Dr. Swapna Sathish - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Dr. Swapna Sathish

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Papers by Dr. Swapna Sathish

Research paper thumbnail of Abject Desire: Questioning Identity through Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Indian Art

Feminist Engagements: Cultural Expressions and Politics, 2022

Identity, as interpreted through gender and sexuality, is a dominant element in the works of thre... more Identity, as interpreted through gender and sexuality, is a dominant element in the works of three well-known contemporary female visual artists, Mithu Sen, Tejal Shah and Chitra Ganesh. While addressing global issues of identity, gender and sexuality, their works are derived from within the specifics of an Indian milieu referencing and re-presenting popular notions in society. Their artworks contend with the contrasting concepts of visualising the body as ‘object of desire’ (Jacques Lacan) and the ‘abject’ (Julia Kristeva). With their preferred modes of expression varying from melodrama to fantasy to dark humour, their concepts grow more relevant within the context of recent upheavals caused by the passing of landmark bills on gender and sexuality in the world’s largest democracy. Working in various media they employ strategies that challenge the binary categories and directly or indirectly question the validity of existent cultural tenets. The analysis of select artworks would endeavour to unravel how art engages with societal changes.

Research paper thumbnail of Chapter House Decoration in Florence ,1350-1500: Four Extant Decorative Schemes

Research paper thumbnail of Challenging the Canonical Framework of Indian Art History: Temple Murals as Popular Visual Culture

International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences, 2014

Indian art history is hindered by an exclusionist agenda where visual manifestations of culture a... more Indian art history is hindered by an exclusionist agenda where visual manifestations of culture are segregated as art and craft. The ancient religious mural tradition in southern India is acknowledged as art due to royal patronage and the position of painting as an adjunct to temple architecture and sculpture. In Indian art history, the canonical mural tradition is seen as having ended in 19th century. But is it really dead? Contemporary temple murals boast the same themes and occupy the same sites, albeit in an altered technique and style. Although their roots are traditional, they are considered different in terms of material technology, their hybrid origins and in their perception as kitsch, and therefore low art. These contemporary religious murals have been excluded from art historical study, with scholarly writing in the field lapsing at the perceived end of tradition with the Nayaka period. This paper questions the above premise and privileges the popular, seeking to repudiate the idea of separation of high and low art, using contemporary temple murals in Tamil Nadu as case study. Plurality of expression needs to be embraced within the mainstream of Indian art. These murals should be seen as a trajectory of traditional painting in their contextualization within the mural tradition and in a modern democratic polity. Positions have changed for the artist, patrons and the paintings themselves. Indian art history needs to be rewritten with a predilection towards inclusivity, bringing within its ambit popular visual culture, rather than divorcing it from its past.

Research paper thumbnail of Abject Desire: Questioning Identity through Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Indian Art

Feminist Engagements: Cultural Expressions and Politics, 2022

Identity, as interpreted through gender and sexuality, is a dominant element in the works of thre... more Identity, as interpreted through gender and sexuality, is a dominant element in the works of three well-known contemporary female visual artists, Mithu Sen, Tejal Shah and Chitra Ganesh. While addressing global issues of identity, gender and sexuality, their works are derived from within the specifics of an Indian milieu referencing and re-presenting popular notions in society. Their artworks contend with the contrasting concepts of visualising the body as ‘object of desire’ (Jacques Lacan) and the ‘abject’ (Julia Kristeva). With their preferred modes of expression varying from melodrama to fantasy to dark humour, their concepts grow more relevant within the context of recent upheavals caused by the passing of landmark bills on gender and sexuality in the world’s largest democracy. Working in various media they employ strategies that challenge the binary categories and directly or indirectly question the validity of existent cultural tenets. The analysis of select artworks would endeavour to unravel how art engages with societal changes.

Research paper thumbnail of Chapter House Decoration in Florence ,1350-1500: Four Extant Decorative Schemes

Research paper thumbnail of Challenging the Canonical Framework of Indian Art History: Temple Murals as Popular Visual Culture

International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences, 2014

Indian art history is hindered by an exclusionist agenda where visual manifestations of culture a... more Indian art history is hindered by an exclusionist agenda where visual manifestations of culture are segregated as art and craft. The ancient religious mural tradition in southern India is acknowledged as art due to royal patronage and the position of painting as an adjunct to temple architecture and sculpture. In Indian art history, the canonical mural tradition is seen as having ended in 19th century. But is it really dead? Contemporary temple murals boast the same themes and occupy the same sites, albeit in an altered technique and style. Although their roots are traditional, they are considered different in terms of material technology, their hybrid origins and in their perception as kitsch, and therefore low art. These contemporary religious murals have been excluded from art historical study, with scholarly writing in the field lapsing at the perceived end of tradition with the Nayaka period. This paper questions the above premise and privileges the popular, seeking to repudiate the idea of separation of high and low art, using contemporary temple murals in Tamil Nadu as case study. Plurality of expression needs to be embraced within the mainstream of Indian art. These murals should be seen as a trajectory of traditional painting in their contextualization within the mural tradition and in a modern democratic polity. Positions have changed for the artist, patrons and the paintings themselves. Indian art history needs to be rewritten with a predilection towards inclusivity, bringing within its ambit popular visual culture, rather than divorcing it from its past.

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