Samikshavad – The Story
Samikshavad of 1974 was a landmark art movement as it became the first aboriginal genre on the modern Indian art scene, in its true sense. He consciously stayed away from any Western influence and established his own distinctive identity, as the mark of a ‘free’ India. Samikshavad began as a testimonial to a revolution in Indian art that aimed to reach out to the people, coming out of the hidden, niche and mysterious aura attached to it. This art form was a reaction and rejection of the Modern Art forms of the West. ‘Samiksha’ is a Sanskrit word that means a critical analysis of an issue, which can be extended to broader ones, such as lifestyle and sociopolitical structures. True to his name, Samikshavad dealt with political sarcasm, political and social corruption, cultural changes, and economic conditions.
Ace painter Prof. Ram Chandra Shukla spearheaded this movement to promote the Indianisation of domestic art, in opposition to his contemporaries’ inclination towards Western Modern Art. Teacher. Shukla heads the Department of Painting at Benaras Hindu University, Varanasi, in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, promotional conferences held and sponsored by various university-level art departments at various locations further bolstered the movement. Samikshavad effectively gave voice to the advocates of him as artists and responsible citizens. The inaugural exhibition of him was held in the year 1979 at the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), Delhi. It displayed a vivid collection of twenty-six paintings, in oil on canvas. This exhibition was a great success and received high praise from critics. Critics, art lovers, media and viewers perceived Samikshavad as art with a social purpose.
The details
Simplistic forms and a degree of abstraction and symbolism, captured in a mocking manner, are hallmarks of Smikshavad. The style did not place undue emphasis on color schemes, lines, brushwork, forms, and use of space. The focus here was to ‘communicate’ the message in the most understandable way possible.
Artists and works of art
Where there are examples of extremely brightly colored Samikshavadi compositions like RS Dheer’s ‘Value of Rupees’, monochrome works like G.Madhurkar Chaturvedi’s ‘Democracy of Crowd’, also set the artistic style. Another notable work is ‘Today’s Politicians’ (1978) painted by Ram Chandra Shukla (b.1925). It depicts a politician as a “monster”, similar to the demons in Indian mythologies. The devil stands over a peasant (representative of the common person), crushing the poor man with his power and the pelf of him.
Among the other prominent names associated with the genre are Hridya Narayan Mishra, Santosh Kumar Singh, Virendra Prasad Singh, Ved Prakash Mishra, Ram Shabd Singh, Bala Dutt Pandey and Ravindra Nath Mishra.
Conclusion
With its powerful imagery and stark force of expression, Samikshavad remains a popular form of satirical art.
