Pradosh Mishra and his doctoral research on Emerging Trends in Contemporary Indian Painting

PRADOSH MISHRA

Associate Professor, Department of History of Art
Faculty of Arts, Banaras Hindu UniversityVaranasi-221005

Topic of Doctoral Research

Emerging Trends in Contemporary Indian Painting during 1990 and 2004: A Study in the perspective of Globalisation and National Identity

Area of Specialisation

Contemporary Indian Art, Traditional Sculpture Workshop in Orissa

Fieldwork

Since 1994 documenting living and working conditions of Master Artists, their behaviour and attachment to the traditional stone carving workshops in Lalitagiri, Bhubaneswar, Puri and Mathura in Orissa

Professional Experience

Teaching 11 years

I) Post Graduate courses in History of Art (Indian Aesthetics, South East Asian Art, Pahari Painting, Contemporary Indian Art, Art Exhibition Management)
II) Graduate Courses in History of Art (Western Art, Indian Sculpture, Indian Painting, Fundamentals of Indian Art)
III) Post Graduate and Graduate Courses in History of Art at Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith, Varanasi (Western Art-Modern and Post Modern) as a guest faculty.
IV) Post Graduate and Graduate courses in History of Art at Faculty of Visual Art, BHU Varanasi (Modern Indian Art- Painting and Sculpture, Modern Western Art) as a guest faculty.
V) Graduate Courses in Mahila Mahavidyalaya, BHU, Varanasi (Indian Painting) deputed by Department of History of Art, BHU


Publication/ Editorial Association

Workshop Tradition in Orissan Sculpture (in Press)

Co-Author, ‘Chandrasekhar Rao- Life and Work’, with Dr. Dinanath Pathy, published by Working Artists Association, 2000

Editorial Assistant, Kala Samvad, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, 1995

Associate Editor, ‘Tribal Art, Primitivism and Modern Relevance’, published by
Working Artists Association, 1990


Papers and Articles Published

Contemporary Indian Art: New Imagery and the Question of Identity, paper published in NAFA Symposium on New Asian Imaginations, Singapore, 2008

Globalisation and contemporary visual art: A case study of India, paper abstract published by the ICAS 5, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2007

Shifting Mind-Engaging Space, Bronze, Gallery Espace, New Delhi, 2006

The Problem of Art Historical Studies in Orissa: Vision and Contribution of Dinanath Pathy. (paper accepted for publication)

Spelling the Regional Flavour, ‘Let a Thousand Flower Bloom- Contemporary Art Of Orissa’, Aryan Book International, New Delhi and Working Artists Association of Orissa, 2001

Figurative Transformation, Oddiyan: Six Contemporary Painters of Orissa, Herman Publishing House, New Delhi, 1997

Reverberation, Exhibition Catalogue of Chandrasekhar Rao, 1997

Into the Realms of Unknown, Beyond the Shores, Viswa, New Delhi, 1995

Primitive Influence on Udayagiri Cave Sculptures, Tribal Art, Primitivism and Modern Relevance, Working Artists Association of Orissa, Bhubaneswar, 1990

Number of Reviews, Art analysis on contemporary art and Book reviews published in the Daily Newspapers in Orissa.




Catalogue Publications

Art Interaction, Documentation of Indo-German Artists Workshop, Varanasi, 2003

Regional Art Exhibition, Varanasi Zone, Lalit Kala Akademi, Lucknow, 2002



Seminar Participation and Papers presented

Contemporary Indian Art: New Imagery and the Question of Identity, paper presented in absentia in NAFA Symposium on New Asian Imaginations, Singapore, 2008

Possibilities of Lacquer in Contemporary Art as a medium: New Dimensions, National Seminar on Lac in Indian Art and Culture, Balasore, Orissa, 2007

The Living Tradition of Stone Carving in Orissa: Texts and their present Relevance with reference to Master Artist Khirod Chandra Maharana of Lalitagiri, National Seminar on Silpa Texts and its Relevance, Jnana Pravaha, Varanasi, 2003

Shift in Stone Workshop Practices- a case study in Lalitagiri, National Seminar on Art Practices in India Today, Bhubaneswar, 2001

Traditional Linkage in Contemporary Orissan Art: Towards a Regional Vocabulary, National Seminar in Millennium Multimedia manifestation, Bhubaneswar, 1999

Concept of time in Dancing Sculptures of Konarka, International Symposium on Sculpture and Dance, Varanasi, 1999

Urban Experience of the Contemporary Artists of Orissa with reference to Working Artists Association, National Seminar on Urban Image in Contemporary Indian Art, Faculty of Visual Arts, BHU, Varanasi, 1998

Himalayan Landscape Painting by some Contemporary Indian Painters: An Observation on treatment of Space, National Seminar on Himalayan Glory, Allahabad Museum, Allahabad, 1998

Participated as an Observer in the National Seminar on Terms and terminologies in Indian Art, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, 1994

Primordial Influence on the Paintings of some Contemporary Painters of Orissa, National Seminar on Primitive Vigour as a part of Festival of India to Moscow, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, 1991

Importance of Art Education in Primary Schools in Orissa, State Seminar on the Status of Art Education in Orissa, Bhubaneswar, 1989

Contemporary Art Situation in Orissa, National Seminar on the Contemporary Art and Artists of Orissa, 1988



Workshops Attended

Workshop on Indian Bronzes, Sarabhai Foundation, Ahmedabad, 1998

Art Appreciation Workshop, Lalit Kala Akademi, Orissa, 1996

Technical Workshop on Conservation and Preservation of Art Objects, by Indian Conservation Institute, Lucknow, organised at Govt. Museum, Chandigarh, 1993

Painting Workshop organised by HABITAT, Bhubaneswar


Member of Professional Bodies

Member, Working Artists Association of Orissa, Bhubaneswar

Member, Indo-German Art Forum, Varanasi, India


Projects

Art Interaction- Exhibition of the produce of Indo German Artists Workshop, Jointly Organised by the indo German Art Forum and Department of Fine Arts, Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapth, Varanasi, 2003

Joint Organiser of Indo- German Artists workshop held at Department of Fine Arts, Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith, Varanasi, 2003

Graphic Prints and Paintings by four German Women Artists, ABC Art Gallery, Varanasi, 2003

Visualised the Regional Art exhibition organised by State Lalit Kala Akademi, Lucknow, 2002

Visualised Painting and Photo Exhibition, Himalayan Glory, Allahabad Museum, Allahabad, 1998

Art Director, Swang Manch Theatre Group, Chandigarh, 1994

Audio- Visual Documentation of Contemporary Orissan Artists, Central Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, 1993

Awards

Award by Orissa Media Centre, Sunanda Pathy Foundation and Bhubaneswar Sahitya Samaj for Art Historical Studies and Art Criticism in Orissa, 1997

State Award for Painting, Working Artists Association of Orissa, Bhubaneswar, 1997

Chhanda Caharan memorial State Award, 1997

Award for Best Painting and Cartoon in Panjab University, Chandigarh, 1994


Exhibitions Participated

Working Artists Association, Orissa
State Lalit Kala Akademi, Orissa
Rashtriya Kala Mela, Bangalore
Regional Art Exhibition, Bangalore
State Level Art Exhibition by All India Fine Art and Crafts Society, New Delhi
Beyond the Shores, Rabindra Bhawan, New Delhi
Spring is Not Over, Punjab Lalit Kala Akademi, Chandigarh

Solo Exhibition

WASH, Watercolour Painting Exhibition held at Hotel Oberoi and Hotel Kalinga Ashoka, Bhubaneswar, Orissa

Pradosh Kumar Mishra received his education in Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh and Varanasi. He completed his Doctoral research on Emerging Trends in Contemporary Indian Painting, a Study in the Perspective of Globalisation and National Identity from 1990 to 2004.
He has produced an audio-visual documentary on Two Contemporary Painters of Orissa for National Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in 1993, and has extensively documented various living Master Artists, their behaviour and attachment to the traditional stone carving workshops in Lalitagiri, Bhubaneswar, Puri and Mathura in Orissa (India) under the project Workshop Tradition of Orissan Sculpture from 1994 to 2000.
Mishra also co-authored a monograph entitled Chandrasekhar Rao: Life and Work, published articles on Contemporary Art in publications entitled Bronze (2006), Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom (2001), Oddiyan (1997), Beyond the Shores (1995), and Tribal Art: Primitivism and Modern Relevance (1990).
He has presented papers at several national seminars on art historical studies and participated in an international symposium on sculpture and dance, organised by Ram Chhatpar Shilp Nyas (1999), and Art Interaction, organised by Indo-German Art Forum (2003) at Varanasi.
Pradosh Mishra is an alumni of BKCAC and he is working as a Exceutive member of the organization

AlumniBKCAC

City Office : Plot-132 1st Floor,Forest park, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India, Pin-751009

Campus Office : B.K.College of Art and Crafts,Tapovana,KhandagiriBhubaneswar, Orissa, India, Pin-751030

Web : http://www.alumnibkcac.org/

Adwaita Gadanayak: The Commonwealth Scholar

Adwaita Gadanayak

Adwaita Gadanayak
BFA: B.K.College of Art and Crafts, Bhubaneswar-89
MFA: Delhi College of Art, New Delhi-92
Post Graduate: Slade School of Fine Art, London -95
Scholarship: Commonwealth -93
Triennale-2001
The installations in this Triennale which observed the norms of art and not flouted them, were those like the ones by the sculptor from Orissa, Adwaita Gadanayak, in a work titled Soul, a genuine piece where full justice would seem to have been done to a hallowed word. Here potent idea and the created image were finely, very precisely dovetailed, in order to build up a convincing metaphor…Keshab Mallik

Gandhi Musuem, New Delhi
Among the outdoor displays, a full-scale replica of Hriday Kunj, the residence of Mahatma Gandhi and his wife Kasturba in Satyagraha Ashram at Sabarmati where they lived from 1918 to 1930, the seated sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi, Adwaita Gadanayak's black marble stone of Mahatma Gandhi followed by some of the Marchers on the famous Salt March and the replica of famous Bose's woodcut 'Walk Alone' carving in cement are surely a feast for the eyes of visitors.

Adwaita Gadanayak is an alumni of BKCAC and he is working as President of the organization.

AlumniBKCAC

City Office : Plot-132 1st Floor,Forest park, Bhubaneswar-751009

Campus Office : B.K.College of Art and Crafts,Tapovana,KhandagiriBhubaneswar-751030 Web : http://www.alumnibkcac.org/

Ashok Art Gallery is proud to be a part of this Silver Jubilee Celebration

Pratul Dash, alumni of BKCAC

Pratul Dash

Bachelor of Fine Arts, B.K. College of Arts & Crafts, Bhubaneswar, India, 1995

M.F.A (Painting), College of Art, New Delhi, India, 1998
Important scholarship :2004 UNIDEE in residency

Born: Burla, Sambalpur, Orissa

The Horror Show is an installation against violence. The viewer is invited to sit down at a table and browse through the images in a photo album. The photos are, however, not of the kind we are used to finding in somebody's home, but depict victims of massacres and wars. From hidden speakers in the room we can hear people crying and suffering. The sound was recorded on location in Nepal, but has been distorted with the help of Peter Verwimp in order not to belong to one particular place, but to be universal. These issues are not only confined to Nepal, India or the Middle East, it's something that concerns all of us, everywhere. Next to the photo album, the viewer can find paper and pens and write down his/her opinions on the matter. Pratul will later send these letters to the UN.Pratul has also worked on a proposal for the design of Illy Cafe coffee cups and plates. The cups and plates are decorated with photos of the thumbs of people from different classes of society, of different colours, religions, professions, and so on. The cup of coffee therefore becomes a meeting-place where social aspects are no longer relevant and Pratul hopes it will help to bridge the gaps between people.He has also been thinking a lot about the relationship between architecture and human beings. All buildings have their own history and he's interested in studying how we react to it.
The works done during Pratul’s formative years exemplified his existential dilemmas in a sharper way. He made his self portrait in various postures, at times going to the levels of contortionism. These portraits were seen against the backdrop of barren lands and abandoned city scapes. The sparsely inhabited cities become a metaphor for him to emphasize his angst as a lonely man who traverses through un-chartered paths. The egg shaped forms, or melting ice forms blown up beyond the point of reality gagged his portraits that forced him into a struggle of muteness. He vocalized his concerns through these mute and mutant images.
His sustained interest in postmodern theories and various articulations of these has taken Pratul Dash to make a lot of works on paper also. His water colours deal with the particularities of an urban space; especially the displacement of the self and body in relationship with the animal imageries that are seen quite unnatural in the naturalness of the urban aloofness. The animals that abundantly come to play a dominant role in the pictorial renditions of Pratul Dash underline the unnatural existence of the human beings within the alienated modern and post modern urban locales.
A series of paintings on contortionism has helped Pratul to bring in his observations on the dilemma of contemporary lives. Also the recent video works that he had done when he was in Italy and later in New Delhi show his engagement with the spaces of commodities and commodification. Extensive footages of malls and mannequins are edited skillfully to create a hyper reality that corresponds to the erotic and ethical instincts of the consumer man. These videos function as a field of retrospection and introspection rather than an active critique on accentuated consumerism.
One of his video works that Pratul has specially prepared for his major solo exhibition shows the artist in his native village in Orissa. He is seen in an act of tying himself with a thread, which could be a sacred thread that demarcates his caste position, around his head and face. The violent action with which he ties himself turns his face into a distorted mass and the untying of the thread leaves a mesh of markings on the skin. It looks like a body drawing, using body as the medium and surface. Like a Chris Burden or Vito Acconci he inflicts pain on himself to eke out a meaning of affection, infliction and restoration.
Pratul in his concept note on this work states: “One might get a strange sense of relief as the performance unwinds and the distorted image of the face gains balance. What remain are the marks of the string’s path of punishment and an extremity of detachment and peace in the end. It is a kind of come back for me in my native land.” This coming back (of a not so prodigal son) is substantiated by further enactment of the same action in artificial situations, edited and incorporated into the main body of the video work. Pratul Dash is a painter who cares for the environment and his fellow humans, and uses his canvas to voice his cares. Every work of art is a window to its makers’ beliefs — aesthetic, political, philosophical...whatever. In the case of Pratul Dash, that window is wide open. You can see Dash’s engagement with social and political issues affecting the country all over the canvases, photographs and videos .
Large vistas of bare landscapes; geometrical blocks evocative of the concrete maze our cities have become today; scaffoldings, ladders and pipelines that seem to stretch into infinity — these are recurring tropes in Dash’s work, used to signal the paradoxes of urbanisation, of the country’s headlong rush towards Western-style development, leading to the depletion of forests and alienation of individuals. “I have nothing against the growth of the country, but my concern is with the cost of it,” Pratul Dash says.
Pratul says that during his stay in Nepal he could see the pain in the eyes of people. The day he got there he saw the news on TV about the massacre of a family. Pratul went the following day with an artist friend to scene of the crime, the only survivors were the mother and her two-year-old child. It was a shocking and difficult sight. He strongly believes that silence is not a solution to these situations and he has continued working on these matters to bring the issue in front of an international community and ask for our direct participation. Working at Cittadellarte has helped Pratul realise that it is possible to create networks and move art out of the galleries and into society. It's the artist's duty to deal with social issues. Besides many exhibitions in India, his works are exhibited at USA, UK, ITALY, HONG KONG and DUBAI.

Pratul Dash is one of alumni BKCAC and working as Executive Member of the Organization

AlumniBKCAC

http://www.alumnibkcac.org/

My College, My City and My State by Jagannath Panda

Jagannath Panda, Bhubaneswar 2008

Today the field of art has become so vast that medium is no longer a barrier for an artist. Now art is not limited to conventional art and craft. Contemporary artists are versatile. They are adept at every type of art including canvas painting, video art (narrative and non-narrative) and sculpture (stone, wood, fibre, glass, etc).

But as far as opportunities for artists are concerned, the scenario is bleak in Orissa. The government is least bothered about art students' future so talented artists cannot go abroad for higher studies. If you're a traditional artist, somehow you'll survive here but if you're a modern artist you won't. Serious practice of art is missing here which forces good artists to migrate to other cities.

Like, after completing graduation from BK College of Art here in 1991, I studied post-graduation in fine arts in MS University, Baroda. Then I moved to Delhi in 1995 and started practicing as an artist. Then again I went to London in 2002 to pursue MA in Royal College of Art by achieving INLAKS foundation scholarship. After returning from UK, I set up my own studio in Gurgaon. Had such facilities been here I would have preferred to stay in Orissa. My dream is to develop Bhubaneswar as a global hub for artists where international-level artists would come and interact with local artists. When it comes to contemporary art and new research in the field, we need an up-to-date centre having a library and facilities for holding workshops and events here. Now I am trying to develop a state of the art studio in Bhubaneswar and hopefully it'll come up within next few years.

'Gandhi's ideas have always influenced my work. His phylosophy always gives me the opportunity to create works for society, I thought I would explore Gandhi's physicality and philosophy against contemporary, urban structures by juxtaposing Gandhian idealism or optimism with darker reality,' Jagannath Panda said.

New Delhi has become a kind of place for artists from across the country and to work here is not only a challenge but also a privilege. Art is a very important segment. Artists contribute considerably for development of the aesthetic culture of a state. History says, governments or connoisseurs of art did always patronage artists.

Times are changing, so also the mindset of people as well as government towards art. A case in point is beautification of Bhubaneswar. It shows the positive attitude of the government which has started giving priority to art and heritage. But we need to deal with such things delicately. Some serious intellectuals, architects, designers and artists should have been involved it, to make it a planned and better way like Bindusagar.

But job opportunities for artists are very poor in Orissa. Small jobs like screen painting, design units and part-time jobs are only available. In the last quarter of 80's art teachers' posts were abolished. Lectureship is deemed to be the best job in our field but new colleges are not being set up and posts are not created, neither vacancies are filled up. Even if foreigners are visiting regularly Orissa only through this beautiful city Bhubaneswar and in the name of beautification people are just giving it a more and more ugly look, our city will say all about us, if a visitor comes from outside. That so we guys who are passed out from B.K.College have formed an oranigation named AlumniBKCAC. We all has a dream to bring our college, city and state in national and global platform regularly.We are planed out some initial projects , one can find by browsing alumnibkcac.org.
There are six to seven art colleges in Orissa, out of which only two are government. There is not a single art university here, I will never admit this culture university as an university. I have abashed when visited it recently, nothing is there to claim as an university. Existing colleges need to be upgraded, global model should be adopted in art education. Facilities, infrastructure should be upgraded in art institutions. Time to time evaluation should be done to improve curriculum. Aesthetic art, architecture, design and craft should be properly presented. Serious institutions should be there to promote local art and craft. Local aesthetics, local culture should be taught to students at school-level. School students should be imbibed these things.

The government should give a serious look into this in view of the fact that demand is rising in the field and more students are opting for art as a career.
Jagannath Panda is an alumni of BKCAC and he is working as

Vice President in organization.
AlumniBKCAC
http://www.alumnibkcac.org/

B.K.College of Art and Crafts and its 25 years in Orissan Art

Bibhuti Kanungo College of Art & Crafts, Bhubaneswar (BKCAC) was established in January 1984 with an intention of fostering and disseminating contemporary art of Orissa. The college was responsible in reformation of art education in Orissa by introducing the students to the national exhibitions, both inward and outward, engaging them to intensified exposure; organising workshops of artists and art historians of repute and inspiring intellectual exchange; providing space for the young generation artists to operate in several Clubs, like the sketching club, walking club and thereby introducing them to the existing monuments of Bhubaneswar. The first experiments of art and poetry, art and music were organised by the college to provide range to the creative faculty of the art students. The attempt was noble and intentions were clear- to make Orissa contemporary art visible on the global perspective.
The effort of the teachers and students in the inadequate space dreamt of a new world, which deals with innovation and realisation. The integrated conviction has brought the BKCAC through these twenty five years. In these years there have been ups and downs but the nuance and vibe of the associates has remained intact. Besides national and international awards the students have dissolved the boundaries and attained honour by receiving fellowships from INLAKS, Commonwealth, Japan Foundation, Chinese Government Scholarship and several other awards. The achievements are due to the education that moulded the minds of the students.
The college is completing its twenty five years in 2009 and to mark the occasion, the alumni of the college are organising a silver jubilee event (spread over several days) in the college premises at Bhubaneswar, Orissa. The programme of the events is being finalised and the objective of the event is to focus the contribution of the BKCAC to Indian Contemporary Art and to introduce the potential of art students and young artists of Orissa to the global programme in ART. The events include international and National artists participating in workshop and deliberation, spread over three days; audio visual projection of a documentary on the BKCAC; Artists interaction in the global level. In short it projected to be a mega event, involving people from every walk of life. This event would significantly contribute to the development of Contemporary art.

Present Address : Plot-132 1st Floor,Forest park, Bhubaneswar-751009

Campus Office : B.K.College of Art and Crafts,Tapovana,Khandagiri,Bhubaneswar-751030
Web : http://www.alumnibkcac.org/

Email :http://alumnibkcac.org/contactus

Alumni BKCAC

The Executive Body of the organization will consists of the followings for present and the persons may change from time to time as and when required.


1.
Shri Adwaita Gadanayak
B-404, Vidyut Apartment81, I.P. ExtentionNew Delhi-92
President
2.
Shri Jagannath Panda
C-30, G/F, Sum city, Sector-54, Gurugaon, Haryana
Vice-President
3.
Shri Subrat Ku. Mullik
Lecturer, B.K. College of Art & Crafts, Bhubaneswar-751030
Secretary
4.
Shri Anjan Ku. Sahoo
Village- SampurPlot No.7449/1388Near S.O.S. VillageGhatikia, Bhubaneswar.
Joint Secretary
5.
Shri Tarakanta Parida
132, Forest Park, Bhuibaneswar
Treasurer
6.
Shri Anup Chand
Flat No.301, Plot No.221, Gyankhanda-I, Indrapuram, Gaziabad, U.P.
Member
7.
Shri Pradosh Mishra
L-4, Warden’s QuarterJodhpur ColonyBHU, Varanasi,U.P.
Member
8.
Shri Ashok Nayak
I-24(A), Subhash Chowk, Laxmi NagarDelhi-110 092.
Member
9.
Shri Prabir Dalai
Lecturer, Dhauli College of Art & Crafts, Near Dhauli Santi StupaBhubaneswar-751002
Member
10.
Shri Pratap Jena
Qrs. No.8, Type-II, 2nd P & T Colony, Vanivihar, Bhubaneswar.
Member
11.
Shri Pratul Dash
S.F.-4, Siddhi Vinayak Apartment, Abhayakhanda-III, Indrapuram, Gaziabad, U.P.
Member
12.
Shri Nigamananda Swain
Instructor, Government College of Art & Crafts, Khallikote, Ganjam
Member
13.
Shri M. Sovan Kumar
1113, Basista Nagar, Old Town, Bhubaneswar
Member
14.
Shri Sangram Kr. Moharana
At-Mahura, P.O.-Retanga, Dist. Khurda
Member
15.
Mrs. Kabita Mohanty
SCR-10, Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar.
Member
16.
Shri Jyoti Panigrahi
71, Ist Floor, Jigyamlok, Delhi-110 092
Member
17.
Shri Sudhansu Sutar
J-2/46, DLF Phase-II, Gurugaon, Haryana-2
Member
18
Shri Dillip Ku. Tripathy
Lalit Kala AkademiRabindra BhavanNew Delhi-110 001.
Member
19.
Priyadarsiini Mohanty
Cuttack
Member
20.
Rashmirekha Panda
Central School,SalwaKharagpur, West Bengal
Member