STREET ART: Never WEATHERBEATEN!

Dulen Dissanayake and Asuka Randeniye

The street is in tatters, as if just after a shipwreck. It is under construction. The artists have retired further into the street as a result. The Street is Nelum Pokuna Mawatha and the artists are its life and blood-like Colombo Street Artists.

Almost scrambling through sparse piles of brick and concrete slabs we find the first artist, young Sandaruwan Perera from Minuwangoda in his improvised haven, who was introduced to the street by his father. "My paintings often are abstract." Sandaruwan says, pointing some of his paintings, drenched in brilliant colour. "I am also inspired by Buddhism so I paint considerably on Buddhism-related themes too. But ever since the Viharamahadevi fence was removed, we are not having as many fans as we used to have." He admits to the fact that the recent removal of Viharamahadevi Park's fence having a clear impact on the sales.

Professional artists

Going far into the street we find Thusitha Godagedera and his sister Nayomi's paintings. Both of them have studied at the Art Academy, Pita Kotte and are now professional artists. Fishermen on fishing poles, scenic beauty and abstract art are their preoccupations. "We could sell around 3, 4 paintings a day."

Thusitha shares. "Because of the removed iron fence, we don't have a place anymore to display our paintings. We currently use easels as a makeshift solution and lean the paintings against the walls. We have to be thankful to the commercial institutes by the street for letting us be here as it is their outer walls that we use." Letting us gather many missing pieces of the artists' stories, next we meet Ananda Rajakaruna, feverish but very energetic.

"I would prefer to call ours an Art Street." He explains. "It is the only such place in Sri Lanka. We have a union. It is called 'The Open Air Arts Society'. Around 60 artists we have here are members of it. And I am its coordinator." He says humbly. Rajakaruna further describes the significance of their Art Street: "We started around 10 years ago. And we wouldn't have been able to continue this long successfully if our paintings were of poor quality." He emphasizes.

"The weather shifts don't affect the quality and condition of our paintings; they are very durable. It truly amazes the foreigners. Some of the paintings we sell here for around 4,000 Rupees can't be even bought for a 50,000 at a gallery.

Our prices are very low because we don't have to spend on maintenance, electricity and the like. Also, unlike in a gallery, here the customers can talk to the artist and know all about what is going to buy. So, sometimes even the owners of the galleries come here to buy our works. But some others call our art kitsch maliciously because we are able to sell more as our prices are very affordable. Our price range is normally between 4,000-10,000 rupees." He enlightens us on the sales.

Beautiful art

"Life is beautiful." He smiles. "That beauty is reflected in my art. As an artist I mainly use acrylic, oil and watercolour. I also love to portray emotions in my paintings. But its mostly genuine aspects of our culture we paint that appeal to our customers. We get almost the equal number of local and foreign buyers daily."

Rajakaruna also speaks a few words on behalf of The Open Air Arts Society. "Thankful to the support we get from the authorities, we are able not only to persist but also live well despite occasional difficulties.

Ours is a major tourist attraction so we clearly contribute to the tourist industry and country's economy." Rajakaruna also answers why he is feverish and some other artists are absent. "It is because of the heavy rains in last few days. Many of us got wet and contracted ailments. But we are tough and the rains can't stop us." He beams.

Coming back because of the reasonable lack of painters, we meet Achinda Siriwardena who was not there when we went in, busily painting. He offers a considerably different perspective. "Painting needs a lot of imaginative thinking, memory and power."

He explains when we ask how he could work on natural beauty in a dusty, noisy and uninspiring street full of crows overhead. "I put a lot into my paintings. What is mainly appealing to my customer is natural beauty so I have to do more on those themes that attract the customer."

He confesses of a limitation he shares with the whole Art Street Community. "I also supply for orders. My art doesn't have a value unless it is marketable." He ponders wistfully on his own understanding.

Vehement feature

Overall, the Art Street looks somewhat dismal this time: paintings on novel themes, revolutionary pieces, thought-provoking, experimental and unsettling art that normally is a vehement feature of street art worldwide.

Maybe it is because of rain, or the removing of the fence has made the artists sell more and experiment less, or maybe because they are a happy and content bunch who enjoy what they are doing, we wouldn't know...