Viktor-vijay-art-contemporary Indian artist

The best of Tamil art: Fragrance of Jasmine

2012-01-26T11:09:00.000-08:00

A dancer n Mridangam player from Darasuram

I have been working on my book on the Art of Tamils: Fragrance of Jasmine. I travel often and long in Tamilnadu and study the exquisite art that was created by Pallavas, Pandyas, Cholas and Cheras. cholas are more famous for their monumental temples at Thanjavur, Gangaikondcholapuram, Darasuram and Kamphareswra temples. Darasuram near Kumbakonam is regarded as sculptors paradise. Here I have added a beautiful relief of a vigorous dancer and equally vigorous mridangam player.

Mathura Museum

2011-04-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

old building of Mathura Museum. The new building is ready but still the old building is being used as Museum.When the Museum shifts there will be more space and more works on display hopefully. No countrty can become proud of itself without keeping in mind it past history, art, culture. What we are today is the result of what our forefathers created and left for us

Lingam Kushan period (Mathura Museum) Thnx 2 Director Mathura Museum to photograph the work for my next book on Indian art

The great art of India in North. this Yaksha was chiselled by artist with great visual n creative force 200 years before Christ was born. See the great softness and serenity conveyed (Mathura Museum) Thnx to Mathura Museum Director for permission to Photograph for my new book

If you are looking one place for the the great art of north India-ancient north including parts of China, Khotan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mathura it is.

The phenomena of a New India—Anna Hazare and his Indians

2011-04-10T00:47:00.000-07:00

Some dream for themselves some dream for others

The emergence almost overnight of a star for 1.21 billion Indians in Anna Hazare as a symbol of faith, determination, hope, honesty is a miracle of sorts. It is a great example to the world of the largest democracy on earth changing its direction for the better. It is democracy confronting ill-functioning democracy. It is democracy vs. democracy. A man of 73 years who lives out of a bag and owns no land, house or assets and has 10’X10’ room to sleep has spearheaded and awakened even the most cynic of Indians and jolted a Govt. who and whose predecessors dithered from making an effective legislation against the corruption specially of rulers and high and mighty. Unfortunately India is a country where after swindling $20 billions a powerful person never sees even the portals of a jail while a poor person can stay for 20 years in prison on being falsely implicated of stealing Rs20, all this because the laws are lax and the system is dilatory.

A new icon is born and every Indian has appropriated him as his own and vision of future by saying, ‘I am Anna Hazare’ He has overtaken every other living person as a popular icon among the urban and rural youth and grown ups. He stands taller than any other Indian by miles. People see in him the most handsome Indian whose crystal heart beats for India and Indians. A couple of politicos called him an uneducated driver. But what a driver he is for Indians driving them out of the muck and slush of dirty dealing corrupt of India.

There are three kinds of people—

1 those who live for themselves, are indifferent and they are the majority in normal circumstances but are jolted out of their slumber when a leader of heroic dimensions appears

2 those who live for themselves at the expense of others and that include all the corrupt politicos, bureaucrats and industrialists and all the riff raff of society

3 Those who dream and turn the dreams into a beautiful reality of hope for others

Anna Hazare is from the last category. Indian regard such likes of Narayan Murthy, Azim Premji, and Metro man Sreedharan, cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar from the third category.

Unfortunately no politician at present is regarded as an icon for the country. People have reached a stage of despair with endless march of corruption, low morality among rulers. There was hopelessness for people found no way out endemic corruption till on 5^th April Anna Hazare appeared at Jantar Mantar. His simple, spotless life and a straight forward readiness to die fasting to save India and Indians from corruption endeared him to all. He asked for peoples’ right to frame an effective legislation against corruption. People came from all walks of life they gathered all over

India

, they sang patriotic songs, they fasted unto death, and they resolved to be with Anna Hazare. They saw a 73 year old common man like themselves in Anna Hazare who had nothing, wanted nothing rather was willing to die for them. They pledged to be with him come what may. I saw a strange light in peoples’ eyes, they talked of Gandhi, of British Colonial atrocities, of Jai Prakash Narayan’s selfless leadership, they emptied their pain, their sufferings, miseries on total strangers, but bound together by a common bond and the rope was Anna Hazare. They brought water for people and they did not mind the sun, they were polite as tender petals of a flower to each other. It was mesmerizing, and I wondered are these the same people who indulge in road rage! No the magician has worked his magic on these people and the magician par excellence was Anna Hazare. Personal life is an important indicator of a person and we see immoral flaunting of wealth by classes. India despite it growth rate has also descended in stark inequalities.70% people live on Rs20 a day and they bear the burden of the corruption. What belongs to them as transfer of resources and redistributive justice has been stolen through corruption. The burden of corruption is the highest on the poor though no doubt India’s sizeable middle class suffers no less and has participated vociferously in the change spearheaded by Anna Hazare.

People know now that power is wielded by politicians, bureaucrats, in cahoots with super rich industrialists. The public knows that often after climbing its shoulders politicos blatantly use the power to amass wealth through corruption.

The corporate social responsibility has acquired a new meaning and created a high social respect for Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Azim Premji, Narayanmurthy and metro man Sreedharan The society does not view positively examples of lavish conspicuous consumption while 47% children are malnourished. A Mukesh Ambani may be the richest Indian but he stands nowhere in societal respect of the masses. The stock of industrialists generally is not very high in our country for they are seen mostly to do nothing for India other than building empires for themselves and their children.

Among masses of

India

the brand value of Mukesh Ambani the richest Indian who build for himself a Rs10,000 crore house is miniscule compared with Anna Hazare who lives in 10’X10’ room in a temple.

This is an emerging India where moral values and not your wealth is the indicator of your worth.

Quite a number of industrialist are embroiled in scams in cahoots with politicos and bureaucrats, this has further eroded the faith of the masses. Imagine Gandhi called business as trustees of society but in many cases they have emerged as immoral exploiters and manipulators.

India and Indians were bewildered and helpless till Anna arrived on national scene on 5^th April 2011 and media manned by middle class journo and anchors morally felt obligated to openly take sides for the India that was almost crushed under, by the corrupt in positions of power. Yes media was partisan in favour of Anna Hazare and ordinary Indians and when I saw Kapil Sibbal blowing his fuse on anchor Barkha Datt of NDTV accusing her of being unreasonable and partisan she merely said, “Oh You are annoyed”. It was the same story with the anchor Arnav Goswami from Times Now. Yes media was partisan but it was partisans for the suffering people who constitute the foundation and the main pillar of democracy, yes media was partisan for a nation unable to breathe under weight of obese corrupt, yes it was partisan for Indians under siege, it was partisan for the undernourished children whose morsels of food were being snatched by the corrupt, it was partisan for the poor and above it was partisan to make democracy for the people more effective. The lawyer in Kapil Sibbal wove the web of procedures and systemic labyrinths for two days but it came to naught as anchor after anchor asked why in 42 years they could not bring legislation against corruption. The ministers were mouthing ‘us’ and ‘them’ initially but by fourth day it changed to Govt. and civil society are on the same side

People did not see Govt. and Opposition differently and did not allow political opposition to gate crash in the movement. First time people stood above the divide of caste, class, religion, regionalism and political divisionism. From media to mobile telephones, SMSs, internet, Facebook it galvanized all Indian in India and abroad. Media became the democratic opposition to safeguard peoples’ interest. The speechless stunned opposition and the Govt. in power appeared to be on the same side for people. For the first time the political class appeared to be on the defensive. The unceremonious ejection of Chautala and Uma Bharti was watched by all across the country. It was a different mood that Anna Hazare’s fast had created in the people. The school children came with their teachers, college students with professors, employees came in lunch hour missing their lunch and again after the office was over, women and man in twilight of their lives, mothers with little children in tow came from far off states, they came from here and there, they came from far and near, they came from towns, villages cities and streets To an extent it was true, people have seen the geometric growth of the wealth of quite few of functionaries of democracy, they dithered in giving details of their assets, they were found to be in company of criminals or had criminal background, some of them were seen by people doing deals for money on the TV, they had seen hitting, slapping abusing politicos more akin to street goons. When Anna Hazare embarked on his fast unto death the stock of politicos had reached the lowest ebb. Scams after scams had just taken away any solace the political class could offer to ordinary mortals called Janta.

But remember the people have realized their power and in future they will be the ombudsmen for the correct behaviour of the servants of people. India turns the corner and a moral reeducation seems to be in the offing at least for the ruling classes.

India rewrites history via Anna Hazare

2011-04-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

I have been taking part in the Revolution--being Anna Hazare's soldier fighting to make for a corruption-free India.With my camera I was at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi watching Indians of all colours and shade coming to join him. A Gandhian to the core Anna Hazare who own nothing and lives out of a small bag and sleeps in a 10'X10' room, has changed India in four days--from 5th to 8th April 2011. People come with little babies, old, small school children, doctors and lawyers, farmers and daily wagers, shop owners and Govt employees. We have a democracy but a leaking one. Anna Hazare comes to stop the leakage. 300 persons in Jantar Mantar joined him in fast unto death. Many were hospitalized but they carried on. I heard people talk of India's subjugation under British and felt that still we are not free to work and enjoy the fruits of honest labour. As did the Colonists carted away by force what belonged to India, so do the 'Brown Sahibs'. They came from Villages from Jharkhand, from Bihar, from UP, from Bangalore , they came with faith, they came with hope. I saw the same emotion, same determination in the eyes of a 8 year old child as in the silver haired 80 year old. I had not seen anything like this ever before. I suddenly saw a new India and new Indians; until now i had not know this new India existed. But it was so because this new India was created in 4 days by the diminutive, humble, simple, ordinary looking but with extraordinary determination to dream a India free from corruption. His dream was not his own it was a dream which every Indian wanted to dream but could not. He has brought back dreams in the eyes of ordinary Indians and now they are willing to fight for their right to dream. Here I share some of the dreamers I saw in the multitude of Indians.

Anna Hazare goes on hunger strike to fight corruption

2011-04-06T06:04:00.000-07:00

Chance-Consciousness Art CHANCON-Viktor Vijay's latest solo exhibition

2011-04-05T22:56:00.000-07:00

Sunday Guardian on Niall Ferguson

2011-04-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

On Sunday the third of April the Sunday Guardian carried an analysis of the work and the mind of the Harvard Prof Niall Ferguson by PIERS BRENDON.
http://www.sunday-guardian.com/bookbeat/willful-misreading-of-impact-of-western-

Also my comments in Telegraph

colonialismhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/8371304/Civilisation-The-West-and-the-Rest-by-Niall-Ferguson-review.html

When did I realize that a Xerox British Colonial Empire is impregnated to rule not India but the world

2011-04-02T14:25:00.001-07:00

'As a painter and artist I was just busy to study Indian art from ancient and middle ages and discovered on the way the story of Portuguese and British colonial decimation of the persona, the culture, the religions, the identity of India and of Indians. My concerns were the so called Renaissance art and 'Humanism' of Colonial Europe and I found it was one of the most anti-humanity period of Europe. At the base of this was a new Europe of greed, avarice, Racism, religious bigotry, Royalty, nobility and a Church who saw nothing immoral in enslaving and colonizing humanity out side the pale of Western Europe and Church. For me was perplexing to find beautiful paintings soft sensual shiny rose tinted white flesh of the nude women in the paintings like Titian's Sacred and Profane or sweet Mona Lisa smiling in her own reverie by Lionardo da Vinci, or the perfect realistic portrayal of handsome muscular men by Michelangelo appeared dichotomous and sham. The images of slaves with wooden shafts locked around their necks, beautiful white women with flowers in bonnet and flounced skirts sitting in carriages pulled by barefoot loin cloth clad Indians or flesh-bereft starving dying children, men and women. I realised the presence of the white Colonist and slave trader behind both type of images--beautiful Eden of Europe and Hell of all other continents. One was the cause of the other!! It was not Humanism it was a simple case of hunting humans like animals, and ruthlessly gunning down to have access to the gold and silver mines. Brought as booty from the sweat and tears of slaves and colonized to Europe it would finance the aristocratic lives of kings nobility and the Church. Oh not to forget, the gentry would commission best of the artists to paint beautiful pictures of 'Humanism'. What magic the Colonists and slave traders had--they transformed the blood and tears of the subjugated, enslaved, colonized into such happy 'Humane' art.
From this was born my book 'Mona Lisa does not smile anymore' and was published in Delhi in February 2011. But just as entered the month of March 2011, I was drowned in a media blitz about a book published--Civilization: West and the Rest. Indian media-print and electronic had gone dizzy to rewrite the history of Colonialism as dictated by the blessed laureate Professor at Harvard and in many more glorious institutions. He has put forward a grand new thesis that it were 'six killer applications' that put West on the godly pedestal and the Rest well the word Rest itself means those who have no identity just lingered. I wondered how such a big professor be so innocent of the the slave trading, indentured labour, colonization, engineered famines, destruction and decimation of many races from Africa, Asia, Americas and Oceania. But I was wrong it was not innocence.As I read more of his ideas I realized he is advocating the 'return of the Prodigal' the Colonial master to take over the world in twenty first century with a little change in the script. The USA should become the Colonial grandfather of the erstwhile British Colonists. They say USA is home to democracy and here is big Harvard tag professor just suggesting the creation of two worlds that I talked above--a Renaissance for homeland West and slave collar for the Rest.
I also realized it is not important what you say but what position you have and the glorious media relations or connections you can muster.
How little has changed in the world, the desire to paint well nourished pink opulent images of Renaissance 'Humanism' and the black Indian coolie pulling the 'noble' lady in bonnet still persists at least in Niall Ferguson's thoughts.
But I wonder what happened to Indian media?? They review and interview him and parade his intelligence, positions in universities, his cleverness but not a word on his justification of British Colonialism.
Mohan das Karamchand Gandhi who is India's icon for many things from non-violence to his fight to throw out British Colonists must be turning in his Samadhi, finding how many in Indian media are feting a person who wants the return of the Raj!!! Another example of media spending a lot of ink on 'sensational as news' is about a book on Mahatma by Joseph Lelyveld about his sexuality. For India and the world more important are the ideals Gandhi stood for and nothing more.
Note-- Among the Indian media that I read and saw about his book only Times of India had a review of his book by Minhaz Merchant who raised vehemently the question of colonial atrocities. My rebuttal of Colonial philosophy of Prof. Ferguson every newspaper or journal in West that I emailed published. Alas my own country's media would not invite me for a rebuttal of colonialism thesis for to share with you I am an Associate Prof in Delhi University which is in the Rest and not in West.
While how IBN 18 online treated my rebuttal of the great thesis of 'killer applications' I have already posted.
But who says I have lost. If our Mahatma Gandhi when thrown out by white colonists from a First class train compartment could throw out the British Colonists. I can fight for my India and for those who gave their lives for the freedom of our great Bharat Mata--Mother India.
Have I not the internet and the blog to tell you that some desire the 'return of the Prodigal Colonist' to India and the Rest!
Please do read the link below about what British Colonial masters did to us. it is by a very talented and truth searching Prof in USA Vivek Chibber.

http://bostonreview.net/BR30.1/chibber.php#c5t_form

Link to Niall Ferguson's justification of British Colonial Chain around India's neck

2011-04-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

http://www.johannhari.com/2006/06/23/niall-ferguson-the-row-continues

An Indian can not say that British colonialism was bad through an Indian media chanel

2011-04-02T00:08:00.000-07:00

Niall Ferguson justifies British colonialism in India in his book West and the Rest.I Sent a rebuttal of this to IBN18 online but they decided not to publish it. I give below what I wrote quoting from my book Mona Lisa does not smile any more. My lurking worry is, is India media more Western than the West in thinking about India.

Incidentally I sent rebuttal of colonial OCCUPATION justification of Ferguson to The Guardian UK, The Independent etc, and they published it wIthin 1 hour. But IBN18 ONLINE AFTER THREE DAYS STILL THINKS THAT IT MAY BE WRONG TO REFUTE COLONIZATION OF INDIA BY BRITISH.

My email to IBN when my rejoinder was not published and the material that rebuts West and the Rest.

Hello Meenakshi,

Thanks for taking my call and being helpful.

As per the telephonic talk I am putting in attachment the rejoinder to the review of Niall Ferguson's thesis justifying and supporting colonialism in general and in India in particular.

In keeping with the fair tradition of freedom to express you would publish my rejoinder. Incidentally almost similar rejoinders by me have been published by The Guardian UK, Independent, and the Telegraph.

I also resent your reviewer for putting down the receiver when I called to enquire about the rejoinder. It will really be uncomfortable to think my own country's media deny me the right to counter a theory that justfies Brtish Colonialism on India, while the West has published my opinion on the subject.

Thank You,

Viktor Vijay Kumar

Associate Professor Delhi University

The Rebuttal

In rebuttal of the racial-superiority and Colonial justification arguments of Ferguson I quote from my book 'MONA LISA DOES NOT SMILE ANYMORE' (ISBN 978-81-8465-512-4)
" No human or animal desire to live in cage or chains. Would the British have swapped development at the expense of slavery under Nazis? It is the primary motive that counts, incidental outcomes there from are of no consequence. British subjugated India and sent Indians as virtual slaves to different islands—from Fiji to Mauritius, to West Indies to South Africa—to work as indentured plantation labour, they occupied an independent country and used its resources and humans in a bland exploitative manner over nearly two centuries. It is not stupid but cunning to justify robbing of freedom of other nations. No religion should make a business of distributing moral righteousness by way of force and temptation to convert. No religion should have had legions of missionary priests disembarking from colonial ships, whose life mission was to convert as many as possible. I think that the introduction of ‘missionary’ priests to convert has close links with the colonialism. Colonialism and religion worked together as a synergy to show the dominant power of the ruler. I ask why the colonizers were all Christians and not Jews, Muslims, Chinese or Indians. The justification came from the material power of the king and the Church. Christianity transformed from a religion of the poor and suffering humanity to that of rich and powerful and Colonialism was a manifestation of it."
About the 'globalization' Ferguson talks of look up the role of Church in destroying India's culture and religion and I quote from Henry James Coleridge, ed., The Life and Letters of St. Francis Xavier, 2d Ed., 2 Vols., (London: Burns & Oates, 1890),
"These children, I trust heartily, by the grace of God, will be much better than their fathers. They show an ardent love for the Divine law, and an extraordinary zeal for learning our holy religion and imparting it to others. Their hatred for idolatry is marvellous. They get into feuds with the heathen about it, and whenever their own parents practise it, they reproach them and come off to tell me at once. Whenever I hear of any act of idolatrous worship, I go to the place with a large band of these children, who very soon load the devil with a greater amount of insult and abuse than he has lately received of honor and worship from their parents, relations, and acquaintances. The children run at the idols, upset them, dash them down, break them to pieces, spit on them, trample on them, kick them about, and in short heap on them every possible outrage."
Naill Ferguson dreams of replicating such a world. His thoughts will come to grief. No East or West should try to be the fascistic moral godfather of humanity and this applies to all--to emerging China and India, or West or USA.
For has not the West killed 70 million in II World War and this alone should be the reason enough for West or any among the Rest to not talk of civilizational superiority. One has to be wary, for Hitler was not a person but was an idea that was sold to millions of innate superiority of some in relation to the Rest.

'Mona Lisa does not smile anymore' and India n colonialism

2011-03-31T12:40:00.000-07:00

http://www.carnegiecouncil.org/resources/transcripts/1033.html

India and Colonial yoke

2011-03-31T05:21:00.000-07:00

http://http://www.rlsbb.com/civilization-is-the-west-history-s01e01-ws-pdtv-xvid-ftp/www.rlsbb.com/civilization-is-the-west-history-s01e01-ws-pdtv-xvid-ftp/or vijay

March 30th, 2011 at 13:28 | #11

Reply | Quote

When words copulate with words they produce more words and a ‘factual’ but non-fecund history. But the history so encamped often leaves out the moral questions of righteousness and the ‘historian’ assumes that material winner is morally right for it is said ‘victory itself is its own legitimacy.’ I rebut lock stock and barrel Niall Ferguson’s book for presenting a fabric of fabrication. I quote but little from my book ‘Mona Lisa does not smile anymore’(ISBN 978-81-8465-512-4)
“The voyages of exploration were the dawn of Racialism and Colonialism. In the year 1600, the Indian economy amounted to 22.54 per cent of the world GDP, while Britain and Western Europe’s combined economies amounted to 21.82 per cent. By 1870, India’s share was down to 12.25 per cent, while in Western Europe it increased to 32.71%. At its prosperous best Mughal Empire produced 24.5% of world GDP in the year 1700. By the time British colonists occupied India and other nations their GDP rose to 23.8% of the world in 1870.” (page 137)

“If I had to choose between an erudite Aristotle and an unknown ‘soulless’ black slave I would choose the latter. The ascendancy of the West was on a heap of bodies of slaves and trampled humanity through colonization.” (page 135). what I wrote in my book Mona Lisa does not smile anymore (ISBN 978-81-8465-512-4) on the “ascendancy of the West on the bodies of the Rest” would never have the kind of audience, the media, Harvard tagged Professor can muster. I am from the ‘Rest’, I am an Associate Professor in Delhi university and to get newspapers and media to just read and review what I write in the book is akin to a beggar seeking the attention of an Emperor.
I do not have access to big media houses, no media would have time to meet me while my own county’s journalists are talking and writing gloriously about the ‘West and the Rest’ as a great work of history. Though it is another matter the facts mapped on our psyche and on the bodies of our forefathers altogether offer different reasons for the rise of the West.
The complete lack of moral unease of subjugating so many and killing so many through slave shipping, indentured labour, Colonization and a Church that helped in these grand ventures of the West is what Ferguson’s book tries to white wash. The writings of likes of Ferguson are unabashed neocolonial drivel in the garb of (partisan) academics of the West. His arguments smack of blatant superiority of the West and in a subtle whisper of ‘Christianity’ and by implication inferiority of the Rest. But so much is historically dark and gory under the white loaded brush of West that Ferguson can not whitewash it, even with the biggest brush.

My book is about the morals of the West when Portuguese put Indians on stake under Inquisition in Goa, it is about the Colonial Jizya tax imposed by the British on Hindus, it is about 30 million Indians who perished under British Colonialism engineered famines and above all my book is about Humanism of India against the atrocities of the West of the time on the Rest. I am the blood and gene of the Rest. My maternal grandmother Subhadra Devi valiantly fought against the Colonial Portuguese seeking their eviction from Goa. (Charles Dellon in his book Inquisition of Goa (1687) has this to say about Indian prisoners of Inquisition “Some of these poor wretches …were so pressed by hunger as to be compelled to devour their own excrements” (page 28) quoted by me in my book at page 113.

The question is not of the West or the East it is of respecting the truth of the suffering of millions across continents. I end this honest though frail of glory missive with the last sentence of my book, “The wealth of Europe was founded on colonization, slavery, pain and suffering and this is no good a reason for Mona Lisa to smile.”

Prof. Viktor Vijay Kumar
Truth is humble like Gandhi but lofty in ideal

'Mona Lisa does not smile anymore' vs 'The West and the Rest'

2011-03-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/comment-permalink/10159147http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/comment-permalink/10159147When words copulate with words they produce more words and a 'factual' but non-fecund history. But the history so encamped often leaves out the moral questions of righteousness and the 'historian' assumes that material winner is morally right for it is said 'victory itself is its own legitimacy.'
I rebut Niall Ferguson's book for presenting a fabric of fabrication. I quote but little from my book 'Mona Lisa does not smile anymore'(ISBN 978-81-8465-512-4)
"The voyages of exploration were the dawn of Racialism and Colonialism. In the year 1600, the Indian economy amounted to 22.54 per cent of the world GDP, while Britain and Western Europe's combined economies amounted to 21.82 per cent. By 1870, India's share was down to 12.25 per cent, while in Western Europe it increased to 32.71%. At its prosperous best Mughal Empire produced 24.5% of world GDP in the year 1700. By the time British colonists occupied India and other nations their GDP rose to 23.8% of the world in 1870." (page 13 7)It is not essential to pick and choose examples that fit a prefixed thought structure. More important is do you see the 'other' humanity with same eyes as you wish to be seen.

"If I had to choose between an erudite Aristotle and an unknown ‘soulless’ black slave I would choose the latter. The ascendancy of the West was on a heap of bodies of slaves and trampled humanity through colonization." (page 135)
It is not essential to pick and choose examples that fit a .
important is do youSEEthe 'other' humanity with same eyes as you wish to be seen.
In Dresden as I stood in front of Otto Dix Triptych War, I could see the futility of the great ascent of the West in the hanging flesh from dead putrefied soldiers. Do not forget the ascent of the West culminated in 70 million dead. No Mr. Ferguson we do not desire such ascent either for West or East for that matter to humanity in general.
Viktor Vijay Kumar

'Mona Lisa does not smile anymore' replies to Niall Ferguson in Guardian Newspaper

2011-03-29T13:58:00.000-07:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/comment-permalink/10159147http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/comment-permalink/10159278

How West butchered the Rest--'Mona Lisa does not smile' replies

2011-03-29T03:58:00.000-07:00

A question to Niall Ferguson-- did slavery and Colonialism of 'Christian' West not devavour the Rest?

India has the oldest surviving religion of the world and a billion plus population being moved by it in search of the material and spiritual. The 'Reniassance' led by Papal authorities encouraging and actively canvassing slave trading, and Colonialism of all non-European cultures was the bane of humanity and Humanism.
Later the onslaught of proselytizing 'Christianity' subsumed under Rome the singular right to be 'Christian Church'. Even now the Christianity is projected as a Western religion, which is not true--neither Jesus nor the earliest practioners were Western. It was the Byzantium and the Eastern Church as also the Syrian Christians and other Eastern strains that propagated Christianity as non-racist. But the dominance of Roman Church (and later Anglican Church in Colonies like India) brought about a racial stranglehold of Christianity and it did not dither in making Western White 'Christian' Man as a model of the 'Humanity' while helping to decimate other cultures in Americas, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa.
I rebut Niall Ferguson's

Civilization: The West and the Rest

self-gloating Western superiority hereunder from my book Mona Lisa does not smile anymore (ISBN 978-81-8465-512-4)

"The voyages of exploration were the dawn of Racialism and Colonialism. In the year 1600, the Indian economy amounted to 22.54 per cent of the world GDP, while

Britain

and Western Europe's combined economies amounted to 21.82 per cent. By 1870, India's share was down to 12.25 per cent, while in Western Europe it increased to 32.71%. At its prosperous best Mughal Empire produced 24.5% of world GDP in the year 1700. By the time British colonists occupied

India

and other nations their GDP rose to 23.8% of the world in 1870. "
It is clear West climbed over the bodies of the Rest to attain material surpluses that through Cos like East India Company ushered in development of West from the loot of the Rest.
The complete lack of moral unease of subjugating so many and killing so many through slave shipping, indentured labour, Colonization and a Church that helped in these grand venture of the West is what Ferguson's book tries to white wash. The writings of likes of Ferguson are unabashed revival of Colonialism in the garb of (partisan) academics of the West. His arguments smack of blatant racism. But so much is dark and gory under the white loaded brush of West that Ferguson can not whitewash it.

Black Mona Lisa painting by Viktor Vijay

Why God is Woman in Hinduism--the art of India

2011-03-27T23:30:00.000-07:00

Faith rightly placed is a great saviour, but housed in perverted heads it brings about hatred, destruction and mayhem. When we hate others under the canopy of religion, race, gender, caste, creed, we walk a path to hell. I wonder if woman ever fought wholesale in the name of religion. Mostly they create and nurture life--Give birth, suckle and bring up the babies. This fact was well appreciated by our fore-fathers and fore-mothers in prehistoric periods. The Mother was God for the life could be created only by her. Hinduism being an ancient religion with direct and continuing link with human prehistory has elements from the ancient world and belief that God is feminine. .
As I travelled in search of the art and wisdom of India in its temples and customs strewn across the country, I found exquisite gems of a philosophy and art that can not be appreciated unless one surrenders the blinkers and regimented toxicity of thought and attitude towards the celebration the feminine in
Hinduism. I tried to work out the proportion of female figures on temple walls I found they outnumber male images in some cases by 80%!!
If one knows about the original Khasi inhabitants of Meghalaya, one would be familiar with the matriarchal society that flourishes there.
A goddess in reclining birth giving posture found on many temples is called Lajja Gauri. I saw a 5th century example of it in Badami in Karnataka. The Face is generally covered in a round flower shape and her legs drawn up in the birth giving posture. The caves of Badami are famous for excellent art of Badami Chalukyas and painted caves with images from Hinduism and Jainism from 4-5th century. The dancing Shiva in the first cave is a sublime example of the spiritual art of India. The graceful dance postures is what in all probability encouraged the development of Nataraja image of Shiva. Below the caves as you enter the precincts there is ASI Museum that has this beautiful Lajja Gauri sculpture. there are other very good examples of Indian art and its spiritual reach.
Women held in high esteem nurtured a religion with very little violence and hatred and war-mongering destruction. Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism are as such the religions of peace.

Ranakpur Jain temple Rajasthan sculpture of dancing goddess

In my book Mona Lisa does not smile anymore I have used the images of goddesses that stood for God as a feminine Eternal.

The Art of India

2011-03-27T01:10:00.000-07:00

Hinduism has one of the longest continuing history of the faith of mankind. The practices of Hinduism so freely demonized by the Colonists and the proselytizing Christian padre were drawn from the Nature. We know that the earliest religions of humanity were Nature based. The missionaries--the militant, business trading and property owning Jesuits included-- indulged in marketing a much younger Christianity to the grand old man--Hinduism. They held the beautiful hybrid forms of gods and goddesses to be 'Monsters'. Partha Mitter in his Much Maligned Monsters discusses the roots of the perversion of European mind from the time of Pliny about India's culture, religion and people.

One of the dominant beliefs in Hinduism comes from the Mother worship practices common to all ancient faiths. Marija Gimbutas did extensive research on Mother Goddess in Europe. In India Hinduism is replete with woman images of gods. Here I give you an image from the 8th century temples of Ossian 75 km from Jodhpur in Rajasthan. She is the goddess of fertility. .

Whitehot Magazine of Contemporary Art decides to cover the art of 1.25 billion people of India---thank You Noah Becker

2011-03-21T06:02:00.000-07:00

Victor Vijay 21 March at 10:16

Thank u Noah. But u know as well a I that two swallows do not make the summer. Change and be inclusive if u want to be really
"magazine of contemporary art'. Set up infrastructure in India like you have in Europe to explore what new distances Indian art is measuring with its ancient walking feet.
regards,
Viktor Vijay

Noah Becker 21 March at 10:28 Report

thanks Victor we would need a few months to do that and also a bigger budget.

Victor Vijay 21 March at 12:14

Noah Becker your brief missive delights to no end, not me but India and many more!!
Those who float free in ether become the universe!! I appreciate your world view on art and wish a new dawn for Whitehot Magazine.
I am sure you will create an inclusive world of art, culture, socially-shared-spaces. In doing so your Whitehot Magazine will be first in the world to do it, others may emulate you in creating a United Nation of Art n Culture
Black Mona Lisa thanks U ,
regards and kudos for ur project,

Viktor Vijay

Reply:

Whitehot Magazine of Contemporary Art

2011-03-20T04:05:00.000-07:00

A message to Editor,

Noah Becker

Visual Artist | Musician | Writer| Editor,

Hello,

I am impressed by your extensive and multifarious talent in creative arts--words, images and music. Your White Hot Magazine is I may say a bit dusty though with colourful plumage.

You have such wide ranging coverage on West but another part of earth and India with 1.25 billion people has been in the forefront of art, culture and civilizations. Unfortunately the Western canon of art and aesthetics applied to India regarded the arts and culture of this ancient land as accolyte and subsidiary to West, which in any case is not true. Indian aesthetics is based on different foundation than that of West. To totally ignore the arts and culture of this great land is I think a glaring omission and than not to have an Indian or Eastern point of view on arts would as it has, make your otherwise good magazine, incomplete and lopsidedly West dominated and focussed.

regards,

Viktor Vijay

Artist

India crest of civilizations and leading economic superpower

2011-03-20T01:09:00.000-07:00

Today like other days I woke up late and I ran through newspapers with my mandatory two cups of tea. Being Sunday there are more serious writings to go through. As I shuffled pages of The Times of India to main Sunday articles I saw Minhaz Merchant's four-book review. The first book deals with West and its professed self-delusion of grandeur and superiority vis-a-vis the rest of the world. The book written by Niall Ferguason is appropriately arrogantly called 'Civilization: The West and the Rest'. I will juxtapose Merchant's unbiased analysis in a while, but let me give you what I have to say on West in a single but similar sentence "Renaissance West butchered the Rest"
(Page 93 Mona Lisa does not smile anymore -the story of fake Humanism of 'Reanaissance' Europe in relation to arts of India). Merchant counters (Page 19 Title: What's the Big Idea Sunday Times of India 20th March 2011) Ferguason's Western superiority through "science,medicine,consumerism, competition, property rights and work ethics" with the real causes known to all of us as the profits of blood and tears of "The Rest" from slavery, colonization, indentured labour, bringing diseases and deceipt from Europe to decimate the body and the spirit, art and culture, society and civilizations, intellect and wisdom, philosophy and spirituality. How people suffer from the racial grandeur of West is still beyond understanding. More than 30 millions killed by British-manufactured famines in India do not make for the glory of 'medicine' as the cause of West's upstart upstaging the Rest. About competition, British factory cloth was forced on Indians and killed millions of weavers through unemployment, the colonists forced the farmers in Malwa central India with very fertile grains and cotton growing black soil to cultivate poppy and forced at the point of barrel of gun the Chinese to legalize the opium imports from British colony India. What colonialism did to art and culture of India I have discussed in great detail in my book. "The Mughals rejuvenated arts and culture of India while Portuguese excelled in conversions, Inquisition and atrocities on Hindu, Muslim and Jew populace."

(page 159 from Mona Lisa ...)

It is not very surprising the kind of propagandist writings keep emerging from accolytes of West, but I have predicted in my book the new emerging horizons under a fresh sun and it is The Rest and not the West that will shine the brightest.
Thank You Minhaz Merchant for removing the wool from the eyes of those who put wool on their own eyes in the first place.

Creative Dilemma of artist

2011-03-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

~~What I see is not what is~~

~~Then what shall I create with my paint brush?~~

~~A form, a feeling, a presence, a negation, time, or its annihilation?~~

~~A form limits, a feeling is transient, a presence and its negation is but an illusion,~~

~~Time they say is circular so I catch not its strands~~

excerpts from MONA LISA DOES NOT SMILE ANYMORE

(page 14)

Contemporary Art

2011-03-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

excerpts book Mona Lisa does not smile anymore

" No Indian artist with professed influence of Indian philosophical thought has caused a stir in the world. Many migrated to West or studied and stayed there but none could touch the pinnacle; is it the hegemony of the West or the quality of art that is in question? Rather I have a question namely is the art market able to separate wheat from chaff? Whether the high prices created by the market a touch stone of the real worth of art works? Is in a society so full of scams and manipulations a ‘price’ is really a price at which transactions take place and whether the ‘experts’ really able to gauge the artistic worth of a work of art. Have we been able to create a holistic, universal expression drawing on Indian philosophy, religion and thought? May be the heritage is too heavy with past and the artists are not able to wrench themselves away or be free from its overpowering impact. The weight of so much of knowledge from the past, the imagery, iconography, the narratives, the philosophy and above all the inability to look at all this from today’s vintage point could probably be possible reasons of Indian contemporary art and artists denied to make a grand entry on world podium. The art that is being created is cocooned and in the absence of good institutional infrastructure is difficult to screen for its true artistic worth. Quite a few are dealing in pleasing decorative figures that have vanished almost half a century earlier from world art. Both in form based and abstraction some remarkable art is being created often and include works of artists who do not know to use marketing instruments. Collectors are no longer impressed by the poverty of an artist; to be good, the artists must have plush studios and designer clothes, and only then the art is rated ‘collectible’. Like Bombay masala movies people at the lower rung of art appreciation want works to decorate their houses, villas, factories, ranches, offices. They want not creative works of art, they want pleasing pictures—pictures that don’t raise uncomfortable question about life, existence, humanity and future. Others want paintings to satisfy their need for religious images of gods and goddesses"

Mona Lisa does not smile anymore--book on Indian art

2011-03-11T12:35:00.000-08:00

excerpts from the book, "To paint appearances is to miss out on inner kernel of the world. Increasingly the commercial industrial thought and technologies have spilled over into art domain ; replication of apparent with digital manipulation and, camera use has taken over from the inner creative well of humanity. The technologies are not the blood and marrow of humanity, instead the direction, freedom, the vision from within are the structure of human enterprise. To abnegate the world of stockappearances we need to have inner spiritual cues. Not the knowledge of the external but the saturating unitary experience of the inner. In my art I work with chance and attempted negation of conscious, well planned, control of the artistic expression. I surrender so the Light will shine on creativity. The joining of Chance as a higher order of things with a consciousness that comes from within and transforms our ‘seeing’ is what my art is about. I call it Chance-Consciousness Art or Chancon.

2011-03-10T12:05:00.000-08:00

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=81536&id=598216960

Why Picasso has his finger on the 21st century's pulse

2011-03-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/comment-permalink/9875527

read in the Link my comment on the art of Picasso in Guardian U.K.

Global, Indian and Western contexts in Art

2011-03-06T10:16:00.000-08:00

No present art is isolated from its social, cultural, religious, historical milieu. In my book Mona Lisa does not smile anymore I have compared Indian art with European art in a-historic context. The reason I choose to be a-historic is that there are certain underlying tendencies in art that are like a milling stone and do not float in the current of time. Art of any time proclaims to be an advancement over earlier period and it announces itself modern, rooted in present and carrying futuristic vision. Art does not solve problems of the world but it definitely emerges from the problems of the globe. Europe had through time subjugated and subsumed the individual will into a mechanical systemic impersonal Will. The very power of State challenges the freedom of art artists and people of society. The individual angst of artists because of such regimentation affected deeply the art of modern times. The alienation, loneliness, isolation, separation, denial of freedom, routines and segmentation of humans is reflected in the birth of Expressionism and Existentialist philosophy and literature of Dostoevsky, Franz Kafka, Sartre, Camus, Andre Gide, Alberto Moravia.

India in contrast always had a social order where shared life, time, religious practices, innumerable festivals, community dinners, singing dancing and music and a collective sharing in community life. This has a far reaching and positive influence on the life and expectations therefrom. The modern and the pre-modern in life and in art in India exists without and apparent contradictions. The process of solving the opposition between the modern and pre- modern is rather slow in Indian art and life. This on account of a different point of view about time.

These are important questions that have to be answered in the context of global art and in understanding modern and present art practices from India, Asia, Europe and USA. The question I deal with in the book Mona Lisa does not smile anymore.

Movie-Mona Lisa does not smile anymore.wmv

2011-03-04T02:35:00.000-08:00

2011-03-02T13:43:00.000-08:00

http://www.superficialdiva.com/2009/0129/emma-watson-photo-shoot-by-ellen-von-unwerth/#comment-68776

Mona Lisa

2011-02-28T12:49:00.001-08:00

Contemporary lead artist Georg Brandner Styria Austria releasing Viktor Vijay's book Mona Lisa does not smile anymore in the presence of Sdn Manmohan Chadha and Sdr Baljit S. Chadha on 9th Feb. 2011 at Visual Art Gallery.
My article

http://www.articlesbase.com/visual-art-articles/mona-lisa-does-not-smile-anymore-4252734.htm Mona Lisa does not smile anymore based on my book with the same name. I am asked where is Mona Lisa in there? Well as I say in the article that art does not seek the truth of Mona Lisa it seeks belief in the myth that has grown around Mona Lisa--not the painting but who was Mona Lisa and what is the Mona Lisa smile. The scientific, the logical, rational attempts to find the real Mona Lisa or the physical reality of Mona Lisa smile are but redundant futility. for who cares whether it was Leonardo da Vinci himself Mona Lisa or a man disguised as woman. But what would you say when one myth transforms into another myth? The Da Vinci Code book by Dan Brown has created a double myth--the myth behind the mythic Mona Lisa!!! When you read my book you have a greater exploration of the myth-making in the art and culture by a society.

Steiermark meets Contemporary modern Indian art in Viktor Vijay's solo Exhibition in Delhi

2011-02-28T03:59:00.000-08:00

There is a beautiful fairy land Steiermark called Styria in English in Austria Europe. There I had arrived three decades earlier as a stranger and a struggling artist. I arrived in the town called Graz the capital of Steiermark and second largest city in Austria. You will learn more about this lovely land from my forthcoming second book Journey of an Artist that I am working on and have invitation from Georg to live in countryside in Steiermark next summer to work on it. I lived a long time in the country side and learnt poetic joys of landscape from Steiermark--the best for my soul and art and creativity. My series of paper work paintings in Austria called Landscapes of Europe I exhibited few years back at Gallery Studio Vasant Delhi. I would later meet this jewel of an artist Georg Brandner who lives for art and art lives for him. What an artist in Austria!! When he paints he sees none, every thing becomes transparent non-real for him other than his canvas colours, music and his soul!! My love for Austria is also in the art of Egone Schiele, Gustav Klimt, Kokochka et al in Vienna Secession, Belvedere and other museums. In Belvedre Museum Vienna I used to admire the portrait of Adele Bloch Bauer which later I saw housed in Neu Galerie New York--a purchase gifted to the Museum by Ronald Lauder. I must talk about Austrian modern art sometime in future.

So you see here Georg Brandner the abstract lead artist of Steiermark lighting lamp to inaugurate my exhibition on 9th Feb. 2011 at Visual Art gallery Delhi.

Three cheers for Styria Austria and India and to Georg for flying down to Delhi for a friend. I must also mention Nora another serious contemporary artist from Romania to kindly come over for my exhibition CHANCON Art.

For this new exhibition CHANCON or Chance Consciousness Art-that I rate as a new development in contemporary art of India- I requested him to come over to India and he did not say no!!

Prost!!!

CHANCON--solo ehibition Viktor Vijay at Visual Art Gallery Habitat centre Delhi India

2011-02-28T03:43:00.000-08:00

It is never a small joy to welcome friends like Uma Ravi Jain and the lustrous son and Director of Dhoomimal Gallery Sh. Uday Jain who was born and grew up surrounded by greatest of Indian art and artists of India. For I had learnt a lot in my boyhood visits to Dhoomimal Gallery under the tutelage and leadership of Late Sh. Ravi Jain.

I am happy to have a gallery relation with the oldest but freshest art gallery Dhoomimal Gallery. Welcome my friends.

Modern Indian Contemporary art and artists-TRUTH and LIES

2011-02-26T22:51:00.000-08:00

Thou art the Buddha, the Light within, the beast in me sublimates when the door within opens

Mahatma Gandhi painting Viktor Vijay

Black MONA LISA painting Viktor Vijay

Unlettered in art regard contemporary art synonymous with modern. Contemporary art may churn out big shit and rich money bags may just create a big priced-art market for artists with vehement impotency of creativity writ large on their canvases. But in contemporary art market big brand value can be created if a Mukesh Ambani or his sibling Anil, a Lakshmi Mittal a Ratan Tata, or a celebrity Shah Rukh Khan pick up the work of an artist with no connection with his own creative soul but is well connected to the marketing, media, celebrity market. Understand once the artist breaks in the 'money circle' he is able to manipulate easily the 'free market' greed and economics. You will not find a rich Ambani inviting a badraggelled but creative artist, rather it should be one who has 'arrived' in the 'market top bracket'. Each epoch in art prides being path-breaking modern artistic and visionary. But you have to sieve the mediocrity riding on market savvy, networking 'artists' who remain afloat and visible but are flotsam of art and India is no exception to this at present.

But alas all contemporary--including shit art and artists will vanish soon to be replaced by yet another of the same breed. this replacement is happening regularly in India now. Andy Warhol's take on 5 minute media made famous artists is true all the more today. You must struggle to find food and canvases and colours and brushes and paint on and if you have genes related to Vincent Van Gogh, your art will be appreciated after you are dead and buried at least 50 years.

So understand contemporary is always a lot of shit because it can put horse-blinkers on those who have the money but no time for serious art. Steel king Solomon R. Guggenheim had German artist Hilla Rebay as his art adviser and she helped him to collect then unknown but now landmark of modern contemporary visionary art of Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, Rudolf Bauer etc. She helped him to acquire Picasso, March Chagall Fernand Ledger Modigliani and others. Rebay did had a visionary understanding of emerging serious art and she saw what others with horse-blinkers could not see.

The story of legendary artists ignored by 'fashionable' art market is true of Francis Bacon the British artist of extraordinary vision. At one time under penury he was willing to paint for a gallery for food and art materials. Out of the anguish he destroyed many landmark works then. He used to say my works belong to the greatest museums or to garbage can!!Thank God there were some good market filters that could find the visionary in this modern contemporary artist.

So do not be taken in by 'celebrity artist', an artist is a modest searcher for the truth that hides in his Chance visions and he does not have time to be at hand-shaking nearness to editors of art magazines, directors of electronic media companies or the famous film stars, politicians, and rich industrialists. the amount of media plants is so great that whatever way one googled for Indian art (images) an artist couple would be in the same place in neighbouring slots photographed by a celebrity photographer, and the creditable blog host who in all likelihood ensured that the search engines covered them together. Oh it is more like if you have the money you can activate the machinery to build a lie around you that you are one great artist. Find umpteen artists' web sites selling themselves as 'great, famous, legendary, well-known, exceptional, leading, path-breaking' artists. Sell yourself like a Wall-Mart Retail if you want to be a contemporary 'great' artist and then go unsung under earth in 63.7 years--the average life expectancy of an Indian in2008; or you can live to create and not carve a fragile pedestal. Are we artists in a business or art is our business??

Well the story is more behind the scenes. Be a Van Gogh tomorrow rather than a false Messiah today!! in Indian and global art and it has no RTI to make transparent the 'Myth and Market' building for artists who are mediocre if I say it with modesty.

www.lflblog.com/sothebys-contemporary/

2011-02-26T21:22:00.000-08:00

Read about Indian art Market www.lflblog.com/sothebys-contemporary/

STUDIOVASANT PRESENTS-HYMN TO ETERNITY BY VIKTOR VIJAY

2011-02-26T11:33:00.000-08:00

Viktor-vijay-art-contemporary Indian artist Viktor Vijay

2011-02-26T07:11:00.000-08:00

Viktor-vijay-art-contemporary Indian artist Viktor Vijay

http://victor-vijay.blogspot.com/2011/02/'http://fineartamerica.com/Blank.jpg'

2011-02-26T07:08:00.001-08:00

Indian art--Release of book n Exhibition CHANCON by Viktor Vijay

2011-02-24T23:49:00.000-08:00

id=1683

Can u find me? Sdr. Baljit S. Chadha n Viktor Vijay

Georg Brandner and Nora with artist Kishore at the opening of Viktor's exbtn.

Habitat Centre Visual arty Gallery Feb 9th 2011. Exbtn opened by Georg Brandner leading artist from Austria Styria and friend Nora Romania.

Find my writings on Art at Sothebys and Ohio university

2011-02-19T23:27:00.000-08:00

Search for Man by Viktor Vijay acrylic on canvas, 58"X78", 2010

Artist Viktor Vijay Delhi on Ohio university web and on Sothebys contemporary

You may find my articles on Ohio university Akron college web sitehttp://www.akroncollege.com/2010/11/20/tulips-and-art-indian-art-market/ and on Sothebys Contemporary web sites http://www.lflblog.com/sothebys-contemporary/

happy steering in joys of fine art.

Mona Lisa does not smile anymore

2011-02-18T10:17:00.000-08:00

Black Mona Lisa by Viktor Vijay

Contemporary Indian art has lost its rudders on account of the long period of Colonial subjugation. it is not a dilemma but indecisiveness that is the curse of contemporary Indian art.

Mona Lisa does not smile anymore

Excerpts from the book by Viktor Vijay Kumar (ISBN 9788184655124)

West judged its art and culture to be many notches higher than what India had been creating with a highly humane philosophy from the ocean of its many religions, namely Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism and a brand of Sufi Islam specific to India. The art India produced was higher in its sublimated humanity—all humanity into God whereas West treated other cultures as the refuse humanity. To understand Indian culture with Grecian glasses will never reveal the exquisite humanity that underlies Indian art, culture and religions. The context of Indian art over many millennia is the human ascending to spiritual and spiritual ascending to human; there is no descent either of human or of the spiritual.

Art and morality are linked as spiritual discourse of humanity and the creative vision. The melancholia, the nostalgia for the Greek and Latin past, the perfection and proportion, the perspective to imitate the apparent, the celebration of the carnal in place of the spiritual are the underlying currents of so called Renaissance; body as a machine not human as evolution of the spiritual. The regeneration of interest in Latin and Greek literature and philosophy froze the minds of people in the non-existent past. It was period of incongruity—search for glory in the celebration of the Human in Grecian ideal while enslaving humanity from other civilizations. How did the people reconcile the great position of a resurgent humanity in Europe with oppression of other races and civilizations? They reconciled this guilt by using the Church and the religion as a justification.

Chance -Consciousness Art--solo exhibition paintings Viktor Vijay

2011-02-16T09:56:00.000-08:00

My friend Georg Brandner fron Steiermark Austria flew down to Delhi and opened my exhibition. What great bonds we share as artists. Still i missed my friend and President European Artists Association Ms.Karola Teschler, whose inspiring leadership has made global art art come closer. Gerog Brandner as an honoured member of the European Artists Association was here to open my exhibtion is a reson for great joy for me.

Prost!

What matter you crafted Man with ,O God!

The demons rage and the angels smile

Title: Search for Man Year: 2010, Size: 58"X78" Medium:Acrylic on canvas

What I see is not what is

Then what shall I create with my paint brush?

A form, a feeling, a presence, a negation, time, or its annihilation?

A form limits, a feeling is transient, a presence and its negation is but an illusion,

Time they say is circular so I catch not its strands

--Viktor Vijay

I have been long thinking of a book alongside my present exhibition in Visual Art Gallery Habitat Centre Delhi India. Why not to talk of the philosophy and the personal journey in creating my art? While curators, and critics have there job cut out, why not to tell art lovers and people related to art what happens when i think, travel, feel, love and live myriad moods to my painting and creation. I went ahead--as I painted and took breaks I took my lap top and wrote--wrote in the moment fresh from the streaking, flowing colours on the canvas; colours searching their own joys on the surface. Awakening inner consciousness and throwing in the dice of 'Chance' on the canvas I arrive to artistic expression.

Well it is never too bad to travel alone and to keep the company of the void and absences in creating bereft of the outer shell of thoughts and appearances.

This what i do in my art. You have here one of my works from the ongoing exhibition at Jagdev Farm at Ghitorni New Delhi till 28th Feb 2011.

CHANCON Chance-Consciousness Art new direction in art

2011-02-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

CHANCON

I hold a solo exhibtion of my paintings from 9th to 12 Feb at Visual art Gallery Delhi. on this occassion I also release my newest written book on art called Mona Lisa does not smile any more.

Art, artists, collectors and the gold rush

2009-09-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

SHIVA Viktor Vijay 78"X58

Art, artists, collectors and the gold rush

A clever collector apart from targeting big profit also climbs up the socio-cultural tower and is viewed as the prince charming by ordinary mortals on ground. The success with money is as daunting as failure with it. But a true collector collects for love and love alone shall prevail. To be rich is not a curse, the curse is if it makes us fall.
Fundamental to high speculative profits is near monopoly accumulation. Decades early in Delhi I knew of consortium of investors/speculators many of them in top jobs in IBM and multinationals in India who would accumulate individual company shares. When the market had risen spectacularly and they dumped them to reap high profits. It worked quite a bit. In art the accumulation principle is applied with a caveat. Each artist may produce works of differing quality and aesthetic value. Here the role of collector, art advisers, dealers and galleries becomes crucial in buying the right kind of art.
Collecting unsung new artists is normally low risk but may offer possibility of very high return if the collectors are able to foresee the future growth and value of particular art or artists. When Durand Ruel (1831—1922) the French art dealer supported and collected works of Impressionists—Claude Monet, Degas, Renoir, Manet and Pissarro and others there was hardly a value attached to them. Impressionism was not recognized as a new art movement then. In all Durand collected thousands of works of these artists straight from their studios to the extent of going near bankrupt. People must have thought Ruel to be nuts when he bought such visionary art. It is still the largest single collection of Impressionists art. But today this collection may be worth hundreds nay thousands of million dollars.
Charles. Saatchi known to bulk collect works by artists he thinks have potential to go big time and then off loads wholesale at right time to reap big He collected YBA, Hirst Sean Scully etc, and got richer by millions of dollars.. Collectors of the ilk of Aby Rosen collect large number of works from an individual artist. Remember bulk ‘collections’ of known collectors are worth much more than individual works separately sold belonging to an artist.
Bulk buying is not same as herd buying. Some names become fashionable for a short time and then take long vacation. When market was booming some artists’ paintings were touted in the art circle as a good buy (mind it not as good art) and everyone was trying to buy without knowing any thing about her/his work/history or art journey or in some cases about what she/he paints.. I hear many of such artists are in dire straights and so are all those who were buying their works more like a stock market hot tip. The collectors in many cases are not able to sell them even for 20% of the price they paid.
Nearer home in India in 80’s Badruddin Daya a shoe-business magnate would buy up whole exhibitions of artists that were yet untested at highly discounted prices. Ashish Anand of Delhi Art gallery is also known to buy up whole collections from artists. But the obverse side too, I know of many bulk buyers who have lost quite a bit by ill advised collection of junk art or I should say only junk. But who can tell you that you have junk if you are deep pocketed dollar billionaire. What happens if the genie in bottle vanishes and has to be replaced with a fresh sea catch it still is art if the artist /collector says it. And of course other lesser mortals willingly bite the bait. I remember Bertrand Russell in one of his books on nuclear holocaust said what would happen if a mad person become President of U.S.A. who would dare tell him that and he could jolly well blow up the world.
There is uncouth speculation and possible price doctoring in art market of today. If you look at long, very long time it took for the art of Van Gogh , Renoir, Manet, Monet, Kandinsky, Juan Miro etc took to arrive at the millions of dollar value in comparison to the very short period it took many of the present day artist celebrities to arrive at stupendous prices—selling for 10’s or 100’s of million dollars.(many of them have turned their art into a factory produce churned out by coolie labour and only signed by them) Imagine and compare the creative worth of a diamond studded platinum mould of a skull with the Sunflowers by Van Gogh. Van Gogh changed our life for good with his paintings; he imbued passion, romance and freedom of soul unheard of earlier in artistic expression. What does the diamond skull proclaim other than that it required a very rich person to create it and another very rich person to buy it with no talk of virginal imagination or creativity? Unfortunately quite a few middle level artists in India have come to imitating the path of the Western current market celebrities. I would call them market celebrities for their worth—real or doctored—is seen as price leaders and not necessarily imaginative path creating art leaders. No society recognizes its boorishness, its left to later generations to recognize it.
Like the totemic cult societies of yore one of the most secretive markets in the world is art market. The mechanism of price determination is therefore one most unreliable. Who are the price players and bidders is not visible. Allegations surface that the sellers and the buyers are proxies especially in auctions. When it comes to greed of making a fast buck quite few market players are Madoff like.
There are more pitfalls in art market structure but it definitely does not mean white winged angels do not exist. Otherwise how you have such stupendous collection of art gifted to state museums or exist in private museums. There are smaller mortals who have become legends for their visionary collections and at times against tremendous odds. Dorothy and Herbert Vogel have collected thousands of art works with their very modest incomes from jobs of a postal clerk and Brooklyn librarian. They lived in one bed room apartment and stored thousands of art works from likes of Christo, Andy Warhol and Donald Judd They gifted away all their collection to Museums all over U.S. Imagine they used one spouse salary for their living expenses and with the other they collected art. They are a legend and to me and of course to many around the globe they are in line with Frick, Solomon Guggenheim, Rockefeller, and others who gifted so much art to humankind. I hope some of the Indian billionaires are listening.

Viktor Vijay

An Indian Modernist—D.K.Roy Choudhery

2009-09-21T13:13:00.000-07:00

An IndianModernist—D.K.Roy Choudhery

In the dust of time settle great till someone with discerning eyes take the dust off. I look around me a mad rush and networking to proclaim in a cacophony of market place even flying-in-the-wind pieces as great art, but there were others who worked a lifetime to explicate from the deeper recesses of their souls to give us lasting and refreshing art. They were not daunted by the exigencies of the market place; they painted what emerged from deep within.
One such was D K Roy Chowdhury. His students from college of art Delhi or Kolkata and his colleagues likewise say he was one exceptional—as a human as a teacher and as an artist. He was unassuming about his creations or may be what he created was so way ahead of times that he did not bother about appreciation.
The present exhibition titled ‘An Indian Modernist’ is mounted at Studio Vasant. It has a cross section of his works. From watercolours done in softer floats of colour to life studies and minimalist and expressionist near-abstractions, he did it all.

The water colours carry the stamp of mastery that can emerge from Kolkata alone Look at his soft musical rendition in Landscape-IV and Landscape-II .The Landscape-III and ‘Snow’ are semi-abstract warm orange and yellow sunny landscapes and. in more ways than one are kindred with landscapes of Ganesh Holoi. The loving care with which he handles portraits is visible for example when you see ‘A portrait of a hill girl’. The amazing ease with which he jumps from academism to creative freedom can be seen in works like ‘Children at play’ and ‘Face of a lady.’ reminding one of Matisse’s portrait of his wife. His minimalist Symbolist expression is at its zenith in works like ‘Breeze’, ‘Evening’, and Desertscape’.
Lest you may miss, look at Roy Chowdhury’s example of very contemporary abstraction. His grid like compositions with thick moody brush in ‘Juxtaposed’, ‘Boundless energy’, Urbanscape, leave you asking for more. He to me is an Indian Robert Motherwell whose large canvasses in The MoMa New York Stunned me into submission with the seductive dark and black line work. Ram Kumar romances colours in his abstract landscapes while Roy Choudhery renders silence with his muted frugal palette (see his Hill View) and we love both.
A wide range of creativity from form based to abstraction by this versatile artist are in line with the contemporary German artist Gerhard Richter who works very realistic smudged portraits to total abstract celebration of colour rhythms.
This is an exhibition that should not be missed for historical context, and a landmark art that has incidentally gone largely unrecognized but holds high aesthetic value.

Viktor Vijay Kumar

Journey of an Artist,......20

2009-09-13T02:11:00.000-07:00

L' Homme qui tombe Viktor vijay 34'X42"
Night was long and I was tired. I decided not to complicate things, and did not intend to sound brash to the fine hospitality so lovingly offered. Two great cultures separated by time and space were brought together by the quirk of fate in the same bed. So be it, life, love, humanity and civilization must flourish and bloom. Rules and taboo are subservient to the time, space, and evolutionary process. There are no absolutes. I bowed to the destiny. Whispering night and sweet Tana spun a magical web, she sailed with me to unknown joyous lands. The spirit climbed glades of unparallel beauty. She made me realize the string music of my body and opened the closed doors to my soul. I offered my soul at the altar of love that transcended the physical into eternal. Soon I would realize greater truths about life and living. The eternal journey was on.

Dawn breaks quite early in Himalayas. After crossing hills and valleys of love, I left the bed at day break. The warm bonhomie of the previous day continued through the new day. Tana offered me milky hot tea and her refreshing dew-fresh smile. We had talked long in the night and I discovered her soul's finesse. Even one night of sharing souls could invest lighted joys in humans. And we were no different in this regard. I breakfasted with the family. Mani enquired if I had a comfortable night. I said yes, though it was replete with strong winds and mighty blizzards. He told me that he was delighted that I felt good and relished their hospitality. I thanked Mani profusely for all that he provided me. As a mark of my gratitude, I offered Mani a jacket and Tana an old Byzantine silver coin. I left general use medicines for the village for common maladies. For myself I carried away a lot of folk history, and a fairy tale night of celebration. Fragrant memory of my stay among the forgotten warriors of Alexander was an additional gift.

Spark in down turn art Market

2009-09-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

New York Times carried a piece by Roberta Smith on the survival tactics of New York City galleries in the face of economic downturn. Different solutions worked out to survive mostly revolve around operational cost cutting--shifting to cheaper spaces, reduction in employees, holding fewer and longer duration exhibitions,reduced advertising and curatorial expenses, avoiding participation in art fairs and so on.
But one gallery is spending time to unearth little known or undervalued artists who have not made it big.
The business model found resonance while I discussed the down turn in art market with artist friend Pramod Ganpatye. He said it is time the the undervalued senior artists were looked up by galleries and curators. There is great substance in this argument. Market lifts prices continuously for artists who arrive in so called higher circuits of galleries and auctioneers. This one -way focus on select artists is built by HNI who have personal interest o built up prices of their collection. Just imagine what the auction price of $136 million for the Klimt's portrait of Lady Adele Bloch Bauer
might have done to the prices of Klimt that were held as inventories by deep pocketed collectors. But think what happened to the Irises and Vase with 12 Sunflowers by Van Gogh that were sold for millions of dollars to Japanese collectors and who on bankruptcy found the sales value depleted to half or even less.
Market is an ass and builds on blind following. The good artists get left behind for they do not know to market themselves quite often. To look for keen value in art and to find good art among artists who have slogged for decades unsung and living in the isolated privacy of their studios is what the galleries should be doing in India too.
There are those who found name and money but then slipped many a notch to find problems in paying apartment EMIs or to maintain trucks/SUVs they bought while the going was good.But others never had an impact of down turn for they were never part of the senseless upturn.
The art world must find values in art not based on glitter but iron strength of creativity. its high time someone in India also does what New York gallery is doing in uncovering the dust from unsung but mean priced art.

India Art Summit 2009--II

2009-08-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

This was the second edition of Art Summit. Certain strains were visible in this Summit. There was overwhelming desire to execute installations and sculptures among artists. The celebration of gay and lesbian in art was more remarked even among artists who claim no knowledge of minority sexuality. I think it is done to be fashionable. The experiences that create art with alternate sexuality can not be Xeroxed by the 'Straight'.
Certain artists used material as their USP rather than the expression/imagination. I hold Damian Hirst responsible for creating the craze for the material at the expense of creativity. Otherwise how his $100 million precious stone studded skull will hold ground. there are quite a few in India who are trying to just do that.
The opening session on day first was reserved for VIPs, whatever it means in terms of art and aesthetics i do not know. But I know for sure a large number of very serious/good artists were kept out by Special Invitations Syndrome. A Van Gogh if their is any in India will not get invited to the opening which included presentations/talks by Collectors/artists/ curators/art writers and critics.
The VIP invitations make such events more exclusive than inclusive.
coming to International art one must appreciate the organizers that they could get more foreign art and galleries. It was also good to see foreign galleries showcasing Indian artists and Indian galleries exhibiting foreign artists. Though in recent past Arun Vadhera had in collaboration with Grosvener gallery U.K. had brought works of Picasso, Francis Bacon and Lucien Freud to Indian art lovers, the Summit also had works of Picasso, Dali, Andy Warhol and a number of others. I must appreciate the growing interest at home in big names especially in artists of Indian orgin. Anish Kapur had a very successful sale run of the works exhibited. Matter of fact if I understand correctly a substantial amount of money out of total sales was generated by Picasso, Dali, Anish Kapur and other greats. This is a welcome addition to the visual vocabulary of art aficionados.
About contemporary or Modernist senior artists there seemed an amnesia. It was not that the M.F. Hussain's work were not exhibited other greats like Ram Kumar, Akbar Padamsee, Jogen Choudhry,Raza and many many more had small or no representation in the Summit. But then the galleries have to go by fashion also. I must here mention Ashish Anand of DAG whose affable mother(who started the Gallery) I knew decades back and who must have learnt to spot sterling art early in life. He had put up considerable and very good art spanning a long period of time. His exceptional collection included a very lyrical abstract landscape by Raza apart from Souza, Robin Mandal, Sunil Das, Amitava, Himmat shah and a galaxy of other greats.
There are shortcoming in any new venture and present Summit being no exception. But one appreciates that it has created a meeting ground for those associated with fine art in any capacity. The greatest joy was to run into inquisitive children shepherded by parents, large posse of art students and ofcorse artists from all over the country and abroad.
For the first time in India one can view at one place and critically examine the kind of art that is being created. The Art summit definitely despite shortcoming is bulding the necessary infrastructure for seeing and appreciating art.
Kudos!

India Art Summit Delhi 2009

2009-08-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

Assembling this work of art in Europe in Austria I used discarded German truck MAN front cover. I liked the symbolism of Man and the circular spool about the Cycle of Man-Nature. Inset in oval is evocation of landscape. The colours in my palette symbolize the serenity(Blue) and joy(red yellow)

Artist Viktor Vijay
MAN German truck front cover, wooden spool, Acrylic paint and canvas
Assemblage in St Michael Austria
Work in collection of Anton Mayer

Art Fairs exert a lot of pressure on legs as on heart. This i know from art fairs in Europe and Museum Night or from Open Studios that is a common practice in West for getting people to know art and artists.
Apart from meeting the community, I did find some very refreshing works by artists who are not even known. Name is the result of umpteen repetitions and one can find the same in case of the art that is churned out as Pavlovian conditioned. But name in modern times is created and destroyed in short spans of time.
I discovered a kind of digital-computer Neo-realism that offers blind servility to the technology in a large number of cases. But there are Gladiators par excellence like Rameshwar Broota. His work combining camera and computer work creates surrealistic imagery. The print on paper evokes human limbs through moulded steel pipes.
More like fast food art is being dished out by a blind use of technology. On to many such works I could not find the soul. Intimidation and shock work were aplenty to make the viewer acquiesce.
I must come back to you after my mind and body plays out the art fatigue.
Till then--
Ciao

An Artist Ruminates—Landscapes on Fire

2009-08-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

Acrylic on handmade paper size 22"X28" each work

Landscapes on Fire

Rust coloured autumn warmth,Tatra Mountains on fire, green forest in Finland fighting a losing battle with emerging passionate red, crimson, ochre and orange, the landscape in Piedmont in Italy audaciously confronting like a sensual hot damsel, streaks of fiery colours in the greens around Danube near Braila in Romania, the cool Mediterranean blue set against energetic warm breathing Taurus Mountains in Kemer in south central Turkey, the scintillating fragrance of forest in September in Salzburg in Austria are etched like some master etchings in my soul. They are durable and permanent as long as I am. But then they will outlive me through my warm European abstract landscapes that are inspired by colourful Nature in Europe.
The languid long wine and vermillion sunsets spring suddenly whispering silhouetted joys. Unbridled passion is evoked in me by the noble hearted maiden-Europe nay Europa and I am left ruminating about her charming body and soul that she vivaciously flaunts. How do I find another like this?
I live her and return to her charm in my paintings ‘Landscapes on Fire—Europe as I see her’.
It is not the Nature, land and culture but also the ateliers of friends where I worked, glasses of wine, music and dance, shared love and laughter, swimming in Mediterranean, exploring ancient Roman amphitheatres and aqueducts, visiting galleries and museums, meeting and parting are the little nuggets of diamond joy tucked inside me forever.
Art emerges from the experience and evocation. And I have life full and overflowing with them. From the Journey of an Artist emerged refreshing landscapes.
It was a beautiful land—rolling hills, sensuous, fragrant valleys, exquisite sunsets, white winters, warm summers, scintillating springs and brown ochre romantic autumns. It was a land where love grew in the form of fragrant linden flowers; flowing brooks, singing canaries, jingling bells, nature composed music—as cows grazed in the lush meadows and virginal winds kissed endearingly every blade of grass, every flower in bloom and every leaf of tree.
It was in this fecund land that I was born to my mother. In the nature's nursery here, my childhood was nursed. It was here that I played with squirrels and birds, collected wild flowers, raced with the winds, watched fishes gambol in streams, and learnt my lessons about colours from changing seasons.
I live these landscapes and return to them through my art.

Ruminations by Artist

2009-08-08T07:13:00.000-07:00

I felt a new, resurgent energy. I put a new canvas on easel. The passion of winter sun, aroma of burnt grass, and the fragrance of Ruhi coursed sweetly through me. I painted with this happy feeling, of proximity to nostalgia of beauty. I painted on. When I looked out of my studio window, the evening sun was spreading its vermillion bounty on the landscape; families of cranes flew in formation back to their nests and waiting chicks. Slowly and stealthily with cat’s paws, the evening silhouettes were advancing to steal the lustre and light from the departing sun. It was a moment, a still, unmoving moment. A moment of nostalgia, pain, and craving, it was. It was a totality—an infinity in finitude, or so I felt. How fragile is the existent, hardly we become familiar with it that it vanishes. Fragilities are born incessantly and they die and enter the infinity. What if I could catch infinity through fragility or to have a glimpse of the eternal while fragility transmits itself in to the eternal? What was I looking for, eternity in the moment or a glasshouse full of inconstant images? I shut the window, cleaned my brushes, locked the studio, and stepped out in the street. The life flowed in the street, stray animals lazing oblivious to the goings on around them, people rushing with the business of life, hawkers touting their ware with loud shrill voices, children playing games, little roadside stalls offering hot food to the hungry. This was one frame, one painting of the fragile time. How would I catch the glimpse of the eternal from these vanishing moments? That was my search, and that's what I had to paint. Such big quantity of time had always been passing in fragility. Yesterdays were mere specks of memories stringed together, existing in, but emptiness

Dusk 102"X56"

2009-08-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

blue moon AGAIN

2009-08-02T03:48:00.000-07:00

A Face kissed by Light and fragrant Wind

2009-08-01T23:18:00.001-07:00

Artist Viktor Vijay
SOLD
Togetherness
Acrylic on canvas
size 66"X60"

Two is not a duality always. Two is togetherness too. Like flowers and their fragrance, sky and earth, wind and water, body and soul, man and woman, love and sharing, sleep and awakening,, action and rest, song and music, humans and the environment etc.
This painting is inspired by such feelings. There are two faces into sieve-light creating a musical cadence of Nature. We are happy to share to hold hands to sing together and to live together

blue Moon

2009-04-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

After a short journey by local train, crossing Donau I arrived home. My street is known after the beautiful mohnblumen trees that line my locality. My house has trees in the garden, an exotic palm, and bunch of bamboos that I planted and with good care nurtured them that they are now tall and their beautiful knife-leaves sway and sing in the wind, making me feel that I am in exotic Oriental landscape. Creepers climb the boundary wall in ecstasy, and flower with ethereal fragrance in the season. In the centre is a small natural pond where fishes play. Now in the spring May flowers bloom as they do in the forests near my house.
From a tall old oak tree trunk I shaped a large table. On this table surrounded by the chirping birds, nectar greedy butterflies and fragrant wind I have my dinner. My friends also like to stay out in the garden and enjoy coffee, and good Austrian wines from warm south and chat long hours in the night. When I walk out of the house, in ten minutes I am in the neighbourhood of small hills, which emit fine fragrance of the woods. I enjoy walking up the hills talking to the trees and plants the way I did as a child in Styria. My joys in life are many, but one I treasure more is to watch the sun depart in its crimson glow behind the hills to rest after long day's work.
Journey of an Artist

Rajsthan-A magical landscape

2009-04-08T09:56:00.000-07:00

Whispers soft and sweet as the sun departed in the remote endless expanse of Rajasthan. I captured the music as i travelled with my two artist friends.

A Face in light n Wind

2009-04-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

A blooming Awakened Spirit

2009-03-24T23:24:00.000-07:00

"Bless U dear friend,Your pearl- precious thoughts invoke a refresahing joy of spirit. Your poetic persona touches the Eternal rainbows. Your sunshine spirit must be shared with other kindred spirits. Please do share your lovely thoughts ......

Viktor Vijay

Sanchi Stupa

2009-03-22T08:47:00.000-07:00

Sanchi Stupa is a marvel of Buddhist architecture. It is located in the midst of vast green verdant plains in Madhya Pradesh in India. It has stories from the previous births of Buddha. Jatak Kathas as they are known are a great example of living for others or compassion. Buddha whether born as a deer or a bird or a human always sacrificed so others could live. The mastery of the stone carvings depict scenes from Buddha's life.

Buddhist art got enriched as I said earlier by the mixing of Greek and Indian culture of the time. Many Grecian kings did erect Buddhist emblems in their empires specially in Gandhar and Bactria.

Viktor Vijay

Greece and India--shared cultural space

2009-03-21T11:06:00.000-07:00

Budha is depicted symbolically in Sanchi

I wonder how even wars created a cultural enrichment among civilizations. Alexander's conquest of India seen over a longer period of time gave new nuances to Indian art. Buddha was not depicted as a form till then. If you look at Sanchi Stupa in India there are only symbols to denote Buddha. But Grecian art brought a fresh expression to Indian art and Ghandhar Buddha is the sterling example of this.I wonder in today's Internet community we are intermingling arts and culture from all parts of the world and of course without wars.Today I can reach out through Internet and Facebook to my friends in Greece and can enrich myself with this one very ancient culture. and beautiful land.

I Love the World

2009-03-18T23:10:00.000-07:00

Autumn Whispers

Artist Viktor Vijay

78"X58"

Acrylic on canvas

I dont want to change the world, first I want to change the way I look at the world.

--Viktor Vijay

Flowers I Love

2009-03-18T06:19:00.000-07:00

42"X 34"

Acrylic on canvas

Artist Viktor Vijay

In you I hold Infinity as shattered pieces of Time. Do you not combine the shattered Time in Eternal Joy. Its better to arrive in flower first than in seed.

Viktor Vijay

Universe of Love

2009-03-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

Artist Viktor Vijay

42"X34"

Acrylic on canvas

Where you walked you rejuvenated life, where you whispered the soul resurfaced, where you held a hand a new being sprouted. You gifted a universe of love joy compassion and peace.

The Land Eternal of Buddha

2009-03-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

Buddha Stupa

2009-03-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

Buddha--Eternal Light

2009-03-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

Eternal Chakra

Artist :Viktor Vijay

42"X34"

acrylic on canvas

Sanchi Stupa-Below cosmic blue and in green groves

India Madhy Pradesh

I circumbulate, I bow my humble bodily abode, I to your Divine essence drag my sullied deviations and O Buddha! I desire the desireless Blue of the Ether to sublimate the mortar of the material.

I do not wish to be witness to coming and going, to ups and downs, to here and there, to now and then, to love and hatred, to self and the world, to dualities. The velvet of Oneness whispered from the magical Infinite beyond evolution and vanishing is I seek.

viktor vijay

Supplication

2009-03-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

Supplication

Acrylic on canvas

42"X34"

Artist Viktor vijay

I shut my eyes in Supplication to see a new universe that passes through your fragrance divine!

I do not wish to vanquish Desire for you dwell on a Pedestal in there!

Viktor Vijay

2009-03-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

Whispers-- If Rimbaud heard

2009-03-14T10:56:00.001-07:00

Your words are but poetic pearls that flow like a cascade of sunshine. Joy to know you--deep like oceans and high like heavens.
Viktor Vijay

Ethereal Roses and Rainbows-5

2009-03-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

Journey of an artist
I am in Vienna yet outside of its big city intensities. My house is in the outskirts of Vienna and it gives me a feeling of fulfilment when I go out to neighbouring villages, watch the farm animals in the fields, the goose and turkey swimming in the clean crystal water of the ponds, and the farmers working their golden crops. When the crops are piled back in the farmers' barns, the round rolled haystacks lying in the close cropped fields make me feel that some ancient Roman wheels from the past have emerged in the fields waiting for being fitted into carts. The golden plains shine in the summer pleasantness. The hills majestically look at the flourishing activities of the farmers and their families. It is such a mound of peace I feel when on Sunday I walk around the landscape, and watch anglers fishing in the streams, warm heat rising from the land as sun bakes it softly, and in the distance village church bells chime in the glory of the eternal.
contd...
Viktor vijay

A Dialogue

2009-03-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

The soul caressing sun-warmed winds that I follow may lead me to lands peopled by such as you. You who takes the light of the heavens and bestows it back to those on the earth. Life is a constant search for Rainbows and likes of you always mix the colours of life (so I feel ) that new rainbows are created on earth that we can touch them and find the flow of eternal Joy
"Le soleil a noirci la flamme des bougies;Ainsi, toujours vainqueur, ton fantôme est pareil,Ame resplendissante, à l'immortel soleil!"

— Charles Baudelaire

Bloom forever,

Viktor

2009-03-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

2009-03-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

2009-03-13T06:19:00.000-07:00

2009-03-13T06:17:00.000-07:00

Austrian Landscapes

Gustav Klimt known more for his art deocrativ portraiture also excelled in landscapes. He developed a small strokes technique that is regarded as more of telescopic focus on the landscape.I saw one very beautiful sun bathed landscape in Gallery Etienne in New York. Attersee Lake in Austria had Klimt's Studio where he painted many beautiful landscapes in lovely summer and autumn light. Mr Ronald Lauder should be thanked for his love of fin de siecle Austrian art that he has created in beautiful building The Neu Galerie in New York. The Museum has a large body of erotic drawings from Egon Schiele. The most expensive painting by Klimt a portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer that was for long in Belvedere Museum in Vienna reverted back to the family and was acquired by Lauder and is proudly housed in Neue Galerie.Long time in Austria and Germany has etched a joy in the summer-autumn landscapes that I always relish. Klimt was one such votary. My autumn series incidentally was also born in Austria in Salzburg. Staying in the atelier of my friend Eva Mazzucco I worked a splash and dots technique did abstracts in 2003-2004.

Viktor Vijay

2009-03-13T02:40:00.000-07:00

2009-03-13T02:33:00.000-07:00

2009-03-13T00:58:00.000-07:00

Ethereal Roses and Rainbows-4

Journey of an Artist

Contd...

Viktor Vijay

2009-03-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

Life is a beauty and a joy

Its God's grace and soul's desire,

Wait not for another but for

one you know,YOURSELF!
In the kind dreamy eyes I see

a thousand rainbows and blue sea!
the soft whispering light on your face

is the charm of a fresh Mona Lisa's grace

Viktor Vijay

2009-03-12T10:50:00.001-07:00

Be a Damien Hirst of soul and not of diamonds. Only then you can create great art!

2009-03-11T12:59:00.000-07:00

"ETHEREAL ROSES AND RAINBOWS-III Instalment
JOURNEY OF AN ARTIST
I met Elena first time in a small café mostly frequented by artists. I had gone there with a colleague. I had not been very long in Vienna. The small café is very popular with artists who struggle to balance their creative world with the material. My colleague knew Elena. She introduced me to her. She came from a small town called Zilina in north-western Slovakia, very close to Tatras. When I heard ‘Tatras’ a chord stuck in me; my mother and father had met in Polish Tatras and it held a special magic for me. Elena is a photojournalist. She is tall, lanky and with very intense brown eyes. The café owner has special affection for art and artists. The walls of café are full of paintings, drawings, and photos, gifts from artists who frequent the place and have sweet bonhomie with the owner. The artists hunger is satiated by the fresh strudels, and delicious Viennese cakes. I find the owner on his desk with his well-groomed beard and a smile for all the artists, known to him by name. The artists relax by his good coffee, meditating or in the midst of heated art discussions, their faces hidden partly by the thick blue smoke from their cigarettes. It often reminds me of Picasso’s card players wrapped in thick smoke. This is a magical world –faces vanish and emerge constantly from the smoke screen. Life is lived here with intensity oblivious to the routine run of daily grind.

This brings to my mind the wonderful old man with Tolstoy-beard who would stay on a bench by Stefanplatz bus station just opposite the Mozart candy store named after great Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It looked very funny to me to have turned the great artist into an advertisement to sell chocolates. Everyday the old man could be seen established in his seat, while people hurried up and down obliviously trying to accomplish unknown missions of their routine life. The non-fecund actions of this accursed humanity made them go round and round in a circle like the beast turning the Persian-wheel. While humanity milled around this Tolstoy, he would be engrossed in his love. Around him, surrounding him and on him would be a loving group of wild pigeons, cooing to him affectionately and snuggling close to him open heartedly. They would eat out of his hands the food he brought for them everyday. May be his existence did not register with many of the people who routinely crossed this street everyday, or may be they thought of him as and old crank. Well it did not matter what people thought of him or if he did not exist for them. It was an indictment of contemporary civilization. Human life has become much mechanical-time propelled. As a result, the feelings, which are the finer silk web of human meaning and essence, have ceased to exist. Elena and I would often watch this wonderful specimen of humanity. Elena photographed our Tolstoy and published a moving image in a Viennese journal. People ran after newer models of limousines; they no longer ran after butterflies in the forest. I remember how returning from school I would chase butterflies. They settled on flowers and as I advanced stealthily, they would flutter away. It did not matter if I could catch them; I was delighted to observe their beautiful, designer wings and their intensity while drinking nectar from the fragrant wild flowers. When I pass through crowded streets of Vienna, I still look for my childhood butterflies. May be one day I will find them and would whisper to them once again as I used to as a child.

Elena had been telling me about her last assignment covering a war in Africa. How something changed permanently in her soul when she observed so much futility and hatred among humans who have but a temporary stay on earth. That is the story of human civilization all through the ages. We have finished our coffee and after paying the bill, we walk out on the street. It is early evening and the light is still good but beautifully soft. Aimlessly we move in the city feeling the warmth of flourishing life. The neon lights are slowly taking over as we take a promenade by the Danube. The reflected city in the Danube water looks like a genie emerging from the lamp. The eternal river of Europe, its fertile soil, its life sustaining water sustained humans and animals alike for thousands of years. It has become symbolic of confluence of people and cultures. A collage of large humanity finding its moorings in Vienna of eternal Danube; Asia, Africa, Latin America with myriad cultural cameos come to fertilize the social and cultural landscape of Vienna. This humanity carries a memory of the golden land from where they self-exiled like the gypsies, to which they probably would never return. Nevertheless, the land would continue to flourish in their soul and small icons unfurl fragrant memories and exist side by side their life in Vienna. On their visits back to the land of their past they bring tokens of cultural memory to sustain them in their exile—an exile of voluntary choice. Humans create webs of memory to fall back on, whether its separation from the beloved person or from the land of their forefathers. This is the beauty of human resilience. To eliminate this missing, this lack, this absence, this unwilled silence they create a new reality in the recesses of their souls. This is the fountain of all creativity—to bridge the lack, the missing by inner dynamism; the writers, the poets, the painters, actors, singers etc. use this angst to live and to create flowers of extreme beauty. Eternal Vienna, the forever city for arts as also for the exiles! However, all artists are exiles, self-exiles. Their search for precious pearls makes them cast their nets wider, deeper, and in distant lands of their souls. The city taught me a lot about humans, humanity, art, artists, freedom, and suffocation. You always take some character of the city you live in for long, in your own personality. I have become a mini Vienna in part of my being—with its idiosyncrasies, moods, frivolities, and its rainbow coloured cultural cameos. When I move away from the city, stronger it asserts its fragrance in me, but remains imperceptible, taken for granted presence, in its dazzling lights when I dine with it everyday. It is as if when in Vienna, I ask for Turkish coffee and when in Istanbul, Viennese coffee. Yes, it feels tastier!

Exile, even temporary has it own nostalgic fragrance. Some years back I travelled to Poland, where in the musical city of Krakow, I met a poet from India, who had arrived dusty-time back in Poland to study engineering. On way to earn his degree in engineering, he also earned the love of a sunshine-bright Polish girl. He married her and raised a happy family. He invited me to visit his family. In the house, I saw a small Ganesha sculpture, pictures of Indian gods, sandalwood incense, an old map of his city in India and music from his growing up period in India. He had a daily ritual of offering incense to gods. He told me that he was not particularly religious but as a child, he used to observe his mother worship everyday and light incense. He indulged in this ritual not from force of faith but because it brought him the pleasant nostalgic feeling for his childhood. He played for me Indian songs he grew up with in India; they were like memory tracks for him. There were different happenings associated with different songs. Joy and sorrows were etched on the chronology of songs as he listened to them. Memories of the time flooded him as he had raced to adulthood from his child's world. His autobiography was written in music and songs. He narrated to me the incidents related to some songs. For example when his younger sister was born, a particular song had become popular and he would listen to it on radio. I realized… we are all exiles in one way or the other. Our exiles help us to fashion from shadows of past the most beautiful sunshine landscapes. Upasak – for that was the name of the poet—presented to me a collection of his poems. When I read the poems soft as the fluffy clouds, shiny as the sun-kissed dewdrops and beautiful as a little baby, my heart cries. It cries for Upasak’s beautiful soul that travels to his Indian abode collecting fragrance of blooming mustard flowers, of wet earth in Monsoon rains or the aroma of lentils cooked by his mother and a thousand other fragrances, aromas, colours, tastes and sights. That meeting changed something in me. I did not realize what or in what way. I understood better the tales of gypsy kings and the lost lands of honey and happiness that my mother talked about in her magical tales of yore.

After a pleasant walk by Donau— Danube for you—I kissed Elena goodnight and departed towards home. Home to where we belong.

ETHEREAL ROSE AND RAINBOWS--II INSTALMENT

2009-03-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

My father spent long periods on sea and brought for me beautiful gifts of toys and dolls from far off lands, which I did not know about. He would narrate mesmerizing tales of people from cultures so different and wonderful. I related to my father’s tales the way I did to my mother’s—with awe and wonder. They were real for me. They are real for children, for the children do not distinguish between apparent-reality and inner-reality of the world from where all the magic of imagination cascades.

From his travels, my father brought another gift. It was his cooking recipes from different lands. He loved to cook food from different parts of the world. His recipes were exotic and his dishes exuded strong aroma. When I think of my father, there is always an association of aroma and taste of food and his apron-clad image in the kitchen. He brought condiments, herbs, and spices from those far away lands. I recall he would often make a salad with pumpkinseed oil. Pumpkin oil dressing for kidney bean salads is a specialty of the culinary culture of Styria. Father’s love for different cultures mixed with his love for his land; this was so as far as his interest in food was concerned.

Sometimes we would go out to a small town not far from home to buy provisions. One shop in particular I remember. A Turkish family ran it. The old proprietor was large and moustachioed; his two sons assisted him in the shop. Sometimes his wife would also come to the shop. She had a large scarf tied to her head. She had a daughter of my age. She would talk to me in German and with her mother in Turkish. I was awed that she could talk something I did not understand. I would be welcomed along with my parents. The old man would talk to me and offer some candy. He would talk to my father about his journeys. They would also talk about Turkey; my father had travelled to Turkey many times, was quite familiar with the culture of the country, its food, and especially famous Turkish kebabs. The old Turk came from the Mediterranean region of Turkey, which had a history from as early as eight century B.C. when Hittites civilization flourished in the region known for long as Asia Minor. It was during World War-I that his father fought alongside Germany and later settled in Austria. Sometimes Ahmed Bey –the old Turk would visit his relatives in Anatolian region. His ancestral village was not far from Side, which was a scenic port in ancient Pamphylia. He would tell my father how the whole region is replete with ancient ruins and its rich heritage over thousands of years of wonderful history. Sometimes he would play haunting Anatolian music. I really liked the music and especially the sound of string instrument called Balma. I wonder how even as exiles we bring rich cultural tradition and enrich other cultures. All through human history society and civilization was enriched through such intercourse.

I imbibed all the interactions between father and Ahmed Bey subconsciously. Later in life, they would fuel my interest in the lovely land and music of Turkey. Meanwhile I was happy to have such outings to the town, for they presented new vistas to my life and existence. After finishing shopping usually, we would dine in traditional inns known as Buchenshenken, relishing local delicacies of roast pork, smoked sausages, cheese, the special verhakert— minced meat and sausage spread, and the usual snitzels. While I inevitably had juice, my parents washed down the delicious dishes with schicher, the famous wine from Schilderland in western Styria.

*
Time flowed like the water in Mur. I am in Vienna, enjoying coffee with Elena in Café Central. I like to come here. It is the custom of the restaurant to serve brown nut cookies with coffee. This custom goes back to half a century. The building housing the Café has a long history, as is the case with all of Vienna. It is more than a hundred year old and served at different times as a warehouse and bank; the façade is beautiful and invites you to enter the building. Arches create dainty waves in the main hall of the restaurant, the ceiling is cupola shaped, and polished ornate pillars divide the space. Large windows admit Viennese daylight freely. From high ceiling hang lamps by long chains to be effective for customers to see each other in the soft light. Just as you enter, by the main door there is a reclining sculpture of a famous Viennese writer who fancied this restaurant and was a regular here. The owners installed his sculpture to make him a guest—through day and night. The writer is now permanently reclining in a chair by the entrance and appraises every visitor to the restaurant. It is so surrealistic that you may think some one real is in the chair. I also like the waiters here; they are handsome, suave and very polite. The one serving us has wide forehead and light, dreamy eyes. He could be a poet in the making and may be one day will have a sculpture dedicated to his memory. Some of the waiters can have with you discussion on latest in art, literature, opera and music. It is a city of culture-dreamers.
cONITNUED....

2009-03-09T06:16:00.000-07:00

artreveal.blogspot.com

2009-03-09T04:54:00.000-07:00

"I create Rainbows from the White purity of the Infinite"

victor0vijay@gmail.com

The series is inspired by Autmn sensibilities
Size:34"X42"
Acrylic on canvas
$4500 each
Status:available

Fragrance of Autumn-1
The series is inspired by Autmn sensibilities
Size:58"X78"

Acrylic on canvas
$11000
Status:available

FRAGRANCE OF AUTUMN

A very long time back I lived and painted on an old boat anchored on Danube near Black sea in Romania. It was autumn and the landscape was a passionate rust, crimson and yellow ochre. It was magical to say the least. I was in communion with the landscape. At other times I would breathe in the autumn landscapes of Europe in Finland, Tatra Mountains in Slovakia and Poland, Styria in Austria, Alpine Piedmonte in Italy, France, and Hungry.The senses are seduced by the proliferating warm colours as the leaves turn from cool green to life red, rust, brick, yellow-ochre, brown colours. Something happens to soul, it starts to sing, is inundates by a dazzling warmth and pleasantness. Autumn used as a metaphor run to life as well as death. Poets often use the negative metaphor but for visual artists autumn is the great celebration of the festival of colours of joy. By a quirky association I relate the red beard of Vincent Van Gogh in his famous self portrait (1887) to the red of autumn.But is not the autumn the surfeit of rejuvenation. Do we not talk of the birth death rebirth cycle? Is the Resurrection of Jesus not an emblem of continuity of life and hope? So why be afraid of death? Paul Laurence Dunbar looks at autumn as a celebration and reason of joy—The earth is just so full of fun
It really can't contain it;
And streams of mirth so freely run
The heavens seem to rain it.
Don't talk to me of solemn days
In autumn's time of splendor,
Because the sun shows fewer rays,
And these grow slant and slender.
Viktor Vijay
Labels: fragrance of Autumn

Fragrance of Autumn-1
Dealt in splash-dot style I have developed this technique in 2003-4 while satying and working in Salzburg, Austria in my friend Eva Mazucco's atelier

Song of Eternal
Victor Vijay's artLife is a search of what is beyond, subtle, symbolic. Human imagination finds its great escalation and unfolding in Nature. Cosmos and Nature subsumes the human as an interpolation of itself. It is the holistic presence of Nature that underlies dazzling beauty that provokes human joy. The pastoral invoked the serenity of Nature but then nature unleashes more. Nature evokes awe and cosmic mysteries. Moods of Nature in its pristine glory nudge our senses into the unfamiliar domains of emotions. Nature seeds unfathomed feelings and magic.Victor Vijay is not searching for the ephemeral in Nature. His art does not capture moods of Nature rather he rejoices in the symbolism, intuitiveness and feelings that Nature distils. His paintings are not about descriptive elements of Nature. He paints the flow of feelings that emerge as you confront Nature. Thus out of the necessity of his chosen expression his art has to be abstract. He abstains from cerebral details and dwells in the feelings that lace inner happiness. He is a shepherd in the Pastoral invoking through his whispering art the romance of Eternal more like Christopher Marlowe—Come live with me and be my love,And we will all the pleasures proveThat valleys, groves, hills, and fields,Woods or steepy mountains yields.This artist does not expand on the individual, he evokes a mood of yearning, a desire to be in the comforting lap of Mother Nature. His art is not into naming, describing, it is more into feeling. Victor speaks through the enveloping silence in his paintings. Gerard Manley Hopkins is what the artist echoes—And beat upon my whorled ear,ELECTED Silence, sing to mePipe me to pastures still and beThe music that I care to hearVictor’s paintings are the poetics of the blooming soul. In them is the desire to express the inexpressible; in the moment he searches the eternal. Through his paintings he is trying not to posit Nature as a physical entity but he provokes to awaken the inner vision so that we can hear the SONG OF ETERNAL.
The Magic of Creation

we are not what we appear but what appears from us. A new way to look at art. Life is beautiful for we have a sense of beauty. it is this which is the highest form of human craving. this is nirvana or as Abrham Maslow said it is self actualization. This blogg is engendered to look for revealation of aesthetic in paintings, sculptures and kindred expressions in the contemporary, modern and historical so that we gift a heritage for future mankind.

Publication:Times of India Mumbai;Date:Sep 14, 2007;Section:Whats Hot;Page Number:52—(Viktor) Vijay Kumar is Director and Curator (India, Asia) of European Artists Association Velbert Essen Germany. He has been honoured with the best painter award by Sahitya Kala Parishad. His Medium: Vijay’s works are characterised by internal spontaneity and vibrancy. Employing the raw energy of colours—playing with light and shade, warm and cool tones, making marks like heart-rhythms—his paintings are visually fascinating and psychologically compelling. They resonate with an extraordinary force, incredible sensorial richness and intense symbolic and emotive value. His Style: Vijay’s paintings are mostly abstract and nonrepresentational. Pulsating with organic energy, his paintings like ‘Celebration’, ‘Passion Of Red’ and ‘Evolution Of Man’ captivate spectators with their spontaneity and emotional intensity

ETHEREAL ROSES AND RAINBOWS

Journey of an Artist
by Viktor vijay

CHAPTER I
I was born in southern part of Austria in the province of Styria. My parents named me Petra. My mother was a gypsy from Poland and father Austrian. Father was a sailor who met my mother while holidaying in Tatras in south-eastern Poland. He saw her in a village pub where farmers gathered after the day’s work in fields. Carefree laughter floated in the pristine mountain land; over glasses of beer tales from grandfathers’ time would be recounted, heroics from Polish wars remembered and the rustic beauty of this sun-kissed and wind swept hardy landscape would reflect in the faces of these simple folks. It was here that my father fell in love. He saw her in the pub enjoying her beer with some friends. He went over to her and asked her name. But she laughed; she laughed with her radiant eyes and her dark hair floated in the fresh mountain air. She was dressed in vibrant, colourful clothes, as is the custom with gypsies all over Europe. She carried in her the freedom of bohemian winds and cascading music of mountain rivers flowing from Tatras. Rather my mother was the sensuous, heady wind that blew across valleys, forests, houses and barns, villages and vales. She was freedom itself. It was this overflowing being of my mother that my father found so enchanting and different from what a settled life breeds in a person with permanent weight of attachment to people and places. It is the freedom from the fear of tomorrow when a person moves all the time, every moment every day is free and fresh as the first dewdrops in the morning. Life is a renewal every moment. He married my mother in the village church and celebrated marriage feast with the villagers. My father returned from his vacation with his bride. He settled her in the beautiful valley in Styria where he had a house, which he inherited from his grandfather’s brother. The house was built with logs and wood from the forest around the house. My father also owned the forest; being part of his inheritance. The house was an old one and had beautiful, carved front door with strange images and symbols. Inside the living room on walls were hanging wooden icons, landscape paintings, and old sea maps from the Habsburg period. My grandfather was also a sailor and Austria had a seaport then in Trieste. Lace curtains covered the windows, which women knitted with their own hands as was common in these parts. There were four chairs and a large sofa covered with bearskins and a heavy carved walnut table. Bookshelf stood in one corner stacked with old, yellowed, and yellowing books. There were two large comfortable bedrooms on first floor, furnished with spacious comfortable wooden beds. The bedrooms had a fantastic view of the forest and the valley. Rising sun would bathe the valley in soft crimson yellow, the birds would soar, singing; thus the chaste morning would herald a dew-fresh new day. The kitchen was large and comfortable. A big wood-fired stove, erected in the middle helped circulate warm air in the harsh winter. A mahogany dining table stood closer to the wall surrounded by eight chairs. It was here that my mother baked her first fresh bread after her marriage and cooked for her husband and for us later when I arrived.
It was a beautiful land—rolling hills, sensuous, fragrant valleys, exquisite sunsets, white winters, warm summers, scintillating springs and brown ochre romantic autumns. It was a land where love grew in the form of fragrant linden flowers; flowing brooks, singing canaries, jingling bells, nature composed music—as cows grazed in the lush meadows and virginal winds kissed endearingly every blade of grass, every flower in bloom and every leaf of tree.
It was in this fecund land that I was born to my mother. In the nature's nursery here, my childhood was nursed. It was here that I played with squirrels and birds, collected wild flowers, raced with the winds, watched fishes gambol in streams, and learnt my lessons about colours from changing seasons. In winters by the stove, my mother would tell me tales of gypsy kings and her clan and far off lands from where they were forced to flee, many centuries back. That land, she told me was in Asia and called Hindustan. It was a magical land and all gypsy tribes belonged to it. In her haunting, lilting voice, she would sing songs of yore while cooking or putting me to sleep. The songs were about brave kings and wars they fought, about lovers whose love could find no fulfilment, or about the land of ancestors, which overflowed with honey and riches. There was nostalgia, soft pain, and suffering. The tales celebrated the pain for the lost land. The reality of the land existed only in imagination. Imagination fed further imagination over centuries of exile and the land existed more as a feeling, as a thought, as an ideal in the hearts and minds of the people than as a reality out there. The changes in the external world did not affect, the land was safe from all dangers, as it existed inside the people. It was the Shangri La of soul—never ageing or changing. This is what I inherited from my mother—‘what exists inside remains constant, forever fresh, and young.’ Outside, mechanical time brings about physical changes and decay but the spiritual, inner time is forever the same. This is the eternal white lotus of soul. Much later, I would discover the roots of these thoughts in India.
From my mother I learnt to view things in a different magical way. She told that it is not the expanse but the core, the essence of things that we should understand and appreciate. The expanse creates illusions and is the cause of much of unhappiness in the world. The external world must collapse back in our inner kernel of being as a totality, as an infinite iota. We must first learn to open inside—outside will open automatically. My mother and Mother Nature were my teacher, guide, and friend. I would interact with stars as one does with a friend; fairies from my mother’s tales would descend from heavenly heights to play with me, the trees and flowers understood when I would talk to them and in turn I would relish what they told me.