Bryan Adams in Kathmandu!

Okay so Bryan Adams is coming to town. We all know that. We cant be more sure. But we still get reminded every five minutes thanks to all the advertisements on papers, radio, the huge billboards (and tv? I don’t know…… I don’t watch much tv). Well it’s a wonderful thing to have the international rock star in the country, but how I wish all the zillion sponsors also sponsored other events and other talents. Why does it have to be Bryan Adams, who is already so popular to be able to get the attention of all the sponsors….right from banks to mobile phones to all sorts of drinks?

Perhaps the sponsors feel that when are they are advertising with such an international name, they will be noticed. But with so many brand names, will they be noticed? Why don’t companies also sponsor other local talents? If they have the money, wouldn’t it be wonderful if some real talent in the country actually got promoted and got famous? If our local talent did get famous, wouldn’t all of us be proud? And wouldn’t all of us benefit in the long run?

Wouldn’t it be nice if sponsors helped in promoting and advertising for social causes? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if sponsors promoted in the same big way, a very talented local band? Wouldn’t it be nice to see big billboards of book covers by Manjushree Thapa, Buddhisagar or other writers who are doing us so proud? Why don’t companies want to advertise for local art exhibitions and artists? The sponsors have the power to make things and people famous. Why would they still want to be associated with someone or something already so famous.

One of the first few songs I learnt on my guitar when I was very young was “The Summer of 69”. I have huge respect and admiration for Bryan Adams. But all the advertisment all over the place, I feel it’s a waste of money.
If only one-tenth of it was provided to support the local art scenario, I know there would be a lot of young artists who would benefit immensely !

Mystic Muse

….searching for myself in colours and forms….in textures and motifs…..searching for salvation…..searching for something infinite and yet searching….searching within me and creating in the inside and then the outside….my joy….my happiness….my search for bliss….framed and in thirty-five pieces…..Mystic Muse….exhibition of my artworks on the 22nd of January…. Join me !

In winter
even mist around the stupa
does kora.

Earthly

Earthly


.....and so in awe
i touched the butterfly,
but the colours came to my fingers !


chirag bangdel

You walked with me in my dreams,
silent and bare feet,
so as not to wake me up !

I think
life is all about realization and gratitude.
This beautiful morning is all yours.
The sun rose just for you.
Take it.
Realize it
and be happy about it.

…a rustle of a breeze
with unknown origin
and unknown end.
But I do kiss it
for I know it has passed your window.


chirag bangdel

everything has a reason

....everything has a reason,
even darkness.
If it was not for the night,
would you see the stars?

ART AFFAIR

ART AFFAIR


Going to an art exhibition launch can make you go through all sorts of experiences. Especially if you are an artist. You see artists who come just can’t help being analytical on the art pieces. You will find artists pondering and discussing about the way the media was used or the texture created. And then you will find artists who will be discussing about the muse and motif, whether it was strong, too strong, too mediocre or too light. You will meet happy artists, who are happy just to be there. You will meet real happy artists who got to sit on the big sofa along with the podium with the chief guest and got to make a speech. You will meet grumpy artists who wanted to sit on the big sofa and thought “was supposed” to sit on the big sofa and had come with a speech prepared but was not invited. You will meet artists who love to talk whether he has an audience or not. You will enjoy their company initially but after meeting them in a couple of art shows, you end up running away!
You will meet artists who come all the way to the art show despite the traffic jam, get inside, manufacture a scowling face, brisk through art pieces, gulp down the wine (or tea) and rush out. “It’s not my kinda thing,” you will hear him/her say on the door, going out. You will also meet some artists avoiding other artists. You will actually realize that an artist didn’t come because he/she thought some other artist was also coming. And the “other” artist didn’t come because he/she thought the former was coming. So both were absent !
It is rather sad to realize that there is some hatred in the art scenario. Isn’t any genre or form of art supposed to get people together? Shouldn’t art be but joy in the first place? How can we, the artists, spread joy when we hate each other?
And then the speeches! If you have the political leaders involved as the chief guests, they always start off , “I cant speak about art because I don’t know anything about art.” But trust me, they will speak anyways, for an hour or so till everyone gets exhausted….so exhausted that walking to the door of the gallery for the inauguration becomes a strenuous ordeal for all. Everyone who comes to the podium for a speech seems to love to talk and so they ramble on and on right from Fauvism to post modernism, most of the time going around the mulberry bush. Making a speech is an art on its own. You need to be prepared for it. You can’t afford to make ad-hoc speeches. It’s not your show. The show belongs to the artist who spent months or years working on the exhibition. You can’t afford to think you have so much authority that you can go there and make lengthy boring speeches at the cost of the exhibition. I think it’s perfectly alright to write speeches and read them. That way you can inculcate and balance intellect, wisdom and humour.
With so many artists and art happenings, I think we also need to be careful planners on how we want to go about organizing them. Less is more. I don’t think we need to have too many speakers in art shows. One or two good speakers would suffice. (I think a strict time discipline should be maintained.) And furthermore I believe any form of art, if talked about too much, loses its essence. Art should be felt.
As for the audience of the exhibition, I think we need to go to the art exhibitions with an open mind. Every artist has his/her own perspective to art. For an abstract artist, its freedom and spontaneity that’s important. For a conceptual artist, it’s the concept. A traditional artist enjoys the traditional styles. There are artists who enjoy creating super-realism. I believe when we go to an art-exhibition we need to see the works of the artist via their perspective. We need to enjoy the artistic freedom of the abstractionists, we need to celebrate the strong concepts of the conceptualists, and yet enjoy the fact that the super-realistic took so much pain to create what he did.
Art is going big in Nepal. And I am so glad to be a part of it !



Chirag Bangdel
3-January-2011