The world of arts

Birnam Wood: The site for Macabre Ambition

Gwen Herat

Think, of Macbeth when you pass through Birnam Wood on your way to Stratford-upon - Avon and it is an eery feeling to experience. During my many visits to the Bard’s birthplace, I still imagine the Birnam Wood to move.

A dark cave, in the middle, a acouldron boiling:

Apparition - ‘Be lion-mettled, proud and take no care who chafes, who frets, or where conspires are Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinan Hill Shall come, against him.
Macbeth ‘That will be
Who can impress this forest, bid the trees
Unfix his earth-bound roots? sweet bodiments, good
Rebellion’s head rise never till the wood
Of Birnam rise, and on high-plac’d Macbeth
Shall life the lease of nature, pay his breath;
To time and time and mortal custom.
ACT IV. Scene 1

In the play, Macbeth speaks almost one-third of the lines. One of the shortest concentrated plays of Shakespeare, it must be acted without a break or an interval to feel the full impact of the story. From the beginning, the story has a gripping and chilling effect because of the fast movement of the play.

It is essenced with such over-powering ambition and conscience, it need to move inexorably swift from the start of the play.

Lady Macbeth has the pushing power which Macbeth heeds at first but once he ascends the throne, he becomes the stronger of the two. Macbeth is an astonishing tragedy and the portrait of two creatures, one beset by imagination while the other is not but both possessed by the power of evil.

This is a play of darkness and of wanton killing. It is strewed with witches, weird sisters, ghosts, apparitions, etc. When Shakespeare got into tight spots unable to synchronise or co-ordinate scenes characters, he employed these midnight creatures to fill gaps and got out of situation that we find in so many instances in MACBETH. But then it is so very exciting.

Before Birnam Wood ... Enter a messenger -
Messenger ‘Gracious my Lord,
I should report that which I saw
But know not how to do it....
Macbeth ‘Well, say Sir.
Mess. As I did stand my watch upon the hill
I look’d towards Birnam, about me though
The wood began to move.
Macb. Liar and slave.
Mess. Let me endure your wrath. If ‘t be not see...

ACT. V. Scene V.

Still later in the play, Macbeth comforts himself that Birnam Wood will never harm him. But he pondered upon which the witches said;

Macb. ‘That like the truth, ‘Fear not till Birnam Wood

Do come to Dunsinan. Arm, arm and out ...

ACT. V. Scene V.

In the theatre the play has grown to a legend as one of the world’s greatest tragedies. Shakespeare based Macbeth freely on Holinshed’s Chronicles. Undeniably its record is strange.

This is not the first or only play that Shakespeare adopted from others’ plays. He sought to exercise the spirits of evil by getting two of his characters to read together Psalm No.90, ‘Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night’ ..... MACBETH had always been a challenge but seldom taken to the full because the Bard’s highlight of Evil caused by Lady Macbeth, prevailed until her suicide of which Macbeth takes lightly. Infact when he was informed about her death, he replies, ‘She should have died hereafter’.

Where ever theatre prevailed, MACBETH was mounted around the world as the first prefertial tragedy of the Bard.

It has been acted more than Romeo and Juliet or even Hamlet but still remains as the most difficult one for directors which make some producers to opt for excerpts from the play. Enter Macbeth. Another part of field, probably of Birnam Wood.
Macbeth ‘Why should I play the Roam fool, and die
On mine own sword? Whiles I see lives
The gashes,Do better upon them’ ....

- ACT V. Scene VII

‘Global Cultural Horizons’ exhibition displays photographic talent

‘Silverpixels’ a Global Photo Exhibition titled “Global Cultural Horizons,” was opened on Monday and will be on display at the Virtusa office atrium at Trans Asia complex Colombo 2 till today (10).

The photo exhibition is an annual event that provides all Virtusan photographers an opportunity not only to hone their photography skills but also to look at life and the world with fresh eyes, complementing their IT technical skills.

“Our philosophy encourages all employees to harness their creative talents. This is an opportunity for Virtusans to showcase and enhance their creativity,” Head of Marketing - Sri Lanka Farzana Khan said.

Two leading professional photographers, Alefiya Akbarally and Taya Diaz, are entrusted with evaluating the exhibition’s 120 entries. Alefiya has made a mark both in the commercial and social documentary arena. Taya is currently the Head of Creative at Q & E Advertising. Taya has wide experience in wildlife photography documentaries working with BBC.

Silverpixels winners will be selected under three categories: “Many Faces, Many Cultures” for people, portraits and lifestyles; “Artifacts & Cultural Gems” for art, abstract and still life; and “Global Horizons” for landscapes, nature and animals.

Three winners will be selected under each category. This programme is designed to showcase photographic creative talent among all those who make Virtusa the IT hub in Sri Lanka.

Jayantha Silva’s newest collection at Expressions 5

As a child prodigy Jayantha Silva won many awards in art competitions. In one particular competition, he won the First, Second and Fourth Prizes.

He so impressed the judge Mudliyar Amarasekara (one of the most famous Sri Lankan Artists), that he offered Jayantha a one year scholarship to his art school. Unfortunately, as a child, Jayantha felt that one does not need to learn art formally, and did not take the scholarship, a decision he regrets.

Once out of school, Jayantha took to commercial art, and a few years ago, at a time when business was depressed, and he had time on his hands, Jayantha decided to return to his childhood love of painting.

His first work was a mother and child. Looking at his finished work, he realised that his talent had not diminished, but blossomed and matured. Jayantha would paint on weekends and decided to have an exhibition after about the tenth painting.

Jayantha’s style is one of realism as opposed to abstract art. He is a perfectionist who strives for excellence. He attributes his talent to his habit of actively looking at the environment everywhere he goes, and also to his photographic memory which enables him to see something and store it in his mind, for recall many months or years later.

He also has the ability to see a finished work, when we would see only a blank canvas. His forte is painting the human figure. Even as a child he loved to paint figures and nudes, at a time when children did not have the access to see such images.

Jayantha feels that anyone can be a good artist, as everyone has good eyesight, muscle control, and the ability to observe and appreciate a subject. He has done over two hundred paintings, of which over 150 have been sold. He enjoys doing paintings, charcoals, pastels and acrylics.

Now at the helm of a 25 year old agency, Jayantha provides his clients with a professional service, spending every spare moment painting on an easel which he keeps in his office. He says that many are going into art as a profession to cater to the growing demand of the public to purchase original art for their domestic and corporate locations.

The exhibition is open to the public from September 12 to October 5 at La Rambla, Tickle Road, Colombo 8.

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