LOOKING BACK THROUGH LOOKING FORWARD
At the beginning of 20th century when the whole country still unaware about the concept of education with natural balance and environmental harmony through nationalistic idea ‘ here in Kolkata the Tagore of Jorasanko through their Bengal school movement and Santiniketan school ,probably had sown the seeds of an ideology which helped India to create his own identity during the early and formative years Indian modernism. it is strongly felt that this is an aspect of our national past which still holds it’s truth amid and ongoing process of present globalization ,and which had never been explored before in it’s completeness and it’s all possible ramifications. Probably, today the time has come for it’s revolution
This show is a part of my project Title Santiniketan Architecture and Rabindra nath Tagore . here I am showing few images as visual references between the Bengal school art movement and the subsequent santiniketan architecture and it’s history ;with a special emphasis on the contributions of the No-5 Jorasanko Thakurbari [where Gaganendra nath ,Samarendra nath and Abanindra nath used to live] I intent to deal with and investigate the role of ‘Bichitra Sabha’ in particular and Bengal renaissance in general in shaping the ideology of a select band of young man who shared the responsibility in heralding a new era in India cultural history ,as a foundation of modern India and it extended to santiniketan . ”this institution did at one time attempt to foster such creativity on a wide scale –amongst people of all ages and social groups of practice –to cover functional arts , design for communication and performing arts – a kind of re-anesthetization of society was surely at the back of their minds .and what little it initiated had a kind of secret impact on the growing art scene in our community –influencing product design ,communication design even design for architecture ,theatre and film .they also motivated artists and connoisseurs to pay more attention to the larger art scene ,instead of confining themselves with only those parts that the reigning pundits sanctified as ‘high art’.
Selected bibliography
1] Santiniketan- by Rabindra Nath Tagore. Part-[1 and 2]
2] Visva Bharati news –vol-[11-13] 1942
3] Patric geddess and Arthur Geddess .file [ visva bharati /Rabindra Bhavan.
4] Chithi patra- by Rabindra Nath Tagore /vol.[ 1/2/3]
5] Probashi . edited by Ramananda Chatterjee.
6] Relating art and environment – by K.G.Subramanyan [lecture series at china bhavana-2003]
Acknowledgements
Visva Bharati, Santiniketan
RabindraBharatiMuseum, Jorasanko, kolkata
