Arts

The best of art...

Van Gogh's Starry Nights                                       Gauguin's Riders On The Beach

Excerpted from Theories Of Modern Art by Herschel B. Chipp Painting is the most beautiful of all arts. In it, all sensations are condensed; contemplating it, everyone can create a story at the will of his imagination and-with a single glance - have his soul invaded by the most profound recollections; no effort of memory, everything is summed up in one instant. A complete art which sums up all the others and completes them. Like music, it acts on the soul through the intermediary of the senses: harmonious colours correspond to the harmonies of sounds.

But in painting a unity is obtained which is not possible in music, where the accords follow one another, so that the judgment experiences a continuous fatigue if it wants to reunite the end with the beginning. The ear is actually a sense inferior to the eye. The hearing can only grasp a single sound at a time, whereas the sight takes in everything and simultaneously simplifies it at will.

Like literature, the art of painting tells whatever it wishes, with the advantage that the reader immediately knows the prelude, the setting and the ending. Literature and music require an effort of memory for the appreciation of the whole; the last named is the most incomplete and the least powerful of arts.

You can dream freely when you listen to music as well as when looking at a painting. When you read a book, you are a slave of the author's thought. The author is obliged to address himself to the mind before he can impress the heart and God knows how little power a reasoned sensation has.

Sight alone produced an instantaneous impulse. But then, the men of letters alone are art-critics; they alone defend themselves before the public. Their introductions are always a justification of their work, as if really good work does not defend itself on its own.

These gentlemen flutter about the world like bats which flap their wings in the twilight and whose dark mass appears to you in every direction; animals disquieted by their fate, their too heavy bodies preventing them from rising. Throw them a handkerchief full of sand and they will stupidly make a rush at it.

One must listen to them judging all human works. God has created man after his own image which, obviously, is flattering for man. This work pleases me and is done exactly the way I should have conceived it.

All art criticism is like that: to agree with the public, to seek a work after one's own image. Yes, gentlemen of letters, you are incapable of criticising a work of art, be it even a book. Because you are already corrupt judges; you have beforehand a ready-made idea - that of the man of letters - and have too high an opinion of your own thoughts to examine those of others.

You do not like blue, therefore you condemn all blue paintings. If you are a sensitive and melancholy poet, you want all compositions to be in a minor key. Such a one likes graciousness and must have everything that way. Another one likes gaiety and does not understand a sonata.

It takes intelligence and knowledge in order to judge a book. To judge painting and music requires special sensations of nature besides intelligence and artistic science; in a word, one has to be a born artist, and few are chosen among all those who are called. Any idea can be formulated, but not so the sensation of the heart. What efforts are not needed to master fear or a moment of enthusiasm! Is not love often instantaneous and nearly always blind? And to say that thought is called spirit, whereas the instincts, the nerves, and the heart are part of matter. What irony!

The vaguest, the most undefinable, the most varied is precisely matter. Thought is a slave of sensations. I have always wondered why one speaks of 'noble instincts.'

Above man is nature

Literature is human thought described by words.

Whatever talent you may have in telling me how Othello appears, his heart devoured by jealousy, to kill Desdemona, my soul will never be as much impressed as when I have seen Othello with my own eyes entering the room, his forehead presaging the storm. That is why you need the stage to complement your work.

You may describe  Tempest with talent - you will never succeed in conveying to me the sensation of it.

Instrumental music as well as numbers are based on a unit. The entire musical system derives from this principle, and the ear has become used to all these divisions. The unit is established through the means of an instrument, yet you may choose some other basis and the tones, half-tones and quarter-tones will follow each other. Outside of these you will have dissonance. The eye is used less than the ear to perceive these dissonances, but then divisions (of colour) are more numerous, and for further complication there are several units.

Best understood

On an instrument, you start from one tone. In painting you start from several. Thus, you begin with black and divide up to white - the first unit, the easiest and the most frequently used one, hence the best understood.

But take as many units as there are colours in the rainbow, add those made up by composite colours, and you will reach a rather respectable number of units. What an accumulation of numbers, truly a Chinese puzzle! No wonder then that the colourist's science has been so little investigated by the painters and is so little understood by the public. Yet what richness of means to attain an intimate relationship with nature!

They reprove our colours which we put (unmixed) side by side. In this domain we are perforce victorious, since we are powerfully helped by nature which does not proceed otherwise. A green next to a red does not produce a reddish brown, like the mixture (of pigments), but two vibrating tones.

If you put chrome yellow next to this red, you have three tones complementing each other and augmenting the intensity of the first tone: the green. Replace the yellow by a blue, you will find three different tones, though still vibrating through one another. If instead of the blue you apply a violet, the result will be a single tone, but a composite one, belonging to the reds.

Unlimited combinations

The combinations are unlimited. The mixture of colours produces a dirty tone. Any colour alone is a crudity and does not exist in nature. Colours exist only in an apparent rainbow, but how well rich nature took care to show them to you side by side in an established and unalterable order, as if each colour was born out of another!

Yet you have fewer means than nature, and you condemn yourself to renounce all those which it puts at your disposal. Will you ever have as much light as nature, as much heat as the sun? And you speak of exaggeration - but how can you exaggerate since you remain below nature?

Science of harmony

Ah! If you mean by exaggerated any badly balanced work, then you are right in that respect. But I must draw your attention to the fact that, although your work may be timid and pale, it will be considered exaggerated if there is a mistake of harmony in it. Is there then a science of harmony ? Yes.

In that respect the feeling of the colourist is exactly the natural harmony. Like singers, painters sometimes are out of tune, their eye has no harmony. Later there will be, through study, an entire method of harmony, unless people neglect it, as is done in the academies and most of the time also in studios.

Indeed, the study of painting has been divided into two categories. One learns to draw first and then to paint, which means that one applies colour within a pre-established contour, not unlike a statue that is painted after it is finished. I must admit that until now I have understood only one thing about this practice, namely that colour is nothing but an accessory. 'Sir, you must draw properly before painting' - this is said in a pedantic manner; but then, all great stupidities are said that way.

Does one wear shoes instead of gloves? Can you really make me believe that drawing does not derive from colour and vice-versa? To prove this, I commit myself to reduce or enlarge one and the same drawing, according to the colour with which I fill it up. Try to draw a head by Rembrandt in his exact proportions and then put on the colours of Rubens - you will see what misshapen product you derive, while at the same time the colours will have become unharmonious.

During the last hundred years large amounts have been spent for the propagation of drawing and the number of painters are increasing, yet no real progress has been made. Who are the painters we admire at the present? All those who reproved the schools, all those who drew their science from the personal observation of nature. Not one...

Regi - a true intellectual

Continued from last week

I remember the sense of betrayal he felt when the LSSP quit the United Leftist Front and joined the SLFP government in 1964. He drifted away and later on in Kurunegala became a "green elephant"due to the personal friendships he had with some of the UNP's leading lights.

Thus the decline and fall of the LSSP has always been a fascinating topic for me. I have been fortunate indeed to talk about this subject with left leaders like N.M. Perera, Bernard Soysa, Jack Kotelawela, Edmund Samarakkody, Hector Abeywardene, Vasudeva Nanayakkara etc. in later times. But the most enlightening and candid explanation for the LSSP's failure in achieving that anthima satana came from Regi himself. Perhaps it was my imagination but I then seemed to detect an aura of wistful nostalgia in him.

Regi in his time played many different parts in the drama of life. His role as a mainstream journalist at Lake House had ended by the time I grew up. His journalistic career began as a feature writer on the Ceylon Daily News. Jayantha Padmanabha was the editor then. He later wrote a regular arts column. Regi was leader writer, political affairs columnist and also wrote an avidly read lobby column. He left Lake House on a matter of principle and turned to academia.

Regi's fans among ICES colleagues would ask me whether the journalist fraternity remembered his writings? "Of course" I would answer. But the truth is that few of my generation had read let alone remembered those. The old timers however recollect Regi with unconcealed admiration.

Once I came across a bunch of old lake house editorial cuttings in an album. I took them to Regi who with his customary modesty identified those written by him. The depth and language of those leaders could certainly find a place among the finest specimens of English prose. I do not think anyone has done so but an anthology of Regi's.

Warranted publication

"Best" in mainstream journalism certainly warrants publication.

His other writings in various journals including those of the ICES as well as the Lanka Guardian are worthy of being published as volumes of his collected works too. I recall A. J. Canagaretna having translated some of Regi's writings into Tamil. There are also several books by Regi too. Lost Lenore, Among My Souvenirs, Pure Water Of Poetry and some collected plays etc. are a few that come to mind.

Regi was a rare human being who wanted to read some of the world's best classical writings in their original form. So he learnt French, Russian Spanish and Italian. He has translated into English some poetry directly from these languages. I believe he won several awards including the Graetian Prize.

He has taught English and literature at Pembroke and Vidyalankara campus which went on to become Kelaniya University. He also set up instruction courses in English curriculum at both secondary and tertiary levels of education. He succeeded to some extent in taking English literature teaching out of its archaic, stale state and introduced a liberating whiff of contemporary fresh air.Regi has also given lectures in several institutions of higher learning and the British Council. His diction and fluency while speaking was captivating.

One thing that comes through in reading or listening to Regi is his impressive mastery of the subject and command of the language. Clarity of thought, lucidity of ideas, felicity of phrase within pronounced economy of words was his hallmark. His erudite comments were expressed in elegant yet simple language. I have often envied that ability and skill. If communication was the name of the game then Regi certainly was a champion.

Maestro

Regi was a maestro of the English language in both prose and verse. His poetry was often written in conventional mode according to rhyme and meter. The language was simple. Yet they were repositories of meaningful depth. One of Regi's hobbies at the ICES was to play solitary chess on the computer in a man versus machine mode. Hearing of this Nirmala (Salgado) wrote to him from the states urging him not to turn away from humanity. Regi wrote a reply in verse. In that he wrote about waiting for the "unknown soldier."

This was in the mid-80s but I think Regi had understood then that the barbarians were at the gates. Regi along with Radhika wrote a polemic then in which they described the LTTE and JVP as "ethno-populists." I think Regi recognised the inherent "Pol Potist" tendencies then. But many of us including myself had not done so then. I had many passionate discussions with him on this. Now after the flowing of much blood on either side of the ethnic divide I appreciate Regi's prophetic wisdom. The barbarians are now within the gates. Though at loggerheads with each other both forces are in many ways mirror images of each other. Cry the beloved country!

Regi startled me one day while discussing an issue by saying that a cause need not be justified or just simply because some people were willing to die and kill for it. Likewise even a just cause could not justify the adoption of unjust methods in pursuance. I suppose what Regi said then was a simple version of the "ends and means" debate. It was a shock to me then as I was one of the many Tamils who romanticised the "sacrificial" nature of the Tamil armed struggle. Belatedly what Regi said then sunk in.

This does not mean that Regi was indifferent to the loss of life albeit for a cause he did not believe in. When thousands of youth were massacred during the 1971 JVP revolt Regi along with people like Bishop Lakshman, Nadesan, Suriya Wickremasinghe etc. were responsible in forming the civil rights movement. Among the many achievements of the CRM was bringing into contemporary political discourse the sanctity of human rights.

Recommendations

One of the many constructive contributions of the CRM was the recommendations made by it to the parliamentary select committee drafting the 1978 constitution. I believe Regi himself made the presentation on behalf of the CRM while Junius Richard Jayewardene chaired the session. The CRM made many useful suggestions almost all of which - except justiciability of fundamental rights - were discarded.

What strikes one most when reading the select committee report is the unconcealed hostility and disdain evinced by JR & Co for the CRM. No attempt was made to discuss the proposals and the attitude seemed to be say your piece and get out. JR was politely rude and tried to snub the CRM. What a pity that constitution making was on those lines. No wonder we are all constrained by this constitutional albatross to this day!

Despite his quiet demeanour Regi was no coward. He did not filch from articulating his thoughts boldly against the powers that be whenever necessary. He had a deep understanding andvery progressive outlook about the national question. He never hesitated to express them. I remember being seated next to Regi while he was explaining the ethnic problem to a visiting delegation of the UNHCR. Regi argued brilliantly for the need to grant asylum abroad for Tamil refugees. The UNHCR fact-finders were doubly impressed upon learning that Regi was "Sinhala."

The truth however is that Regi was a universal soul with a cosmopolitan outlook. Rooted though he was in Sri Lanka Regi was in actuality a world citizen. In this cruel world of increasing ethnic polarisation there are very few people like Regi left. Regi was also willing to sign any public memorandum in support of a worthy cause notwithstanding adverse repercussions. All humanity was his fraternity.

He was also involved for a while with an organisation monitoring the Sri Lankan media with particular emphasis on the ethnic problem. The reports released spotlighted very clearly the different ways in which politically sensitive issues were depicted in the English, Tamil and Sinhala print media. These distorted versions were contributing to rising ethnic tensions it was pointed out. These were cries in the wilderness. Soon came 1983. Nowadays the ethnic polarisation and gross distortions in the respective languages have reached gigantic proportions.

Regi was also appreciative of good cinema. He was one of the pioneers in getting a state film corporation established. All the good work that was done in the pre-1977 period was undone in the commercial avalanche unleashed after liberalisation. Regi has been involved in script writing too with Lester James Peiris. The last time I spoke to Regi was when writing an article on Lester. He gave me an excellent summary of Lester's attributes and compared him with Satyajit Ray. All this was on the telephone.

A connoisseur

Regi had excellent appreciation of the finer things in art, music, literature and cinema. He would recommend the best of books, films and music. Sometimes he would lend friends some recorded classical music. This did not mean that he was a snob. He retained an interest in common things too and kept himself abreast of current events. He was a connoisseur in every sense of the word. This included a fondness for particular biscuits from a certain bakery.

One of the greatest documents that I treasure is a testimonial given by Regi when I was applying for a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University. He succinctly summed up my English journalism in that recommendatory letter and made several positive references. I told him then that he was being too kind to me. Regi answered in a matter of fact tone "I have not exaggerated. I mean every word of it." This to me was the greatest praise then . It is so now and will be so for ever!

The mortal remains of Regi were cremated I think at Kanatte on Thursday, December 16. His memory will linger on in the hearts and minds of those fortunate to interact with Regi. His writings will ensure Regi of a permanent place in the world of letters.