wife.

Today, most everybody (I believe) would be familiar with the spectacular mausoleum that is located in Agra, former capital of the Mughal Empire. It is possibly even more iconic now for those who are familiar with a certain Slumdog Millionaire (thanks Dev Patel!). Over 2 million people every year visit this historic site; they may not go with the intention of honouring the dead Empress, but by the end of their visit they will surely have learnt about the power of one man’s love for his wife.

The Taj Mahal, for me, is truly a testament to the existence of true love. Whilst theirs may initially have been an arranged marriage, it ended up as a union of soul-mates. How can I justify saying this? The fact that Shah Jahan had two other wives... but it was only his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who had such a spectacular labour of love constructed in her memory; this speaks volumes!

“The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;
And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.”

-       Emperor Shah Jahan, 17^th Century



Raja Ravi Varma
Paravur Kayal (Lake), 1897
Oil on canvas, 43.18 x 58.42 cm
Sri Chitra Art Gallery
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

However, as incredible an achievement as the Taj Mahal is, it perhaps should serve only as an indication that we ought to actively search out the culture, legend, and history of the Empire that it was born from. With a span of over 350 years, surely the Mughal Empire has some secrets yet to be discovered?

* Description made famous by Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)

With the help of the British Library, you yourself can search out and discover the mysteries and treasures of this once-great Indian Empire! Mughal India: Art, Culture and Empire is currently being exhibited in London until the 2^nd April. Be sure not to miss such a fascinating opportunity! If, however, you can’t make it to the British Library quite yet, why not get hold of a copy of Vincent Arthur Smith’s Art of India?

East Meets West

The Musée du Louvre has been in the process of refurbishing their Department of Islamic Art for nearly four years now – expanding to give works of art ranging from India to Spain more, and deserved, space. Reopening the department this month, pieces spanning from the 8^th through 19^th centuries will be back on display for the masses – it’s about time, guys!

Islamic, Central Asian, and Indian Art are all hugely underrepresented in western cultures. Many museums have one room with a few fantastic pieces devoted to entire eras of the eastern cultures. Which begs the question, should these pieces have even travelled outside of their home counties to places like Paris and New York in the first place? Do these pieces, in fact, belong “at home” where they can truly be appreciated by posterity?


Bowl and cover, c. 1220-1230 or late 13th-early 14th century, Khorasan, Iran.
Hammered copper alloy, engraved and dulled decoration, silver and red copper inlays.
Musée du Louvre, Paris.


Mudéjar-style plate, 1450, Valencia.
Ceramic.
Musée du Louvre, Paris.

From another point of view, it’s good these pieces have made their way to the west – people that have learned little about Eastern cultures are able to have their interests peaked; and vice versa, Western pieces should make their way into Eastern museums. However, to support my other argument, isn’t the west already, essentially, everywhere in the east? Aren’t young adults choosing different routes than those their parents would want for them based on what they’re seeing on television and in films?

I’ve argued myself in circles and I don’t know what’s right anymore. But until we sort it out, the Louvre has re-opened the doors to their Islamic Art Department and we should all make time to see it. Until my plane ticket arrives in the mail, I’m going to have a closer look at these colourfully illustrated ebooks Art of Islam and Art of India, as well as this Central Asian Art print.

 

-Le Lorrain Andrews