CONTEMPORARY ART AWARDS 

Anitha Menon's paintings reinvent her travel memories in an imaginative way. She creates a fresh narrative by yoking together images to invoke new meaning. 

 

- Contemporary Art Awards

 

The works in this series are a poetic blend of travel memories in the shape of imaginary still life souvenirs - a tribute or an ode to the places visited, experiences gained and memories made in the arty mind of the traveller. By incorporating still-life objects, the works attempt to portray the feelings of travel through the colours and background with hopes of conveying the ecstatic, nostalgic and spiritual fantasies of the traveller's soul. 
 

• The Music of Praia (2017) - The rocks and sea give away a compelling mystery to be explored. The flute suggests the music being played keeps the sands of Praia da Rocha, Algarve safe. Inspired by the pebble beach of Brighton in England, the shells of Kanyakumari in India, the rocks and see of Algarve in Portugal and the Indian mythological character of Krishna and his music.

• Mount Hay (2017) - The colours and concept are entirely inspired by the alluring thunder eggs after a visit to Mount Hay fossicking site in Rockhampton.

• Of cold and dark collectibles (2017) - Contrasting imagery of life and death are used together in still-life. The colours and images used are to convey the grim reality of death experienced in the catacombs. The 'seed' imagery brings a ray of light to the gloomy underground scene, as a symbol of 'life' replacing death.

• The lady of biomic skirt (2017) - This lady with driftwood hair and body, and her skirt made from greenhouse biomes stands in a field in Cornwall's Eden Project. Various memories—mostly subjective—are associated with this trip. Hence, the ambiguous colours and treatments of the figure.

• Fraser dreams (2017) - Here is an attempt to capture the freshness of clear water creeks, the breezy seaside island tour and an aerial view of the thick, dark greenery of the beautiful Fraser Island.

• Spanish cocktail (2017) - This painting wishes to capture the simple beauty of Spanish coastal life. It can be perceived as a magnet or a child-like interpretation on canvas.

• Of trumpets and drums (2017) - The different elephants aim to portray the many connotations used for the animal while the attractiveness of stony European pavements never misses the eye. The inspiration for this piece was developed from an elephant structure in Portugal.

• Impressions (2017) - Like a house made of sand, memories of land and life leave everlasting impressions in the mind. Inspired by the different types of British homes.

• Twilight dreams (2017) - this painting has a cow structure made of the trellis as a centrepiece while the features of a Queenslander house are placed as a backdrop. Inspired by my stay in the lovely Rockhampton area.

• Stealthy slumber (2017) - it's a very subtle presentation of the mighty Crocs I visited in Koorana Crocodile farm. 

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- Anitha Menon