REGIONAL MODERNISM IN ANDRA, C. 1920'S–1950'S

 

Title: Regional Modernism in Andra, c. 1920's–1950's

Curator: Kunal Krishnan 

Artist/Researcher: B. Sankara Narayani

Curatorial Note: Early 20th-century visuals printed and published in periodicals between 1920 and 1955 outline the notion of regional modernism in the visual vultures of the Andhra region. The prints in the periodicals depict a subtle influence of art genres like Bengal school, JJ school, post-Ravi Varma style, and calendar art. Artists infused the chaos and struggle in their works, which led to the development of a hybrid style through the influence of pedagogies, experimentation with forms and mediums, breaking forms, and changing subject matters. These efforts culminated in the development of a new style of regional modernism.

In the current dissertation thesis, Sankara Narayani, a student of MVA II, Art History and Aesthetics, Faculty of Fine Arts, Vadodara, attempts to trace the shift in painting and visual culture from a chaotic style to a new regional language, showing the seeds of early modernism in Andhra Region.

Process Insights: The core idea of the weeklong workshop, “Curatorial Practice: Research and Storytelling”, mentored by Mr. Rahul Bhattacharya, was to provide us with a methodological framework for the process of curation. He emphasized understanding individuals and culminating the best of each with a collective approach. Divided into several steps, the process included spontaneous team division, briefing the basics and process, mind mapping, understanding the artworks, examining the boundaries of the decided subject and its limitations, Exploring the critical issues, Incorporate diverse perspectives, identifying the sources, understanding the spectators, emphasizing storytelling, creating interactive display space, and most importantly, allowing the mind to explore through collective brainstorming while still being strictly committed to deadlines.