cover watch
saturday, april 2, 2016
BL
14 10
All hail the mighty mouse
Water babies
Two experienced and technically skilled artists come together to create watercolours full of mystery and metaphor
the ‘poor person’s hobby-craft’, watercolour was actually favoured by the Tagore brothers, who promoted the Japanese Wash technique in the early 20th century at the Bengal School. The Tagores believed it formed a pan-Asian counter-narrative to British academic oil painting, which was mandatory in most art schools in India. Watercolour has recently reemerged as an exciting alternative to oil paint. Roy, who studied at Santiniketan, is one of the leading promoters of the wash technique. Mostly because it is immediate, transparent, and a demanding medium that leaves no to Dinkoists), by thethe Kottayam-based room for error.owned He explains ideas underMangalam “It was“Mezzaterra is a sensational pinning hisPublications. technical prowess: hitimagined during those times,” N Somasekhaan territory, anrecalls idea, but a very real ran, who created thewhere cute gnawer 1983. The and pervasive one, echoes in and refleccomicadd wasdepth drawnand by artist Baby. where identions perspective, Somasekharan and Baby set Dinkan’s tities are malleable and overlapping andstory not in the fictional Pankila forest — the Holy Land clear-cut and well-defined, where binaries are for Dinkoists — wheretheme,” animalssays in distress get not the only defining Roy. He has instant help from theiratsaviour been teaching painting his almamouse mater,with Facmagical powers. “I was anSayajirao atheist Universiin those ulty of Fine Arts, Maharaha Blue moods ‘Festival’ by Indrapramit Roy images courtesy threshold art gallery days,” says Somasekharan, whoseincreation ty, Baroda since 1995, after studying London ended up becoming atheist mascot. “But I at the Royal College ofanArt. soon got influenced the writings of Swami Varghese’s muse isby water and it features in Vivekananda.” He nowand divides hispresented time bethis suite of paintings a video tween spiritual activities and charity Baalongside the watercolours. “I havework. always lamangalam shut shop in October loved the ability of watercolour to seduce2012, the leaving Dinkan — which already eye. In this instance I have had worked with been ricepickedand up by social media bloggers as a paper mounted it on and canvas, so it — lends counter-god to lampoon established deities. the work a double-edged delight,” says Vargh“The is that for there is noasprocess. ese. Hisfun penchant water a muse Everyis beone isitwelcome to Dinkoism. There is moods no aucause has the ability to convey many thority. No certificate is issued,” says and meanings, both personal and political. 23-year-old Jithin a blogger and This metaphor hasMohandas, fascinated the artist since atheist in Chengannur, south Kerala, he was abased child living in Kerala, surrounded by who actively campaigns for (the Dinkoism. Perwater and steeped in history early tradehaps itthat is the world’s first routes made Kochi ancrowdsourced important portreliin gion in the times). real sense of the word. Pre-British Varghese, who has studied is no question conversion, so obviart“There and visual design atofthe Richland College ously no Texas, ghar believes vapsi either. Andmust by being in Dallas, that one not for-a counter-religion rooted get one’s roots. “Our fears in are agnostic fluvial andtradipastions, fluid. Dinkoism a step above atheism in as sions This goes creates subtle agitations well,” quips Dinkoist who journalthe mind. Butawater plains canteaches also bring tranism at aatnorth Kerala quility times. Theircollege. mere presence can be the ‘devotees’, Dinkan is farcically serious theTomilieu of our meditations,” says Varghese. business — humour, said Groucho reaThe artists are conjoined in theirMarx, beliefisthat Aquatic ardour by Sebastian Varghese In thee we trust Supporters of Dinkan are on a war footing to promote the‘Backwater’ fictional anthropomorphic character as the icon of a new satirical religion in Kerala. The idea is son rewards gone mad. “Dinkan isthe mezzaterra are the Ultimate Anthe of inhabiting to get the better of fanatics and communal elements. A graffiti that appeared in Kozhikode heralds a convention of the group k ragesh swer, and we never letwith anyone pooh-pooh enormous; it will is teeming possibilities. It our lord,”each saysthing a Dinkoist worksof with IT endows withwho ‘a patina thean old water hyacinth a beautiful n thehe beginning was theisRodent, and but the small snatches of verse: Under followers spread acrossDylan the Thomas’s globe. And the and consultancy firmnew’. in Bengaluru. “Thecan public at shine of the It means one inhabdeadly plant. It saps life outwas of Milkwood World was with Him, and the World Sukumar Ray’stoAbol Tabol, that number isand soaring, thanks ‘devotees’, in- it large should that, the faithful more thanunderstand one language orlike culture at any waterbody, rendering it dry Dinand lead Him any — Dinkaluiah! Masha’Dinka! one atheists, into the hidden narrative. One believcan al- given cluding agnostics and liberal of other religions thatbe spread time. One can bothterror insideand andchaos outkaya defunct. Namaha!It also hides the muck that so the retinal as plea-a critique of across the globe, erssimply who enjoy see Dinkoism get offended if our side we of too language, of culture. liesWelcome beneathtoitsthe roots and of leaves; the the pretty Gospel Dinkan, Al- sure that religions. the works bring, traditional Clearly, the Lord isstance belittled or denigrated,” One’s cannot help but be purple as Ultimate the perfect decoy. Painter mightyflowers Mouse.act The Fighter. The Sa- soaking upthe thered sanguine nature spectre of chaddi-clad rohe mocks. violence is not both critical“But and empathetic. Sebastian uses Supreme this plant Being. as a metaviour. TheVarghese Omnipotent The of their dent is calming hauntinghues. many for the our way. Lord Dinkan does not The exhibition is evocative of Watercolours have phor toAll talk about the underlying tensions of right God of Gods. Royreasons. and Varghese are displayendorse violent ways toculture, defend these hinterlands where always Dinkan been was avalued comic theDinkoism, socio-political conditions Kerala. All of ing these works in Mezzaterra, a the religion thatinworships DinDinkoism.” politics and personal narratives below oil-on-canvas superhero popular Who is Dinkan? Varghese’s paintings are making beguilingly beautiful kan the Mouse, is now waves across two-person show at the Threshcome together in an aesthetic works amongbecause childrenoils in Mocking in style watercolours underlying (where else!) with God’san Own Country, story Kerala,that in- old To the uninitiated, beGallery, in Delhi’sDinkan, tony Sarvofeast. give the canvas Kerala during the Dinkoists have may be discovered by a closer spiring awe, amusement andinspection agitation of — daya fore Enclave being till anointed April 9. the SuIndrapramit Roy &made hilarious longevity 1980s and 1990s copies of Varghese practices from most rethe works. though not necessarily in that order. This is preme Being, was comic Watercolours havea always Sebastian ligions. Apart from the Holy Book Indrapramit Roy luresreligion. his viewers into the been not your run-of-the-mill superhero popular valuedimmensely below oil-on-canvas Threshold Art Gallery, Balamangalam, they reverently dappled light ofaka a large banyan As a follower, Dinkoist, says,tree it isreflected perhaps works amongbecause children Kerala duroilsingive the canC-221, Sarvodaya Enclave, call tapioca (kappa), the favourite in glassreligion window, thecountry shady coves of buildtheaonly in the that elicits fun vas ing the 1980s and longevity and1990s. allow The the DinartNew Delhi -110017 food the 9Rodent God, the Holy Root, and try ings the twinkling a festival seta ist in theorfaithful and fearlights amongofthe rest. It is kan to stories — similar to those featuringwith the On portray three-dimensionality tillofApril to propagate the religion they get a against an azure sky.areWithin of these spoof religion. There alreadyeach a dozen dedi- greater Mighty Mouse in theHowever US fromthese the 1940s to the Monday conviction. breathtakto Saturday, 11am – whenever 7 pm stunningly painted landscapes a hidden cated Facebook pages and severallies Twitter han- ingly 1960sbeautiful — were serialised in theone children’s magaworks make question this chance. In fact, their (mock) protests against maddox ais aMalayalam Delhi-based artfilm writerstarring Professor Dinkan, story that of one onlyboasts guessnearly at. There are hierarchy. dles. One thecan pages 50,000 zine Balamangalam (now among Holy Balamangalam Often known art snobs as georgina
A satirical religion is gaining followers by the bushel in Kerala
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