Cactus
38 x 10 x 10 cm; 15 x 4 x 4 in
Balan Nambiar?s `Cactus?, is the example of symphony in steel. Much of Balan Nambiar?s inspiration stems from his Malayali roots and from his extensive research on the ritual performing arts of the west coast of India, some of which he has documented, through photography and published reports on the same, for the first time. Steel for Balan possesses the possibilities of technology. Steel in his hands undergoes the smooth translation of modernist ideals into metal. The real treasure house of discovery however, lies within Nambiar himself who is as much a researcher into ritual performance of a body of tantric rituals, particularly of the vama panth, or the left handed practices. The driving force in the artist seems to be to appropriate, enter and reconceptualise forms both familiar and tantalizing from his boyhood in north Kerala. His chosen method is through the modern processes of steel casting, and then the objectification proffered through art gallery display. In this work ?Cactus? there is a seemingly seamless oscillation between concept and form.