INDIA: Dhrupad Sansthan (Gurukul) Mural

Right to left: Anant Gundecha, Umakant Gundecha, Siraj Saxena and myself at Bhopal

My joint exhibition with Siraj Saxena in Bhopal was due to be opened by his friend the famous Gundecha brothers musician Ramakant Gundecha. His passing a few days before our exhibition was felt greatly in the creative community of India and Siraj had a brilliant idea to create a mural in his honour at the famous Dhrupad Sansthan music school near Bhopal. After discussion with Umakant Gundecha, Anant Gundecha (son of Ramamakant) and Akhilesh Gundecha at the main centre in Bhopal, we spent four amazing days at Dhrupad Sansthan, on site and living with and listening to students and staff focus intently on the creation of Dhrupad music. This was very new to me but I was enthralled particularly by the lesson with Akhilesh Gundecha and his students and the concentrated effort to achieve the right sound. The Sansthan is full of sound and we absorbed much in this special place in a short time.

Dhrupad Sansthan (Gurukul) Mural. November 2019. Siraj Saxena and Andrew Smith

Dhrupad Sansthan arranged for the acrylic paints (camel) and we set to task in the main Gurukul hall at one end of the main performing area. The green walls and subdued light created an ambience to work with and against. Some light was required in this areas high hue was use. Siraj and myself had very little time to prepare for this and probably if there had been more time to plan we would have found many reasons not to do it or to do it in a less spontaneous way, probably separating ares. In the actuality we had to do it and working on a joint or same [painting is an action I have never done before. It was challenging as our methods are different, particularly with regards to layering and using layers to cover and leaving areas uncovered had to be negotiated through our differing sensibilities. In effect, I was pleased with the result and felt that a lot of what I had absorbed in India seemed to appear in the shape and colour. In effect and result the work is a good joint painting statement with combinations of method combining surprisingly well.

Th photographs of progress over the three days can be seen here.

The Dhrupad Journal review of the work can be read here. (A fine interview and article by Eesha Srinivas).

The Times of India 19.11.19