Romil Sheth is a young photographer whose show "Explorations of the Familiar - people, places and patterns" is a canvas of visual images that he has been working on since the last three years. A practicing architect, Sheth's visual oeuvre is conditioned to see things at many levels and many places. With people he traverses the category of the photographer as tourist, as reporter, as family and observer and sometimes even borders on that of the voyeur, a term seen in much negativity over the years but that which allows the photographic eye to record images with a paradigm not always safe. He interacts with friends, people on the street, portraits of family and turns rather simplistic events and situations into visuals of layered meaning. Guests at a wedding transform into subjects who are seen by the camera.

As far as his reach into architecturally inspired spaces gets, he is looking at buildings and urban landscapes with a trained eye and yet there is no static flat representations. Landscapes are seen populated by people or nature and are alive and viewed in context. Light, aesthetic proportions and a story are present and imminent. Sheth moves his work into the genre of the abstract with his photographs of patterns. Ethereal wisps, streaked with shapes, light filtering in and a play of mood punctuate this series. Here the immediacy and fluidity of the play of light and designs created allow for surprise, allowing the viewer the mystery of imaging the actual object. What is this? What was this? This mystery allows imagination and excitement to traipse along, a feeling evinced with the viewing of Sheth's work..

Maharashtra Cultural Center's Su-Darshan Art Gallery
Located near Ahilyadevi Prashala, Shanivar Peth, Pune, the Sudarshan Art Gallery was opened in the month of March 2004. The Maharashtra Cultural Centre has been active in the field of performing arts in the City of Pune for the past 35 years. Production of new and experimental ventures in this field has always been its forte. The center has also been instrumental in the organization of workshops, discussions and lecture series in the fields of music and theatre.

As a logical corollary of the progressive development in showcasing myriad art forms, it was time we ventured into the field of plastic arts. And thus came into being, Su-Darshan Art Gallery.

The city of Pune is not very hospitable to the plastic arts, the sale of art objects is difficult, Punekars give step motherly treatment to the plastic arts as compared to the performing ones, these and other such pessimistic statements have been heard for a long time. But how do we create this awareness, this appreciation of the plastic forms of art? Each art and its artists are alone finally responsible for creating their own audience. Just as music and theatre artists and organisations have unceasingly strived to create an intelligent appreciative and awe-inspiring (as it is often called by performing groups from other cities) audience, so also, painters sculptors, ceramists, graphists, and others from the field of plastic art will have to work towards the creation of their own audience.

That a potential audience exists is evident from the number of galleries springing up in the city over the last few years. It is now necessary to educate this audience, create and understanding of the art forms and make available a spectrum of styles and schools so as to create an atmosphere of ease and comprehension in the minds of people who till date have remained apprehensive alienated regarding the plastic art scene. For this, it is imperative that the plastic arts are brought to the people in the guise of a movement. Sporadic exhibitions and lectures will not suffice. Just as theatre and music have become ingrained in the cultural psyche of the common man of Pune, plastic art too will have to be inculcated as part of the socio-cultural conditioning of the people of Pune City.

With this in view we at Sudarshan have come to the decision that though we hope to be conducive in promoting the sale of art objects exhibited with us, that not be the principal aim of the Gallery. To this end, exhibitions and shows shall be accompanied by lecture-demonstrations, Art Awareness slide shows, screening of films on the Plastic Arts, workshops and many such allied activities. Another aspect of this endeavour will be the creation of a reference library for researchers and art lovers. Artists exhibiting with the gallery will also be requested to hold demonstrations and talks on their own or other schools and art movements. This will lead, we hope, to the establishment of a dialogue between the artist and his audience, which in turn will help dissipate misconceptions and "superstitions" about contemporary art. Viewing of art works on display along with the various above-mentioned activities is sure to lead to the creation of a knowledgeable and sensitive audience. This coupled with Sudarshan's activities in the field of the other arts will together add up to render Sudarshan a "Cultural Centre" in the true sense of the word.