Retrospective Art

This one isn't from the good ol' days. It's as fresh as the year that's about 
to leave us. And that's quite fresh to be titled 'Retrospective'. Nostalgic wouldn't 
be the most appropriate word to describe the experience, but is close to the actual 
one, as the venue in question is Alliance Francaise de Hyderabad. With the institute 
moving out of its current premises to Marredpally, this becomes one of the last 
exhibitions to be staged here.



Select works of over 25 artistes, who have earlier displayed in solos and also 
collectively, make up this exhibition. 'Retrospective' is a worthy effort at recapitulating 
the best impressions that the artistes and connoisseurs have gathered at this 
venue. Artistes with individual preoccupations, abstractionists, figurative painters 
to conceptual artistes make up an intriguing kaleidoscope.



The freshest of the lot are paintings from 'Nerves', by the trio of Ramesh, Venkat 
and Nemiraj. Theirs are works of rare visual experiences. These charcoal drawings 
are almost like restless scribbles and scrapes that invite the viewer to exercise 
their imagination. Such an aesthetic pleasure is experienced only when art works 
carry fresh imagery, which can stimulate our sensibilities, provoke thought, and 
even disturb to an extent.



Even though the canvases of these artists are strikingly varied, the underlying 
spirit is common. For a change, we are confronted with works of art devoid of 
clich