The Material Man

Taking unconventional to a whole new level,Kerala-born artist Shine Shivan (in the picture) works with natural materials that people would otherwise shy away from. Taxidermal cocks arranged in a manner that suggests the scene of a fight; an imposing wall made using deer faeces as the base material; a large structure,somewhat resembling a beehive,constructed using chirchita (prickly chaffed flower) seeds; and a vertical,boat-like structure,full of animal bones,are some of the magnificent,but quirky sculptures being showcased at the artist’s second solo show,titled ‘Suck Spit’,on at Gallery Maskara,Mumbai,till May 15.

The exhibition is by no means intended for the faint-hearted. For those who can stomach it,the show presents an unparalleled experience. “I have been interested in skin preservation and treatment since I was a child,and seeing Egyptian mummies in a museum increased that interest,” says the artist,who started collecting articles for the current exhibition in Aravalli Hills,Haryana,close to a year and a half ago. If the sculpture C ock Dump uses taxidermal cocks,steel,wire and a blanket to create a piece that has sexual undertones,showing cocks that have fallen in a battle for the female; in Suck Spit he uses quail eggs and babul tree branches. The title comes from one of the steps during the treatment of the eggs. “I literally had to suck and then spit out the content of the egg,” says Shivan.