I belong to that generation of artists who approach art religiously. There are self imposed laksmana-rekhas beyond which one may not tread— not for me that half baked truth, not for me that incomplete form—what I thirsted for was a completeness of being, transcendental and a holistic oneness with all being—like the river that overflows its third bank-- Experiment is fine, but the naïve art of another time, another place, often signaled the immaturity of perception and sensibility. Hence I chose my time, my place, the space that I feel and sense…

I cannot pretend, neither can I foretell what I would have forfeited.  Art demanded absolute dedication and surrender— then as of now. A feeling for form and a sense of rhythm evolved naturally from the two dimensional space—and the space within spilt on to the earth, the sky, the unlimited space, the satyam—rtam—brhat.  I feel and sense my space.

Abstraction, realism, recognizable form, sensible space – nothing could adequately describe that transition from inner vision into visible form.  Lines and forms, masses and shapes, colours and vacant spaces, textures and structures—these constitute the warp and the woof of created figures and forms—these are the fault lines. For there is no perfect creation, everything shares the emptiness of all being. My being.

For all space has its faults, even the earth bears fault lines—rocks are split, plates shredded, sand and soil spill in to the heart of the earth—the grass is singing, endlessly… My song. My lines.

Hence… FAULT LINES

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S.Murali has held solo exhibitions of his work in many parts of India and abroad. Although he is a noted academic specialized in theory and aesthetics, Murali has continued to be equally committed to and involved in his pursuit of art.  His work is non-traditional and experimental.  And because he is a self-taught artist he remains free from any school or region.  His work is characterized by ceaseless experiment in the choice of medium as well as in the creation of texture and structure. Murali apparently does not believe in depicting recognizable reality and resorting to conventional methods—yet there is a certain method in his experiment and a certain meaning that surfaces through his exploration of lines and forms. These are conveyed through his specific idiom and style. Abstract, no doubt, but at every point invoking nature and the natural.

Fault Lines is Murali’s invitation to see and connect-- nature and inner vision.…2005