“nudism” in Dr. Pereira’s paintings and Laxman’s ‘Last supper’ Carton
In which century are we living?
(Then Jesus said, Father forgive them, for they know not what they doLuke
23:24)
( Avidnyatam vijanatam, vidnyatam avijanatam- Kathopanishada – “those who
think that they no nothing , understand everything but those who claim to
know everything know nothing)
What is superior?. The creative impulse of the artist who has no axe to
grind with any religions of human origin OR the label of religion which is
stuck on his forehead?
Is it the religious denomination of the artist which has started bothering
some of the critics, the agitators, the fascist forces, the self styled
censors?
ARTIST AS A *'CHRISTIAN'*
Crystallized and personified innocence-the wise man among the Goans-his name
in this mortal existence-Jose Pereira, religious label -Roman Catholic is
hated because ‘nudism in his paintings’.
ARTIST AS A *'HINDU'*
Another giant of an artist -who took the brush from the classes to the
common masses-R.K.Laxman, a Hindu in his mortal existence is taken to the
task for reinvention of ‘Last supper’. I thought after viewing the cartoon
that Lord Jesus would have approved it. The central message of the cartoon
is universal message of Christianity and true Roman Catholicism. It all
depends on what one reads from the cartoon-there are layers of meaning and
interpretation but it is a modern masterpiece.
HE would have said after noticing criticism of Laxman-‘ God
What if a controversial, non conformist Goan painter Francis Newton Desouza
or our own Mario Miranda were to draw that cartoon?. Perhaps a different
yardstick would have been used…
So what we have now are two unwanted controversies…do these make any real,
logical, objective sense, especially to those who are well read in history
of religions and art ?
'HINDU ART ' BY A 'CHRISTIAN 'ARTIST
Take opposition to Josebab’s paintings. I did not find anything
objectionable because I am a serious student of Indian philosophy, art,
architecture, vedic and non vedic Hinduism. I had given two public lectures
in Marathi at Margao on Vatsyayana’s Kamasutra ( the first ever in history
of Goa) in front of a sizeable middle class Goan audience without any
controversy. These were organized by Sanskrit Pracharini Sabha, Margao
devoted to promotion of world’s oldest and richest language.
If nudism in Josebab’s paintings is opposed because it injures the Hindu
sentiments and is considered vulgar by those who claim to be the self
styled guardians of Hinduism, then by the same yardstick all the aniconic
temples of Lord Siva/ Rudra/Mahadeva which have installed the Lingams, his
sculptures depicting him as mahayogi (urdhva-retas-one who could reverse the
flow of sacred semen) and the whole cult of Matrika or nude mother goddess
worship could also attract a ban/opposition. What about plain erotic verses
in Kalidas’s Ritusamhar and in Jaideva’s Gitagovindam?. And closer to the
headquarters of the radical Hindus-Marathi scholar R.C.Dhere’s classical
Marathi monograph –Lajjagauri (the nude goddess)?. Would the constitution
of India permit free artistic expressions or promote revisionism?
Would the radical Hindu forces also demand ban on procession of Naga sadhus
and elaborate description given by Marathi novelist Go.Ni.Dandekar of their
strange rituals?
Would the radical Hindu forces demand a total ban on sub-continent’s tantric
traditions?
Having born in an orthodox Hindu Brahmin family, after having studied
Sanskrit and original works on Hinduism, I discovered by the time I became a
graduate, that my Hinduism is not just a religion, a label or a denomination
to me-it is a complex, religious, assimilative, liberal cultural ecosystem.
It has no single leader, no single sacred text, neither a founder and it
doesn’t get dogmatic about its’ texts. It anticipates the rise of new
prophets and religions and is prepared to coexist with them. It says –“ekam
satyam vipra bahudha vadanti’ (the wise people say the same thing in
different manner). Unfortunately it drifted terribly after the Buddhist
resurgence and Islamic onslaught from its’ noble upanishadic roots.
Josebab’s paintings is a tribute to all encompassing spirit of Hinduism. He
is a very humble man. His artistic consciousness had launched him in a time
machine and that’s what he experienced as if in a tantric trance. A
composite reading of all his work pertaining to Indian cultural ethos would
convince anyone born as a Hindu that his paintings is a service, an artistic
interpretation and not a defamation.
Josebab’s nude paintings would attract a massive response at Benares,
Vrindavan, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Bhubaneshwar, Tanjore, Baroda, Gauhatti if
exhibited there…
There is something basically very wrong in the way Josebab’s paintings have
been attacked…probably the paintings, or the exhibition is not the real
target, the Jesuit managed XCHR is, could be, it is for CID, IB to
investigate…after all Porvorim is
