rediff.com: Shernaz Vasunia's Diary

Shernaz Vasunia

There's no question. It's a must-see. So all you art-lovers and curiosity-seekers, head for the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai.
Picasso is here -- till March 31.
The lines are humungous, and there are people everywhere. "We're in India, honey," a bewildered foreigner says.
I'm not sure what she expected, but for us this is a chance of a lifetime and Mumbaikars have certainly seized the moment.
There is a very long meandering queue of very hot and bothered people waiting to get inside the NGMA. This is just the preamble. Security is on high alert, so no keys, no bags, no pens, no cell phones, just your wallet, that's it.
Chaos rules at the check-in counter where one hapless bechara courageously manages the irate crowd. Well done, I say to him.
From there I am whisked to my waiting group that has gathered around the photographs on the great artist's life. The group is an eclectic mix. The usual south Mumbai Blondies, Mr and Mrs Art Couple, a lot of earnest faces and a few jet-setting missus whose knowledge and taste in art is questionable. I know this from the faux pas they constantly commit, which are almost as entertaining as the exhibits.
And then our guide, a sincere and informative lady, begins our trek around the work of the most influential artist of the 20th century. A short intro on his colourful life, his influences, his patrons and his wives and we are on our way.
The Blue Period reflects the inner turmoil of the artist and his subjects. We are greeted by melancholic figures and monotone colours. Portraits of people on the edge, marginalised by society, lonely figures, circus performers. The overriding thought behind these paintings is the suicide of Picasso's friend, an act that continued to haunt him for many years.
Then it's on to the Pink or Rose Period where the paintings are more colourful, certainly a bit more cheerful. What is interesting are the anecdotes that accompany the paintings. There's one on a girlfriend who eventually dies, another on a wife, an accomplished ballerina, who introduces him to the high life.
As we move from one level to another, the paintings from Cubism and Surrealism draw a sizeable crowd. I admire the portrait of three prostitutes, a Cubist representation with slim, tall, barely recognisable figures. One of the missus remarks that it reminds her of Rauchenberg's work in New York or somewhere. Mrs Art Couple says it reminds her of our very own Souza. Most of us cluck our tongues in supreme admiration. We've just seen a Picasso original, and a magnificent one at that.
The last level reflects the effects of the wars on Picasso. We are told that he was a member of the French Communist Party, which he claimed was a logical conclusion of his life's experiences. He lost some of his dearest friends to concentration camps and the battlefield. Undoubtedly his most well-known work from this period is Guernica, sadly absent from this exhibition, but several other paintings and indeed sculptures from this period are present.
After this we move downwards back to the photographs. This in itself is a treat. A wonderful view of the artist's life. The childhood photos, the wives, the children, the work in progress photos -- they are all here. And then a word of thanks for our guide and we disperse.
While I cannot say the Picasso exhibit truly encompasses all the great work of his career, several outstanding paintings as well as etchings and sculpture are on view. We are told the greatest paintings could not make it, the security concerns were too high. Plus, this is the work from French collections only. So that leaves out the substantial amount of art that is housed in Spain, the country of Picasso's birth, and in private collections and museums the world over.
A word about the NGMA and our guide: The Picasso exhibition has clearly tested the mettle of the NGMA. Sure they should control the crowds better, and the security staff could be a shade more polite, but by and large they have my vote of thanks.
And our guide was not just mouthing a prepared speech. She was well trained and informed. She patiently answered our questions, kept her cool even when Mrs Art Couple finished off her sentences, and did not flounder when a large cluster of people who were not in our group jostled their way through to hear her.
So Pablo Picasso, a hundred years later, you have your admirers in Mumbai too. And as our city salutes his genius, the most striking feature of Metamorphoses 1900-1972 is not just the art work, nor the Blondies or pretentious page three extras. Nor is it the delectable coffee stall at the NGMA, but the regular folks from here and there, who have embraced the master artist as their own.

Mumbai-based Shernaz Vasunia is a pro at mixing art and writing.
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	There's no question. It's a must-see. So all you art-lovers and curiosity-seekers, head for the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai. Picasso is here -- till March 31. The lines are humungous, and there are people everywhere. "We're in India, honey," a bewildered foreigner says. I'm not sure what she expected, but for us this is a chance of a lifetime and Mumbaikars have certainly seized the moment. There is a very long meandering queue of very hot and bothered people waiting to get inside the NGMA. This is just the preamble. Security is on high alert, so no keys, no bags, no pens, no cell phones, just your wallet, that's it. Chaos rules at the check-in counter where one hapless bechara courageously manages the irate crowd. Well done, I say to him. From there I am whisked to my waiting group that has gathered around the photographs on the great artist's life. The group is an eclectic mix. The usual south Mumbai Blondies, Mr and Mrs Art Couple, a lot of earnest faces and a few jet-setting missus whose knowledge and taste in art is questionable. I know this from the faux pas they constantly commit, which are almost as entertaining as the exhibits. And then our guide, a sincere and informative lady, begins our trek around the work of the most influential artist of the 20th century. A short intro on his colourful life, his influences, his patrons and his wives and we are on our way. The Blue Period reflects the inner turmoil of the artist and his subjects. We are greeted by melancholic figures and monotone colours. Portraits of people on the edge, marginalised by society, lonely figures, circus performers. The overriding thought behind these paintings is the suicide of Picasso's friend, an act that continued to haunt him for many years. Then it's on to the Pink or Rose Period where the paintings are more colourful, certainly a bit more cheerful. What is interesting are the anecdotes that accompany the paintings. There's one on a girlfriend who eventually dies, another on a wife, an accomplished ballerina, who introduces him to the high life. As we move from one level to another, the paintings from Cubism and Surrealism draw a sizeable crowd. I admire the portrait of three prostitutes, a Cubist representation with slim, tall, barely recognisable figures. One of the missus remarks that it reminds her of Rauchenberg's work in New York or somewhere. Mrs Art Couple says it reminds her of our very own Souza. Most of us cluck our tongues in supreme admiration. We've just seen a Picasso original, and a magnificent one at that. The last level reflects the effects of the wars on Picasso. We are told that he was a member of the French Communist Party, which he claimed was a logical conclusion of his life's experiences. He lost some of his dearest friends to concentration camps and the battlefield. Undoubtedly his most well-known work from this period is Guernica, sadly absent from this exhibition, but several other paintings and indeed sculptures from this period are present. After this we move downwards back to the photographs. This in itself is a treat. A wonderful view of the artist's life. The childhood photos, the wives, the children, the work in progress photos -- they are all here. And then a word of thanks for our guide and we disperse. While I cannot say the Picasso exhibit truly encompasses all the great work of his career, several outstanding paintings as well as etchings and sculpture are on view. We are told the greatest paintings could not make it, the security concerns were too high. Plus, this is the work from French collections only. So that leaves out the substantial amount of art that is housed in Spain, the country of Picasso's birth, and in private collections and museums the world over. A word about the NGMA and our guide: The Picasso exhibition has clearly tested the mettle of the NGMA. Sure they should control the crowds better, and the security staff could be a shade more polite, but by and large they have my vote of thanks. And our guide was not just mouthing a prepared speech. She was well trained and informed. She patiently answered our questions, kept her cool even when Mrs Art Couple finished off her sentences, and did not flounder when a large cluster of people who were not in our group jostled their way through to hear her. So Pablo Picasso, a hundred years later, you have your admirers in Mumbai too. And as our city salutes his genius, the most striking feature of Metamorphoses 1900-1972 is not just the art work, nor the Blondies or pretentious page three extras. Nor is it the delectable coffee stall at the NGMA, but the regular folks from here and there, who have embraced the master artist as their own. Mumbai-based Shernaz Vasunia is a pro at mixing art and writing. Tell us what you think of this diary Be part of an exciting venture! Write a Diary!
HOME \| NEWS \| CRICKET \| MONEY \| SPORTS \| MOVIES \| CHAT \| BROADBAND \| TRAVEL ASTROLOGY \| NEWSLINKS \| BOOK SHOP \| MUSIC SHOP \| GIFT SHOP \| HOTEL BOOKINGS AIR/RAIL \| WEDDING \| ROMANCE \| WEATHER \| WOMEN \| E-CARDS \| SEARCH HOMEPAGES \| FREE MESSENGER \| FREE EMAIL \| CONTESTS \| FEEDBACK