CHANDIGARH, Nov 4: Exploring the theatre on the canvas, an exhibition has been on since November 1 at the IndusInd Bank here. Named the Centre Stage, the painting exhibition by Amritsar-based Neeta Mohindra, delves into the depth of the theatre-world, the aesthetics and passion that goes along with it.Bold in her strokes, Neeta, a doctorate in Tribal Arts Form and a professor, creates a series that is bold in strokes and also attempts to give a language as in an oil-on-canvas, Come and trip it as ye go, on the night of canvas toe. The recreation of a ballet scene in fact lends a form to Milton's lines. Using dark backdrops with succinct primary, bright colour for the subject, primary fused yellow, Neeta seems to attempt to bring out the catching subject that drama is.One can't help but feel that Shakespeare's tragedies like Hamlet and Macbeth inspiring the artist. There is an intentional attempt to celebrate that which comes under the spotlight of the Fine Arts professor, be it in Ballet or in Overheated Mind. It could be a scene straight out of Hamlet's rendezvous with the witches or Gopchik narrating his life to fellow prisoners in One day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, but Overheated Mind does the work on the art lover's senses. One highlighting feature of Centre Stage that one can't help question is Neeta's use of sombre colours.In fact that's quite a risk that the artist takes as even grim subjects are being addressed with a tinge of brightness by today's artists. However, Neeta's strokes are strong and deft, bringing out the multi-faceted world of dramas.
