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| Sunday, 5 February 2006 |
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Woven colour III : A blend of colour and weaves Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, (1740-1832) well-known as a poet and lesser known for his avid interest in the literary field, has been ideally exhibited at the German Cultural Center, Colombo. It has set out a programme to showcase Goethe's larger interest. His special love and interest was in the Natural Sciences. His special work on colours was unbelievable.A fifty two minute documentary film, titled "The light, the Dark and the Colours" will feature his interest in colours.
To blend Goethe's thought with colours, Chandra Thenuwara's woven art pieces which mix the light with the dark taking Goethe's interest and love for colour are being exhibited at the Centre. Goethe was fascinated with the blend of colour and the mix of dark with light fascinated him no end. Goethe's interest in colours knew no bounds and he carried out various experiments with prisms and other optical devices that helped support his view, that dark and light was inseparable and that colours were a product of their interplay. One can understand Goethe's love for colour and his endeavour towards its aesthetic usage and the aesthetic influence colour had in life. Goethe at that time would have attempted to give a totally new concept to colour. In this context, Chandra Thenuwara has justified to a very great extent Goethe's love for colour blending and shading, in her co-ordinate effort to blend colour with weaves. This is amply displayed at the exhibition and would catch the connoisseur by surprise at the wonder that colours can do when they are blended into perfection. The primary exploration of colour is through the medium of double weave, medium weight fabric structures which forms the very core of this exhibition. Referring to the concept of colouring shades, it brings to mind Goethe's famous statement "We may learn about our world as we may, but it will always have a day and night side". How true this statement is. There is always a blend of the dark with the light. Johannes Itten (1888-1967) paid scholarly attention to the Master works of Goethe and developed a basic course on form and colour for the famous BAHAUS founded by Walter Gropius in the 1920's. He is considered to be one of the greatest teachers of the art of colour of modern times. Having devoted over five decades to teaching, he amply displayed this concept. One of the chief features of Itten's contribution is considered to be the study of colour contrast. In Woven Colour 111, Chandra Thenuwara explores this study and gives it a vivid dimension, through the medium of double weave. The exhibition showcases beautiful handwoven fabrics, skilfully woven by non other than craftswomen of the former Department of Small Industries at their workshop in Kadawatha. The presentation of Woven Colour 111 is by Goethe Institute and the Faculty of Architecture, University of Moratuwa. The colour theme of spectrum colour contrast with black and white was extended to light weight fabrics and was handled by Chandra Sarees and dress Fabrics. In addition, a presentation CD is also available at the Goethe
Institute library. The exhibition opened on 27 January and will go on till
February 11 at the Goethe Institute, 39, Gregorys Road Colombo 7. |
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