XI Indian Triennale - International Biennales

	XI Indian Triennale


	Roderick Buchanan

Roderick Buchanan’s new work, History Painting, commissioned by the British Council for the 11th Indian Triennale, is a 35mm film transferred to DVD. It was shot in Wellington, Tamil Nadu, and Catterick, North Yorkshire, during the summer of 2004. It features new graduate soldiers from the Madras Regiment in Tamil Nadu, and their counterparts in the Scottish Infantry Division, in Scotland. Two hundred years ago, in 1803, the predecessors of these young men fought alongside each other, under General Arthur Wellesley, later Duke of Wellington, at the Battle of Assaye. Both regiments still carry the Assaye colours (featuring an elephant), and the victory at Assaye is central to their respective sense of honour and identity. Although this new work has its roots in a particular historical moment, its reach is more contemporary and more complex in ambition.

Image: Still from History Painting. Artist: Roderick Buchanan



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It is as true today as it was in the nineteenth century that the men recruited to infantry regiments are drawn from the least advantaged rungs of society. Deprivation and poor prospects at home remain common experiences which position the army as an attractive option for these young men. Buchanan has sought to approach the army via the men with whom he feels the greatest empathy, and the result is an intense portrait on a heroic scale, focussing on the common, usually anonymous, private soldier.

At a time when the merging of many of the historic regiments of Scotland is under discussion, this portrait of young recruits is particularly pertinent. It questions the nature of the past they believe they are joining, and the future that lies ahead of them.

Venues:

Lalit Kala Akademi, National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi 15 January – 10 February 2005

Touring India throughout 2005

For further information please contact Caroline Douglas