எம்.டி.முத்துக்குமாரசாமி

Final Stroke: Lines of Memory
In Memoriam M. Natesh

(14.01.1960 to 20.09. 2024)

———————

Poems of M.D.Muthukumaraswamy

With Drawings of M. Natesh

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I promised Natesh that his exquisite drawings would accompany my poems in English. It is with profound joy that I see this promise fulfilled with this publication.

This volume, Final Stroke: Lines of Memory, is also an offering, a gesture of remembrance for my friend, M. Natesh, a painter whose artistry and essence linger in every stroke he left behind. These poems were not originally conceived as a collection. They emerged at different moments of my life, written in solitude, observation, and reflection. Yet, as I revisited these verses with Natesh in my thoughts, they coalesced into something greater—an intricate maze of chronicling the arc of an artist's journey: creation, unraveling, transformation, and legacy.

Natesh’s art was both visceral and cerebral. It was rooted in his ability to distort and redefine, to challenge what we thought we understood about the human form, nature, and the boundaries of perception. He had the rare gift of turning the grotesque into grace, of distilling the chaos of life into a form that spoke more truthfully than reality itself. To curate this collection of poems in his memory is to honour not just the man but the creative spirit that refuses to settle, even in death.

The poems in this collection are arranged into five sections, each mirroring a facet of Natesh’s life and works, as well as the broader arc of artistic existence. Through these sections, I invite readers to traverse not only the landscapes of my poetry but also the emotional and creative terrain of an artist who saw beyond the surface.

Lines Begin: Creation and the Artist’s Gaze

The first section of this volume reflects the genesis of artistry, the awakening of the gaze that perceives the world not as it is but as it could be shaped. The poems here capture the spark of creation, the process of making sense of the chaos and translating it into form.

The section opens with "Final Stroke," a poem that speaks directly to Natesh’s life and art. It frames him as an artist whose work blurred the boundaries of human and nonhuman, the real and the surreal. It celebrates his ability to “sew reality back with crooked stitches,” a line that encapsulates his approach to his craft.

Following this, poems like "The Clockmaker’s Apprentice" and "Under the Gooseberry Tree" explore the intricate dance between time, memory, and creation. These pieces delve into the act of crafting, where each tick of the clock and each whisper of the wind becomes a thread in the fabric of art. The whimsical yet profound "The Biscuit Moon" completes this opening section with its playful yet layered imagery, a nod to the way Natesh infused even the mundane with depth and meaning.

II. Unraveling: The Edges of Existence

Creation is not without its costs, and the second section ventures into the unraveling—the moments where the lines blur, where form gives way to formlessness, and the artist confronts the fragility of existence. These poems grapple with impermanence, doubt, and the tension between holding on and letting go.

"Scream Without Sound" and "Blind Pigeon Days" set the tone for this section, drawing us into a world where silence and yearning speak volumes. In "Shorebirds," hunger becomes a metaphor for the artist’s ceaseless search, while "Remnants and Departures" juxtaposes the emptiness of a house with the fullness of untold stories.

The title poem of this section, "The Edges," captures the precarious balance of existence. Its imagery of cliffs and roots, of holding on despite the pull of gravity, reflects both the artist’s journey and the human condition. This is where Natesh’s spirit feels most present, in the lines that straddle creation and destruction, beauty and despair.

III. The Fractured Mirror: Transformation Through Art

The third section delves into transformation, into the ability of art to fracture and reassemble reality. These poems are deeply introspective, exploring how both artist and viewer are changed by the act of creation.

"Marsh Memoir" opens this section with its mosaic of loss and renewal, its marshlands echoing the fluidity of Natesh’s strokes. In "Pomegranate Bursting," the scattering of seeds becomes a vivid metaphor for the dispersal and regeneration of ideas.

The urban fragmentation in "Remix: City in G Minor" mirrors the disjointed beauty of Natesh’s work, where the chaos of the city reflects inner tumult. "Crow Questions" and "Knots of Pleasure" continue this exploration, probing the intersections of the mundane and the profound, the sensual and the sacred.

IV. Anatomy of Grief: Tracing the Lines

Grief is an artist’s constant companion, shaping and being shaped by the creative process. The fourth section is a tribute to this anatomy of grief, tracing the lines of loss and remembrance.

"Posthumous Naming" anchors this section, grappling with the weight of memory and the act of naming as a means of preservation. "Nameless, at the Edge" and "The Glass Wings" continue this theme, evoking fragility and the longing for permanence in an impermanent world.

In "Rocking Horse, Abandoned" and "Cliff Face," childhood and nostalgia give way to the stark realities of time and decay. These poems resonate with the idea that art, much like life, is both fleeting and eternal, a paradox that Natesh seemed to understand deeply.

V. Becoming: The Infinite in the Frame

The final section is a celebration of becoming, of the infinite possibilities within the finite frame of a life or a work of art. It reflects the enduring legacy of Natesh and the transformative power of creativity.

"Marina Memento Mori" sets the stage with its meditation on the cyclical nature of life and death. "A Handful of Light" and "Sheen of Water" offer moments of transcendence, where light and reflection become symbols of hope and continuity.

The collection concludes with "Fragments of Becoming," a poem that encapsulates the essence of this volume. It speaks to the perpetual state of transformation, of art as an ever-evolving dialogue between the self, the world, and those who remain to witness it.

VI. A Journey Through Lines

As you navigate this collection, I invite you to see it not just as a tribute to Natesh but as a reflection of the universal human experience. The lines of these poems are like the lines of Natesh’s drawings—sharp yet fluid, fragmented yet whole. They invite you to trace their contours, to find meaning in their curves and shadows, to hear the echoes of an artist who, even in death, continues to shape the world.

Through these verses, may we remember not just Natesh but all artists who dare to pull apart the seams of reality and stitch them back with threads of imagination and truth. Alongside these poems, Natesh’s drawings accompany the text, serving as visual echoes of the collection’s themes. His works, much like the poems, traverse the fragile boundaries between form and formlessness, capturing the transient beauty of life and its inevitable unraveling. These drawings, rendered with a precision both stark and tender, bring a visceral dimension to the words, inviting the reader to engage with the lines, shadows, and spaces left behind by a masterful hand. Together, the poetry and art form a unified homage to the artist’s life and enduring spirit. May we honour the final stroke that lingers, unfinished yet complete, a tribute to the enduring power of art and memory.

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