Tantra drawings

The work of Acharya Vyakul (1930 – 2000, Jaipur and Rajasthan, India), offers a different take on Tantra art. In the context of the tantric pictorial tradition, codified by unchanging archetypes, the work of Vyakul distinguishes itself by its freedom of execution, its aspect of free improvisation, a spontaneity fed by a secular tradition. Vyakul considered himself a modern painter working in the abstract tradition. Unlike 99.9% of painters of yantra, Vyakul signs his name. The paintings of Vyakul were brought to Western consciousness by French poet Andre Jamme, who lent some drawings from his collection to the groundbreaking exhibition, Magiciens de la Terre, organized by Jean-Hubert Martin, at Centre Georges Pompidou in 1989.

The anonymous creators of the small Yantra, or mystical diagrams in this catalog were also trained as a copyist of traditional Indian miniatures. Choosing to remain anonymous in the spiritual act of making the paintings, they use vintage paper, and hand-ground colors including minerals, mother-of-pearl, coral, tree resin, vegetal pastes, and silver and or gold leaf.

Anonymous paintings such as these have been exhibited most recently at the 2015 Outsider Art Fair in New York; at the Venice Biennale in 2013; The Drawing Center, New York, in 2005-6; Feature Gallery, New York in 2012, 2010, 2007, 2005; Agnes B’s Galerie de Jour, Paris, 1994; and Galerie Le Point Cardinal, Paris, 1970, organized by Octavio Paz. I am indebted to the poetic writings of French poet Franck André Jamme, and have paraphrased him extensively in this short essay, and to the scholarly writing of Ajit Mookerjee for historical information.

-Shari Cavin, 2015 Bibliography Tantra Song: Tantric Painting from Rajastan, Franck André Jamme, Siglio, Los Angeles, 2011 Field of Color: Tantra Drawings From India, the Drawing Center, NY, 2004, with essay by Franck André Jamme Vyakul, Franck André Jamme, Galerie de Jour, Paris, 1993 Magiciens de la Terre, organized by Jean-Hubert Martin, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, 1989 Tantra Art, Ajit Mookerjee, Landmark Book Company, NY, 1983 The Tantric Way, Ajit Mookerjee, and Madhu Khanna, Thames and Hudson, London, 1977 ACHARYA VYAKUL > 4