‘City Scape-2’ by V. Ramakrishna
Quintessence
My memories rushed back to my childhood days when I observed V.Ramakrishna’s method of color application. He initiates his color composition on canvas surface while smearing a transparent color base. Canvas appears like a courtyard of the household where water is sprinkled early mornings. Dry mud floors used to emanate sensuous aromas with the touch of the water. That was stimulating the nasals. Mornings were energized while walking over those scented ground to begin the day activities. That sprinkle was beautifully displaying a raw color too.
The houses built in villages are very nearby physically without leaving much space. That practice closes the distances between the animal-human living spaces and relations too. Many attachments are shared within those available spaces. Urban housing space is less too in the flat system of living. As far as shared living is concerned, limited space is available on both the locations whether it is rural or urban. But the difference is on the aromas emerged out of combinations and interactions. Water sprinkled on the mud base liberate essence at village space is altogether different from urban space of concrete base. The meanings of his paintings compositions are on the quintessence of village/urban spaces.
His ongoing solo exhibition at Cultural Centre of Vijayawada has many such compositions speaking those essence and various colours of village life, changing urban mileu.