Swinging it right

Passion Play
Junoon mein jitni bhi guzri bakaar guzri hai Agarche dil pe kharabi hazaar guzri hai
(Every moment spent in passion was rewarding/ Although the heart had to endure much pain) — Faiz Ahmad Faiz
Coming face-to-face with the paintings of Satwant Singh is an intense experience. For his work is the purest play of passion, worked with intensity found only in masterstrokes. Having shared a long and close association with the artist and his work, what one feels seeing a fresh work by this artist is that each work is painted with energy that ordinary souls would find hard to muster.                                                                                 STANDING TALL: Satwant Singh amidst his paintings

Sacred to Secular
Parbina Rashid
The curiosity to know more about miniature paintings, which was aroused by Mandi-based artist Naresh Pandit with his paintings during an exhibition at the Punjab Kala Bhavan, got a further boost when the First Friday Forum organising an audio-visual presentation on Indian miniatures called A Passage from the Sacred to the Secular by Jagtej Kaur Grewal. Together, both sessions proved to be a complete package, for Pandit’s paintings gave an insight to what is about to come in Indian miniatures while Jagtej’s presentation took us back to its origin.
MINIATURE MAGIC: Jagtej Kaur Grewal holding forth on the journey of miniature painting. — Photo by Manoj Mahajan

HOPSCOTCH
Tribal Art
We have a very rich tradition not just of tribal craft but tribal art too. In recent times the government and NGOs have been making an effort to bring forth spontaneous, simple and yet elegant tribal art into the market with the aim of getting the tribals to support them economically. Maneka Gandhi in her group called Tribes is show casing tribal arts and crafts in a big way. Dilli Haat and Folk Craft Museum, New Delhi, too have brought forth the tribal artists from their villages to the urban buyer in the metropolis. The dedication of the artists and the beauty of their works show that much of the contemporary art with all its snobbery falls short of the abstraction and composition of the tribal frames.

                                                                  FIGURATIVE: Rathwa Najroo at work

Preeti 007
Parbina Rashid
She ravels in criminal psychology and unearthing ‘what lies beneath the surface’ is her cup of tea. Little wonder her resume makes her look like someone straight from a James Bond movie. Well, she is our own Zee TV special correspondent Preeti Sompura who has been recently awarded with the ‘Best Electronic Media Journalist’ honour by the Maharashtra Aashirwaad Organisation.
PREETI AS A PICTURE: The best journalist of the electronic media Preeti Sompura is a doting mother too

Colour of the season
Smriti Sharma
What is the first thing you notice when a smartly dressed girl or a boy brushes past you on the street? The chances are that most of us will go in for the clothes or the branded shoes (remember the old saying, you can tell about somebody looking at his/her shoes). But folks, gone are the days when these would be the only definition for an individual’s style statement. If fashion forecasters are to be believed, then well kept tresses and a healthy glowing skin will definitely make you stand out in a crowd.

                                                                        Photo by Vicky Gharu

Film & Fashion
Hilton’s pad a tourist spot
Hotel heiress Paris Hilton's new pad has reportedly become a new hotspot for tourists in Los Angeles, for a herd of fans can often be seen waiting for a sight of the sexy socialite. Hilton's home was recently flocked by many of her fans, who were left enthralled after they saw her emerge from her car.

Crusade is the thing
Karen’s Haydock’s latest exhibition “Women and Imperialism” at the art gallery of the History of Fine Arts Department, Panjab University, is an attempt to understand exploitation of women in relation to the imperialistic framework of social functioning. She has chosen woman form but her medium is dark black ink. The reason? Simple, for the artist does not see her subject with rose- tinted glasses. In her own words: “I do not find anywhere that there is a colourful carnival for women. In this imperialistic era, women are getting pushed deeper and deeper into the dark. For me, colourfulness symbolises happiness and when this happiness comes on the faces of women, it will automatically reflect on my canvas.”
BLACK & WHITE: Karen Haydock (right) captures the anguish of exploited women in her recent paintings.
 — Photo by Pradeep Tewari

Monochromatic Elegance
There’s a zing to a room done in black and white. Architectural details and interesting shapes keep a black-and-white palette from being boring. Black wainscoting adds elegance, black and white tiles lend graphic appeal, and the curvy black claw-foot tub is the jaw-dropper. Do you love the look? Then try these ideas by putting black and white against any color for a look that’s fresh and sophisticated.

Youth Speak
Save the globe
My woolens came out of the closet in the month of December only, hesitating and wondering what happened to winter! However, it will not be very long when the hot October and not-so-cold November will become a way of life. Just as unexpected heavy rains in odd months do not really surprise anymore now!

New Releases
Guru in town
The stage is all set for another surprising entertainer Guru from ace filmmaker Mani Ratnam. The second week of January 2007 brings special bonanza for audience, as the much-awaited film will see a release today at Piccadily, Chandigarh, Fun Republic, Manimajra and K.C. Panchkula.

• Health tip of the day

• TAROT TALK
  What the cards say today...
  P. KHURRANA