L.Ramachandran’s versatility is manifested in the Medley Of Art; weaving together accessories, backdrops, sartorial attire and powerful colours of light with concepts and the visual delight of the aesthetics of the female body. These works are not just aesthetically beautiful but are emotionally moving, dramatic, romantic, sensuous, metaphorical and laced with subtle wit.
Medley Of Art is a collection of artistic photographs that is a testimony of the immensity and intensity of art. It showcases the work of a visual artist who takes on multiple roles of a designer, art director, photographer and many more. These constructed photographs are works of art that have been conceptualised and put together by L.Ramachandran and his team with great planning and thought, each conveying a different story using elaborate props, expressive make- up, styling, light plays etc., The exhibit hopes to journey through these various concepts that the artist holds close to his heart. Some of his series include ‘Melodrama Of Melting Mesmerism’ which uses candles and flowers as props for the model, evoking a sense of intrigue to all those who view it; ‘Alive Art’, a suite of works that have a tactile quality, to it breaking the two dimensionality of a photograph, that is enhanced by the extensive set design; ‘Choreographing The Chiaroscuro’, a series of black and white photographs that exudes an aura of enigma using the female form. Nude art has been celebrated in ancient India and unfortunately in present days has been looked upon as taboo. Ramachandran tries to break this stigma around nude art by subtly featuring his nude and semi-nude photographs using different mediums of expression such as clay, body paints, flowers, etc., His works showcase the female form in the purest sense. Nudity and nakedness is a part of visual art, bringing out humanity with clarity, simplicity, strength and beauty. The exhibition will also be displaying his recent series featuring transgender models, bringing in a sensitive awareness of the social reality of the community. Through this series the artist states that art isn’t reserved for the elite alone but rather should be inclusive of everyone, spreading messages of love and harmony.
L.Ramachandran has displayed many of his photographic series in galleries in U.S.A, Europe and Asia, but this will be the first time that he will be displaying these various series in Chennai, India collectively in one space thereby giving an exclusivity to this exhibition. Most of these images have won prestigious awards and have gotten International recognition, a recent one being ’ATIM’S Top 60 Masters Of Contemporary Art’. Another recent achievement that is valued a lot by the artist is receiving a doctorate for his contribution in photography from the International Tamil University. Through this exhibition these images of such high value is made accessible to students, art enthusiasts, art collectors, artists, photographers, and anyone looking to be inspired. The show is to be designed in such a way where the viewer can connect emotionally with the subject of L Ramachandran’s photography, making it a visually intense experience.
On 6th september 2018 a fashion/glamour seminar and workshop will be conducted by jarmo pohjaniemi from shoot the centerfold [stc] and l ramachandran with models noemi kappel and ena friedrich at the park hotel
“Medley of Art’ a three day gallery exhibition will be happening on the 7th, 8th and 9th of september 2018.
On the 7th the inauguration and book launch of ‘ ‘medley of art’ will be carried out by cinematographer ravi varman, actor, producer vijay sethupathi, actor suri , director linguswamy, director of shoot the centerfold jarmo pohjaniemi, models mary alejo , noemi kappel, ena friedrich , the transgender models from the shoots and many other celebrities and socialites will be joining this event.
Medley Of Art – Book Launch
The book titled ‘Medley Of Art’ is the first book that L.Ramachandran will be publishing despite having created close to six books of photography earlier, the reason being that the ‘Medley Of Art’ is a culmination of various textures, techniques and concepts; something that the artist believes that the world must see. This edition is notable as it is not only the first to be published but it also contains not one but over fifteen series of constructed photographs. The theme and concept of each series has been developed from scratch; from gathering references to generating ideas under moments of immense pressure. These photo shoots don’t just include focus on photography but also includes set design, where the props are made specifically for the particular shoot, the model’s make-up and styling, the coloured lights and light effects, the series specific material used and various other elements thereby earning the term ‘constructed photographs’.
The ‘Medley Of Art’ features his suite of works titled “The World of Glow” that has fluorescent glowing colours as the main protagonist, designed as psychedelic and kaleidoscopic geometric and organic patterns on the human skin as an expressive but vitally an emotional medium, which conjures an abstract visual language. ‘Choreographing The Chiaroscuro’, a series also a part of this book, is a series that plays heavily with lights and shadows. An enigmatic aura is created by the female bodies with dark heavy light serving as the main facilitator, this mysterious light captures the tones and textures of the skin creating a surreal dialogue by offering an individual narrative.
Another unique feature in the ‘Medley Of Art’ are the works from his recent series featuring transgender models with the aim of wanting to bring societal awareness to their social reality. Their marginalised presence in the society had preoccupied him for a long time, consequent to his study on gender and marginalisation as a concern. These images have been showcased in galleries in U.S.A, Europe and Asia. Most of these constructed photographs have been shot with International models, who have exclusively traveled overseas for this purpose, and have won several awards for its artistry. The award winning series include ‘‘Choreographing The Chiaroscuro’, ‘Celestial Universe’,’ Ethereal Light’, etc.
At the end of the book one can read an exclusive ‘behind-the-scene’ content. This content is not only an enjoyable read but also knowledgeable containing episodes from the photo-shoots; stories of how the artist arrived with certain concepts, the different models and the effort put in from their side and just the sheer amount of work that goes into each and every one of these constructed photographs. The behind-the-scenes also reveals the materials used and certain photography techniques and light plays employed by the photographer L.Ramachandran.
The Exhibition displays only selected works from the ‘Medley of Art’, but the book has the exclusive collection of all the photographs. The book is to be launched on the same day as the exhibition.
The artist is releasing a collectors edition which will have the images printed on special metallic sheets that is silver
coated and presented in a 3mm hard case, as envisioned by L.Ramachandran as the final product. A normal edition printed on matte paper will also be on sale.
Apart from its visual and aesthetic appeal the book also contains a high technical value in the fields of art and photography. ‘Medley Of Art’s versatile content containing various light techniques, colour combinations, concepts, designs, styling that would inspire and educate many in the field of art such as art enthusiasts, fine art students, photographers, art directors. The photographer’s vision is that his book must reach the Indian audience for the sake of the students and amateur photographers so that they could become aware of the various themes and genres of photography that they could dabble in, be able to visit and perhaps even participate in gallery shows and thereafter be able to sustain themselves financially. From a corporate coffee table book to an educational book, L.Ramachandran strongly believes that anyone who views Medley Of Art will fall in love with it, provided they allow it.
