Johny ML
Sculptures in the Open
Open air sculptures are not strictly public sculptures but sculptures need open air to ‘breath’. K.S.Radhakrishnan, even when he conceives gallery based sculptures, thinks of the possible ‘open air’ where they could have a free existence.
Ojas Art Gallery, New Delhi presents the open air sculptures of the artist in a landmark show titled ‘In the Open’. A book
on the artist’s open air sculptures, written by JohnyML will be released on the occasion. Excerpts from the book:
More than paintings, architecture and sculpture define a space/place. While paintings, with the exception of murals and graffiti that turn the possible decorative/decorated interiors inside out for fun and political purposes, define a space which is strictly interior as in the case of home, office, gallery, museum interiors, sculptures define the exteriors of a pace/place. A landscape or city scape changes its look and outlook the very moment a sculpture gets erected in the midst of it. These sculptures could be a part of the architecture which had been the case for the major part of the history of sculpture or votive in a strictly religious sense or free standing ones as we see in the commemorative, modern,
gallery-based, decorative or monumental sculptures. They change the identityof the space/place by a sudden attribution of meaning and a sense of history.

Sculptures re-articulate the narrative of a space/place through associations, nomenclatures and, at times, ommemorations. When a free standing sculpture is installed in the open air it gains a new meaning and purpose. As the name suggests, ‘open air’ sculptures are installed in the open air, but at the same time, it need not necessarily be a ‘public sculpture’. A public sculpture is a sculptural work of art which is erected in public for public aesthetic consumption. While a public sculpture could be in open air (also it could be under a roof as we see today in corporate museums and malls), all the open air sculptures are not ‘public sculptures’ as mentioned here. Interestingly, both the open air and public sculptures anticipate an audience that is not strictly expected to be seen within an aesthetic context. The viewers
for a public sculpture vary in character, perspective, educational qualification, gender, purpose and intention. And in the case of open air sculptures, besides having this abstract body of audience, they could also expect initiated audience
who come to view them with a purpose. However, for the reasons of art Artwork