Corporate czar’s retreat for painters

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Since its inception in 1991, the RPG Art camp, hosted by Harsh Goenka (above) and Vickram Sethi, chairman Arts Trust, helps whet the creative instincts of artists (Indiatimes Photo)MUMBAI: The annual art camp organised by the RPG Academy of Art concluded on Sunday with a friendly brunch at the Marve beach house of RPG Enterprise Chairman, Harsh Goenka.Groovy numbers in the background, the sea breeze flirting with the visitors, flowing wine and mouth-watering delicacies – the setting was perfect for a lazy and relaxed afternoon.
While singer-actor-artist Suchitra Krishnamurty was seen in an animated conversation with the host, singer Bhupen Hazarika, former actress Rinkie Khanna, art connoisseur Saryu Doshi and film director Kalpana Lajmi were spotted intermingling with artistes whose paintings were up for sale.
Since its inception in 1991, the RPG Art camp hosted by Harsh Goenka, and Vickram Sethi, chairman Arts Trust is a much-awaited event. The annual art camp helps whet the creative instincts of established and upcoming artists.
Art has captured the public imagination like never before and the last five years, in particular, has seen a surge in interest in the work of arts. Many have started looking at art as a medium of investment. Not Goenka, though, who has been interested in art from childhood.
“In a camp like this, the senior and the young artists work together, take guidance and an invigorating atmosphere of creativity is created. This helps in the free flow of ideas and styles and has an astounding effect on the psyche and the minds of the artists,” Goenka, says.
Vickram Sethi who initially came up with the entire concept says, “Like every year, this year too, an array of interesting and established names in the arena of art is converging together. When young artists interact with the seniors, their discussions result in some awesome creative expressions.”
Amid the natural surroundings, artists at the camp gave vent to their creativity. All artists unanimously agreed that the tranquility helped them concentrate and effectively generate impressive pieces of art as one gets to work in a community atmosphere, interacting with other artistes and learning from them.
However some feel that experimenting with ideas is not possible as the time frame given to complete a painting is too short. Each artist has to finish at least one self-portrait and two or more paintings in a week’s time. But no one seems to mind this, given the fact that the camp has given them a chance to experience a different kind of exposure.
During the week-long camp it was not mandatory to follow specific guidelines, timeframes or style of artistic expression for artists. The order of the day was, “to each his own”.
While young Mekhla from Delhi impressed senior artist Latha Lajmi with her abstract work done on a mix media, Mohammad Shakil Saigol who came all the way from Pakistan, admitted that he was impressed by the female form. Saigol’s paintings reflect the clear definite forms of the stone statues of Khajuraho.
While Bharati Prajapati’s paintings exhibit her muse - women, Prashant churned out water colour paintings at lightning speed, based on interiors. With 11 paintings and self-portrait on display he revealed that he was painting at the rate of nearly two paintings a day. Vivek Sharma, who had lost around eighty of his canvasses in last year’s July floods, painted a self-portrait showing himself in a reflective mood.
Other faces at the camp included Shahabuddin from Bangladesh, Lalitha Lajmi, Nikhilesh Baruah, Vivek Sharma, Heeral Trivedi, Simrin Mehra Agarwal, Prashant and Bharati Prajapati.