RADFORD – “ARTGAWK: Selections from the Radford University Permanent Collection,” an exhibition that runs through Thursday, April 15, now includes a new, must-see piece.
The exhibition is a selection of 111 works that range widely in media, artistic styles, and historical periods, including world-renowned artists and a piece donated to the university after the exhibition began.
“The exhibition now includes a large new work, measuring about 9 feet wide, that was recently donated by Dr. and Mrs. Carl Pechman of Washington, D.C.,” said Dr. Steve Arbury, Director of the R University Art Museum. “Dr. Pechman came to see the show soon after it opened in January and was so impressed that he donated a major painting by one of India’s leading tribal artists.”
The story behind “Narayan Dev and Adi Shakti” by Ram Singh Urveti (Acrylic on canvas, 49¼” x 102”), 1999, runs like this:
“Long ago seven buffalo sisters lived in the forest; among whom Burri buffalo was the eldest. By the grace of god, all seven buffalo had minds and thoughts like human beings. Burri was very strict in nature and brutal in behavior. She would kill all the animals in the forest and even the humans.
“One day Burri rampaged a nearby village and killed several children playing there. This caused panic among all the villagers, who the next day gathered and prayed to the Goddess Adi Shakti (the Earth Goddess). Adi Shakti erupted from the earth and fought Burri buffalo. The fight lasted several days, but at last the goddess tore the evil buffalo’s stomach and killed her.
“But from out of her stomach emerged two strong demons: Dooda Rakas and his wife, Dooda Rakshin. Dooda Rakas has only one powerful eye, which can see several miles into the distance.
The two demons ran away to another village and demolished everyone and everything they encountered on the way. They killed hundreds and thousands of humans, and also tortured any animal and human they saw.
“Once again the people prayed to Goddess Adi Shakti for help. She appeared before them and advised that they pray to Narayan Dev (the Lord Vishnu) for his help. As instructed by Adi Shakti, the village elders gathered at Teen Dhar (the confluence of three rivers), and there the gunia (tribal priest) prayed to Narayan Dev. They pledged to offer a boar, a hen and liquor to the God Narayan Dev if he would kill the demons Dooda Rakas and Raksin.
“Narayan appeared and fought with the demons, changing his forms to do so: from human to bull, and then as a horse, and then at last—in the form of a boar—he killed the two demons. The villagers were happy and celebrated the end of the suffering by offering to Narayan Dev a boar, chickens and whatever they had. They lived happily together, and every three years thereafter they celebrated and worshipped the Goddess Adi Shakthi and the God Narayan Dev, who is a god of Gond tribals of Madhya Pradesh in present times as well.”
In addition to Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol, ARTGAWK includes works from renowned art-
ists such as Honoré Daumier, Adolf Dehn, Urmila Devi, Jim Dine, Gustave Doré, Audrey Flack, Dorothy Gillespie, Guadalupe González Ríos, Francisco Goya, Jasper Johns, Käthe Kollwitz, Elaine de Kooning, Harold Little, Dinh Luc, Aristide Maillol, Joan Miró, Robert Motherwell, Robert Rauschenberg, Georges Rouault, Frank Stella, Alison Weld and James Abbott McNeil Whistler.
Museum hours for the exhibition are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. through April 17.
