London, July 24 (IANS) Indian-born Anish Kapoor, who created Britain’s tallest sculpture ‘The ArcelorMittal Orbit’ overlooking the sprawling Olympic Stadium, has inspired many Indian families in Britain to guide their children to art.
Kapoor, a familiar name in Britain known for his early creations such as Turning the World Upside Down (Israel Museum, Jerusalem), Cloud Gate (Chicago), Sky Mirror (London’s Kensington Gardens) and Leviathan (Grand Palais), now has achieved the status of a demi-god.
Supported by Sri Lankan-born British architect Cecil Balmond, Kapoor effortlessly put 1,400 tonnes of molten metal for the tower like kneaded dough. ArcelorMittal Orbit is Balmond’s complex algorithm of a cellular structure combined with Kapoor’s ability to create a spectacle in the Olympic Park in Stratford.
Both artists intended to create the largest piece of public art as an enduring legacy of London’s 2012 Summer Olympics.
“If you take your child to visit the 374-foot sculpture at the Olympic venue, he or she would be transformed into either a sculptor or an artist,” said Indian-born Harmi Hanspal, director of Severn Business College.
Hanspal’s seven-year-old Jasbir, who studies at Downsell Primary School, created a series of art work under supervised session in his school during the visit of the Olympic Legacy Team.
“These are now displayed at the Olympic Village,” the Legacy Team confirmed to Jasbir.
“I plan to go to the venue and spot them with my parents,” said a delirious Jasbir.
Rajit and Rajni, a Sri Lankan Tamil couple from Jaffna, who raised their children in South Harrow, London considered ArcelorMittal Orbit was an awesome inspiration.
“Our two daughters – Namitha (8) and Sahana (3) who study at the Welldon Park School – are now deeply immersed in art and craft,” said Rajni.
“You could never imagine what the children could make out of discarded materials,” said Ranjit while fondly looking at Namitha and Sahana creating a shape out of coke cans.
Little Sahana, with her face daubed in chocolate, was neatly arranging discarded cans next to her elder sister.
As the six-week school summer holiday has begun, the parents from the thickly populated Asian pockets – South Hall to East Ham – are discovering art as a full time indulgence for their children.
Reema Nayak, a mother from Goodmayes, found her daughter six-year old Disha has swapped art for television.
“She is now either on some craft exercise or with her crayons,” said Nayak.
Raising her head from her drawing board, Disha revealed: “My school mate Sarah, who lives down the lane, draws the fine print on a sheet and I fill the colour.”
Both Disha and Sarah go to Barley Lane Public School which has a dedicated painting and drawing studio.
Indian parents in Britain, who largely believed in science-based workshops and related activities to build scientific temperament in their children, have now begun to repose their faith in art for creative growth.
“We need both skills in our children — and Anish Kapoor has showed us the way combining art and science with ease in his creation of Orbit,” said Smita Singh, a mother and chairperson of Vaani, a UK-based association of Asian women writers and artists.
It would be a mere truism to say that ArcelorMittal Orbit is expected to inspire more.
(Sarat C. Das can be contacted at sarast.das@gmail.com)
