Dr MS Murthy’s latest artworks reflect the strength of silence – Times of India

While artists around the world constantly endeavour to put their work out there, it’s silence that Dr MS Murthy has been practicing and reflecting on his canvas over decades. A well-known Bengalurean, who is often seen taking a walk at Basvanagudi’s MN Krishna Rao Park observing little children playing around, has put up his recent paintings on display in a solo exhibition in the city, after a gap of 10 years. Called ‘The Bowl’, his latest body of work forms part of his creations on Buddha’s consciousness, which he had begun in the 1990s. With the bowl being used as a metaphor, the small and huge acrylic canvases hung on the walls of Gallery Manora exemplify a certain calmness that, according to Murthy, is elusive in today’s world. His book Drushya is the world’s first visual novel, while he has also written collections of essays. In an exclusive conversation with Bangalore Times, the winner of multiple awards – including Karnataka Sahithya Academy Award and Rajyotsava Award – shares his views on the future of visual arts and more. Excerpts:
The empty bowl is full of completeness

Through the semi-circle, which gives the impression of a bowl, an atmosphere is created in the paintings, urging the spectator to contemplate and reflect from within, in silence. The semi-circle and the pastel shades create a strong space that helps to understand the depths of the bowl. Unlike Buddha’s words, the bowl has remained unnoticed. But it is full of completeness that extols the virtues of acceptance, rejection and satisfaction. My latest paintings throw light on the two forms of the bowl – the closed and the open.

Why we need silence in our society today…

Silence is very important. Let’s break things up into three phases – noise, sound and silence. As a society, we are in ‘noise’, right now. Some people get fed up with this, and they move towards sound. Some again want to go further, and they travel towards silence. And only when you reach silence, you’ll understand the beauty and importance of it. It keeps you calm and creative. Noise is always afraid of silence. Having said that, music is very close to fine arts, as it helps one to reach that silence. Poetry, music and life are a medium and important sources of inspiration for me. On may argue that there is no statement in my work; it is not depicting current affairs or conveying a social message. But, if you give it a thought, it is a reflection human psyche – our mind space, our inner and outer self.

The gap between visual arts and the audience

Visual illiteracy is a factor here. Many people fail to understand a piece of abstract art, leading to the disconnect between the onlooker and canvas. Our education system is more inclined towards the learning of alphabets then images. Even when it comes to human emotions, children are more acquainted with learning the words than actually understanding them. It’s also the responsibility of parents to help cultivate such interests among youngsters. Using visual expressions to understand a child’s mind is the need of the hour.

Artists are more than just performers
Artists have a big responsibility towards the society. They may remain off site, but never detached from the society. He or she has the inherent power to tell the difference between what is spiritual and what is practical; between the physics and the metaphysics. They should look beyond just displaying their artworks or perform in front of an audience. It is important for them to understand the poetry of life, so that they become the messenger of love and harmony. Folklore and rural art forms also need to be explored more and brought to the mainstream.
New projects…
The ‘bowl’ follows my works on ‘light’ and ‘silence’, and the responses have been good so far. In near future, I would be elaborating more on this subject, exhibiting my artworks to a larger audience in Bengaluru, across India and even abroad. Meanwhile, my new play, Bodhi, is also nearing completion. My first dramatic piece in Kannada Yashodhare Malagiralilla was also based on Buddha’s philosophy. Thank you
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