Street Artist in Mumbai

Life and Survival in Mumbai 

Street Artist in Mumbai

He is deaf, mute and disabled. He is literate in Marathi, conveys in brief writing and in gestures.

The street is his canvas, a chalk his medium. He paints murals appropriate to scale of street, always in seating posture, obviously.
His street art also falls in the category of ancient ritual as Land Art of Rangoli / Alpana / Kolam practice by Indian women householders.

Life and Survival in Mumbai

 
Ganesha is his Idol and subject, appears in various attires of great people. Here Shivaji personified as Ganesha. This, of course, is in tune with culture in Maharashtra.

He has tremendous ‘sense of scale’ and ‘economy of means’, which even the most learned & the highly placed elite – politicians, experts, professionals etc. – may miss in their work & lifestyle.

I cannot guess his age; it seems he has arrested aging by constructive creativity.

Some benevolent institution may have given him a carriage for conveyance. There his rehabilitation comes to an end.

He shows me his album, many photographs of his paintings, and newspaper cuttings: he is a celebrity in his own right.

Indeed for many well known artists, honorarium amount they receive is never enough; whatever this person receives is never less. Government supports authors and other artists, however, this street artist may not appear in their lists; there many, too many, like him in India.

The Artist, his Land Art and Belongings in Mumbai

 
While parting, I simply salute him.
--
Life is larger than all Arts, Sciences, Religions, Philosophies, trade, techs, States ... through times and places. ― Remigius de Souza

21/02/2013

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
© Remigius de Souza. All rights reserved.

Toy seller of rainbow colours in Mumbai

Home made toys for all

Toy seller in Mumbai- 1

 This toy is most popular. It is universal and timeless. The young man has learnt this craft by .himself; no schools or books referred to. The question of survival is utmost priority for the displaced, in the hostile city to migrants from villages. He found this option in a most creative way.

It is very economical to build, with bamboo stick, paper and bit of a wire. It runs on wind energy. There are several variations available.

The elders may encourage children to make it, and watch how they could use available materials. They may begin to do it first, to set an example!  

The toy seller arranges his stock with imagination. Whenever there is breeze the toys throw rainbows in 180 degrees.

Toy seller in Mumbai- 2

The toy seller was often chased away by the shopkeepers, if he stood in front of their shops. . Hence he was standing almost in the middle of the street. The two photographs were taken within half an hour, as he moved from one place another.

The Agencies are hardly aware of the Dynamic Energy of the People – Ryot.

© Remigius de Souza. All rights reserved.

Water lettuce, an aquatic plant

Water lettuce: Drawing by Remigius de Souza

I was travelling through the jungles of Dangs in Gujarat. From there I went to the project site of Ukai Dam on River Tapi, which was then under construction. On the way I halted at village Songad. There is a temple and water reservoir on the top of the hill near the village. The water was covered with a floating aquatic plant. It is called water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), ‘Prasni’ in Marathi, ‘Jalkumbhi’ in Hindi, ‘Jalshamkhala’ in Gujarati.
  
The plant grows by multiplying in numbers like amoeba, and each grows to full size. The plant has shape and size of rose flower with roots at the base. Its petals are green – a green rosette of outstanding beauty.
  
A tribal just then reached at the pond. He had walked about fifteen ‘kose’ (one kose is about three miles) to take the plant for medicine for his daughter who had just delivered. I too fetched a few plants to Baroda while returning, to leave them in one of the many lakes there. I left them in a bucketful of water on the terrace. They remained there. In the course of time the number did increase, but their size reduced – it was miniaturised – and finally disappeared completely (probably it was not getting direct sunlight).
  
After a few years, I found this plant (very few in numbers) in a large pond in village at Vasai Taluka.

The aquatic weeds were considered nuisance till recently. They help aquatic ecosystems and recycle waste, reduce evaporation of water. Different types contain protein and amino acids as regards lysine and methionine. They also contain various degrees of minerals depending upon location and season. They are often richer in iron, calcium and potassium than land forages. Aquatic plants could be used as soil additives, mulch, fertiliser, green manure, pulp and fibre for papermaking, animal and human feed, and medicines (best known to the tribal for centuries), organic malts for biogas production and for composting.

Image source: Internet

There is lot of information about this plant on the Internet. Some claims are made about the origin of the in some country or other.

Once in geological time, scientists say, there was a super-continent, which is named Gondwanaland. It was fragmented, and five continents floated across oceans.

Obviously along with land, the flora too must have moved; common sense. The scientists found fossilized plants in Antarctica, which proved it was part of Gondwanaland, the super continent. 



Google Map: Songadh, Surat District, Gujarat
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
© Remigius de Souza. All rights reserved.

Tentacles of Remi the Octopus

Self-portrait by Remigius de Souza

 

‘Tentacles’ | Remigius de Souza| 1987 | water colour on paper

'Tentacles', Remigius de Souza's self-portrait, was published on Net but none was moved. Not even his friends!

Sometimes Remi is reminded of ‘Picture of Dorian Gray’ or ‘Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’

Remi generally doesn't look into mirror. Because he notices 'octopus' in the mirror! What then could be his misery while wandering the streets of Mumbai metropolis?

He notices millions of people (his aborigine and peasant kinfolks) in the glass-clad multi-storied buildings mushrooming in the concrete jungle. But that never stops Mumbai! Mumbai – as a symbol of centralized power of Civilized Society – carries its footprint on the regions far and wide.

The very strength of the powerful is their weakest point. There is a mythological Indian story of Bhasmasur that repeats again and again.
 
In this self-portrait, 'Tentacles', Remi notices himself swallowing Natural Environment by his tentacles spreading and reaching across regions far and wide.

Call it his misfortune or his fate of unwanted share, or call it a ruthless criticism on Industrial Civilization. Words, images, movies, myths, scriptures, prophets, avatars... all tools to earn (power and profit) and/or entertainment! Does it make any difference?

Remi, however, laughs at himself at his cost.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
© Remigius de Souza. All rights reserved.

Existence-Survival-Decoration

Existence-Survival-Decoration: Painted Poem 

Reality  - Virtual Realty

A 'word' or a 'picture' for a tree is not a 'tree'. Both are symbols. We assume it by convention or as per our level of perception. Its Reality however is complex.

There exist four economies in the Four Worlds of India besides the Parallel Economy of black money, generated by kick back, scams, extortion, corruption (intellectual or financial) etc.

The present democratic government, ruled by the minority of elite class, may not be even aware of this situation. 

Economy rules the roost

The Economy is the life-blood of Industrial Age, not the Ecology, at any cost, even at the cost of 'Land-Water-Life'.

I have been living / working / moving through the Third World India (of peasants, at my formative age), the First World India, the Fourth World India (of the aborigines) and the Fifth World India (of the displaced and marginalized, where I landed, barefoot, penniless, at the age of six... a personal encounter) in real, REAL WORLD, not in Virtual Reality of fiction, photos, movies, multimedia... or discourses. 

Self-expression

During one of the days of my wanderings, this painted poem materialized in 1985, (I didn't even record the date).

In such a state, the dimensions of time-work-speed-place-space are secondary. I wonder if this "painted poem" fits the aesthetics of arts and letters. I doubt if it could be called art or poetry. I am sure it doesn't fit in any compartments created by civilized society, though the words seem familiar!

I doubt if I am an artist in an accepted sense. But this need not block anyone from self-expression!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
© Remigius de Souza. All rights reserved.