Experts from around the world are predicting that a couple of years from now, all life on Earth could well come to an end. Some are saying it’ll be human that would set it off. Others believe that a natural phenomenon will be the cause.  And the religious are saying it’ll be God himself who would press the stop button.

Oscar Wilde says “Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one's head, and listen to silence. To have no yesterday, and no to-morrow. To forget time, to forgive life, to be at peace.”
'Earth' is like a dream came true not only for me and Gallery Open Eyed dream but for many others also. The story of Earth has started with a work called 'Map is not a Territory' by a young artist friend Sujith, which has taken the shape of a show at the very moment on the issues based on The Earth.

Later another friend Kavitha and I went for an interview in Mumbai with artist Sudhir Patwardhan. His conversation was surrounded by a number of issues about earth and the civilization. Instantly, I have started the process of comparing their works. I found a huge gap between these two artists, actually the gap of two generations. Then the idea of filling the gap with two other artists representing the two generations in between had occurred. Looking for a representative of the generation immediate senior to sujith was ended with Rajan’s intervention. Rajan’s work and practice always address the issues of the Earth. Gradually I have realised Rimzon as the best in his generation to address 'Earth'. The small dream started with Sujith has grown bigger and bigger in scale and shape with the ‘Earthscapes of Sudhir to scuptures and the most appealing drawings of Rimzon; and from the huge, massive works of Rajan to the responses from Sujith.

Long discussions and series of sessions with Rajan about the concept and the show has resulted Rajan to get agree to curate the show. With the entire concept and idea, we have approached Ghulam Sheikh to participate to which he had positively responded.
Sudhir belongs the free generation of artists born in the 40's whose socio-political pledge seem to have been best realized in their work through figuration. Rimzon skillfully uses the power of the metaphor to comment on important social issues, where the earth plays an important role as changing contexts in his various work. He always addresses earth with rocks, temples, ponds, stars with kind of a spiritual approach.  For Rajan, the decay of earth as environmental issues becomes important in his practice. Rajan has made series of paintings paying attention to the changing landscape, as man-made structures are occupied and then deserted in the quest of something better. 
Sujith experiences an ancient clash between history and the idea of Urbanization and the future. Sujith has reservations with the entire issue. It is almost with a sense of dejection which Sujith witnesses the unplanned and rather abrupt "planning" or "growth" of Indian Cities. He is rather un-nerved by the aspirations of millions of Indians who live in rural areas and hold a desire to migrate to the "cities". Gulam Sheikh being the flag bearer of the narrative generation, has his own way of addressing the issues related to the earth and the very earthy things in life with a simplicity yet the complexity of a story teller.

Such these five artists practicing in different parts of the country, with very individualistic concerns and approaches towards the same idea has been brought together through this show Earth. The result is ready for all of us to see.

May the earth lives long!!

- Dilip Narayanan

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