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| Sunday, 30 January 2005 |
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Sharing the beauty of art and architecture by Indira P. Dahanayake Talents are latent at times and have to be awakened, says Andrew de Silva and Kesara Ratnavibushana, two friends from London, now holidaying in Sri Lanka, who did a joint venture, in an art and photography exhibition at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery recently.
Andrew a graduate, in architecture from U.C.L. University of London's Bartleet School of Architecture, says, he has a special interest in photography as it is part of his studies. 'I prefer black and white photographs to colour, as in my opinion the photographs are more clear that way. I have taken forty photographs and they deal with prominent places in England such as the St. Pauls Catherdral' he added. Speaking of the recent 'tsunami' disaster he says that the construction of houses to face such a situation should be given priority in the mind's eye of the architect when dealing with the designs taking examples from countries such as Japan where houses are build on concrete pillars. "When planning and designing, these houses should be located more than hundred metres away from the shoreline, he opines. Some of the photographs taken from Matara before and after the disaster were hung side by side to arouse the sentiments of the viewers. Andrew, though he has lived in England for the past fifteen years still loves his motherland and is proud to have been born a Sri Lankan. Kesara Ratnavibushana is a second year under-graduate from the university of East London. He reads history of art as one of his subjects which leads him to try his hand at art. 'I did it at random for the past one and a half years agrees Kesara, who is a self taught artist, 'I would like to follow a professional course in art on completion of my studies, say Kesara, whose line drawings at the exhibition shows much promise as an artist. 'My parents especially my father, has been very supportive in pursuing art as a subject from the time I was a student at D. S. Senanayake College and it was he who sponsored this exhibition - Kesara added with much sentiment. 'Captured moments' ....an ode to light and shade 'Captured moments' is an apt title for an exhibition of images that not only emphasises creativity, but stresses on the significance of the play of light on each subject, giving each image the required form, accentuated by shades and then shadow.
Photography or the Greek meaning 'Phosgrapho' literally meaning - writing with light, is amply exemplified by the collection of images arrested and immortalised in a fleeting moment and then presented as a work of art for study by Chandrasena Perera. Mundane subjects meet our eyes every day, but we do not see their splendour. A woman walking pensively trailed dutifully by a child on a lonely stretch of roadway, a bare bodied village blacksmith toiling silently at his anvil, a signboard painter with the paraphernalia of his trade lying at his feet perched precariously high on scaffolding or even such boring subjects as a perspiring labourer pouring scalding tar from a pail to re-surface a road, to such exotic images as young maidens in charming attire being ferried by an elderly boatman through a veil of mist early one morning ..... Then again - nature. The exquisite beauty of a carpet of withering leaves hued in yellows, reds and browns, lying on the ground with the parent trees standing sentinel, yet forlorn. Vast expanses of rich vegetations, tea bushes in varied tones and tints of green.
Chandrasena Perera, blessed with an eye not only to appreciate the subtle beauty around him, but to perceive minutely the play of light, line, form, composition and colour in diverse forms, is an IT professional and a father figure to many student photographers, but considers himself an amateur photographer. To the cinema, a veteran of sorts as a script writer to such feature films as 'Biththi Hatara' and 'Thuttiri mal' etc., he has worked with such greats as Sugathapala de Silva, Parakrama de Silva, Pathiraja L. S. Dayananda and H. D. Premasiri. Chandrasena was honoured with the O.C.I.C. award for the best short film produced in 1982. For a short stint he immersed himself in painting, having trained under maestro Joe Dambulugala, a painter and a veteran film art director and experimented with designing book covers but considers photography as his life, his love. He began photography as a hobby in the early 70's, when he joined the National Photographic Art Society. Chandrasena first worked with black and white stock, graduating slowly to colour transparency and then on to colour negative material. He is still enthusiastic and loves to photograph in colour transparency, a media he says is perfect for pictorial work and is full of pride, that he has a collection of almost five thousand images solely of the beauty of the island. He is at the same time obstinately passionate of black and white, which he stresses is his preferred film emulsion for artistic photography and a medium that he has mastered to perfection. Chandrasena has participated in many local and international competitions, exhibitions and won many awards. His work is often seen in quality pictorial diaries, greeting cards during Vesak, Christmas and New Year. The exhibition - "Captured moments ... an ode to light and shade" with a selection of over fifty large images representative of his 30 + years in photography, will be held at the Harrold Peiris Gallery, Lionel Wendt, on February 12, 13 and 14 from 8.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Chief guests at the opening will be Dr. M. S. Weerakoon, Edwin Ariyadasa and Joe Dambulugala. Good Samaritans at work Displaced by the tsunami tidal waves Chaturika was another girl victim seeking refuge at the refugee camp at Galgoda Sri Maha Viharaya, Panadura.
The Viharaya situated in the heart of Panadura has been transformed in to a home for the displaced victims of the tsunami disaster. Under the guidance of the chief incumbent Ven. Pandit Pothupitiye Pannasekera Thera, a sport unit is been conducted at the camp by a well-known former Australian cricketer and Sri Lanka's former coach Bruce Yardly. All the sports equipment had been donated to refugee camp by Yardly. This unit is playing a major role in activating the traumatised young minds and keep their self esteem at a high standard. She had being living with her grandmother at Galavetimodara Road, Nalluruwa, Panadura before the tidal waves devoured her home. Chaturika's left eye had been blind from birth but she gained her education from Siri Seevalee Vidyalaya, Nalluruwa, Panadura and sat for the G.C.E. Ordinary Level examination in 2004. Bruce Yardly happened to notice Chaturika, offered to help the girl to undergo an eye operation. Chaturika was blind in her left eye and a shrunken socket. The 'Lions Eye Institute' of Perth, Western Australia has agreed to perform the surgery which will place an artificial eye that tallies with her right eye. Air fares, surgery facilities, accommodation and all other concerns of the eye operation is to be granted free of charge to Chaturika. Professor Yogesan Kanagasingam, Director of the Lions Eye Institute is making the full payment of one return air fare to Merregnage Chaturika Sudharshanie Salgado (17) and accommodation for six weeks is to be given by the Proprietor of the Mother India Restaurant Sathy Kanagasingam and family. St. John of God Hospital, Subiac has taken charge of meeting surgery facilities and accommodation for two days and the eye implant procedure will be conducted by Dr. Rashmi Patel. Paul and Jenny Geelan of West Perth are donating the required artificial eye for the surgery. Bruce Yardly took the responsibility to take the girl to Australia for the operation and to return to Sri Lanka afterwards with her. The tsunami disaster which made her a displaced victim has surely been a blessing in disguise, reminding us that the brightest light could break from the darkest skies. by Susil Ratnaweera, Panadura North Gr. Corr. Critic's Corner Hataraveni Tattuwa: power of plutocracy Humanity and justice are personified as Manawaratna and Sadaharanadeva and society in the name of Samajadhikaraya. Society as the force, or its values and attitudes, control and shape the personalities of Manawaratna and Sadaharanadeva. Both of them are institutionalised by the power it confers upon the plutocracy. In whose hands lie the fate of both? This is the issue the playwright raises. It is his theme in the play. When the house lights are dimmed, on the stage is an Officer of Samajadhikaraya examining some of the files of an accused? Accused is a common (conner) appearing to have been certified as a lunatic. However, he is a conner of the first order. He is chased out of the premises for his non-stop jabbering. In the meantime, the officer who investigates the conner is delayed in attending a meeting called by his superior. The conner returns to ask for his file of certificates on his lunacy. On his return, he finds that none is there in the office that he was questioned. Whilst he is looking for his certificates, the telephone rings and he dares to answer it. The caller wants to speak to the Officer-in-charge of Samajadhikaraya. The conner pretends he is one other officer working in the same office and says that the officer-in-charge is unable to take the call, but that he will convey the message. During the course of the conversation on the phone, he gathers who the caller is. He is a superior officer and is thoroughly troubled about an investigating officer by the Government that has been appointed to visit him on a scrutiny on one of his dealings about the killing of Manawaratna. The conner very cleverly gets all the information about the incident of the killing and as to the whereabouts of the files. Over the phone, he also creates a rift between the two officers. This rift causes all the chaos whilst he collects all the required files of the case to be investigated. The conner escapes with those files and returns to the same Samajadhikaraya Office disguised as the Officer appointed by the government to scrutinise the case of the killing of Manawaratna and the injustices done to Sadaharanadeva. The conner unfolds what the drama is, disguising himself into many roles as the play progresses. At some point he is a clever Investigator, and at another an expert on varied subjects and research, and still another a religious leader and representative of such religions, and on many professions. Ultimately, truth emerges establishing that this imposter is none, but an unparalleled crook of the first order that ever lived. Its values and attitudes govern and direct Manawaratne and Sadharanadeva. Societal values and attitudes forms the personalities of both Manawaratna and Sadharanadeva. These qualities of Samadhikaraya, institutionalises Manawaratna and Sadharanadeva in our present day society by the power it confers upon the plutocracy. |
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At times a huge boulder vividly detailed dwarfing a knurled, weather
beaten tree basking in sunlight making one wonder ... How old must that
tree be?
