Seeing Kathakali in Kabuki

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What is it about Kabuki that makes it instantly appealing to my - decidedly Indian - eyes?

Perhaps it is the similarities one see with Kathakali: stylized costumes that exaggerate body movement and facial expressions and a background narrative which stretches out words in a slow, sing-song manner, giving you the time to soak in the nuances at a thoughtful pace. Or maybe it is simply because the televised performances on NHK always comes with a transcript that can be deciphered even by Nihongo novices like me!

Here are two classic Japanese movies (with English subtitles) that give us glimpse into the world of Kabuki artists:

ICHIKAWA KON's 雪之丞変化 / Yukinojō Henge (Yukinojo's Revenge / Revenge of a Kabuki Actor (1963)) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHySBLNTM50&feature=related

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MIZOGUCHI KENJI's 残菊物語 / Zangiku Monogatari (The Story of Late Chrysanthemums, 1939) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V26w7gPihI&feature=related 

Doodles for Sale

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Fine art puzzles me… What exactly differentiates juvenile doodles from the work of an accomplished artist? Why would anybody pay millions to buy a page pulled out of a scrapbook? What deep thought inspires an artist to create something? How on earth does a curator decide to choose one doodle over another?

Whatever be the inspiration behind a work of art, I was mighty impressed by the way Amitava’s work was presented at Gallery Espace, last week. You opened the glass entrance so see an array of square pillars in jet black, each mounted with a perfectly framed drawing. All the drawings were beautifully framed in black, red or a plain wooden finish.. Entire walls had been painted black or overlaid with handmade paper to give each section a different mood.

The drawlings themselves looked rather monotonous. My eyes could barely distinguish one piece from another – they all looked like careless doodles with a bit of space set aside at the bottom of the page for a signoff -- “Amitava…Bhimtal 2006”…”Amitava Paris 2003…Yangon 2005…Peru..”. Some of it was ripped out of a drawing book; others had just thick horizontal lines drawn on European newspapers or magazines and a few were carefully drawn on expensive handmade paper.

Perhaps these were simple tools to express complex thoughts; yet, it was the presentation that was completely extraordinary.