The Stone Age, as recorded in history, was a prehistoric time in which stone was widely employed, particularly for stone weaponry. This period is thought to have lasted around 3.4 million years, concluding between 4000 and 2000 BC with the development of metallurgy. The Stone Age items recovered include tools used by modern humans, their progenitors in the genus Homo, and potentially older, partially contemporaneous species Australopithecus and Paranthropus. Obviously, this process will be referred regarded as the first backdrop of the human species’ development into a civilized man.
Actually, the term civilization refers to a sophisticated lifestyle that emerged when people began to settle. On this premise, the early civilizations are said to have emerged between 4000 and 3000 BC, when cultivation and commerce supplied people with more food and economic stability. Many people no longer had to farm, allowing a wide range of jobs and interests to thrive in a relatively small region. These civilizations emerged first in Mesopotamia (now Iraq), then in Egypt. Civilizations thrived in the Indus Valley by around 2500 BC, in China by 1500 BC, and in Central America (now Mexico) by 1200 BC. Civilizations eventually arose on all continents except Antarctica.
However, when we look back at history and the present, we see that, despite all of its technical breakthroughs, man remains often far from mankind. In October 2023, a military arms of the Palestinian nationalist political group Hamas launched an invasion on Israel from the Gaza Strip. The assault killed 364 people, the majority of whom were civilians, and injured many more while they were enjoying a performance on a public holiday. The fires of the conflict that broke out between Israel and Palestine in reaction to this tragedy have yet to be quenched. Obviously, the ordinary man and humanity must suffer the weight of any battle. Looking beyond the past and present of conflicts, the rise of violence in society now suggests that humans may have emerged from the stone age thousands of years ago. However, the violence lurking inside man is constantly exposed.
Violence in the name of religion, caste or sect still comes out in its awful form. And sometimes it comes out without any reason. In such a circumstance, it becomes practically hard to decide what label we should give to such instances. A person has been charged with murder in relation to the recent event in which a lady died in a New York metro train fire. Sebastian Zapeta, age 33, is the target of this accusation. The police commissioner provided information in this respect, calling the Sunday event “one of the most heinous crimes that can be committed by a person against another human being.” He said that a guy approached the woman on a Brooklyn train and used a lighter to burn her clothing. The victim passed away immediately after the cops put out the flames.
When we talk about the artist and his artwork, it is normal to notice a mirror of the current circumstances. Because the artist’s sensitivity motivates him to emphasize the human side of existence. Rajesh Srivastava’s most recent artworks express some of these sentiments. Along with the harmony of colors and lines, these works demonstrate an excellent coordination of the emotional component. Rajesh is one of those artists that is always linked with their creative work but is extremely shy to share it publicly. The implication is that he likes to engage exclusively in chosen group exhibits. Especially at an era when most artists continue to show their works on social media and elsewhere. In other situations, the surplus is so great that just one or two of these artists’ paintings rotate in each group show.
Anyway, on the evening of December 6, it was a pleasure to see Rajesh Srivastava’s most recent artworks in his Garhi studio with artist buddy Bipin Kumar. Now, everytime I visit Lalit Kala Akademi’s Garhi studio, I am reminded of those old friends with whom I spent endless hours in the final decade of the century. In contrast to the contemporary herd mentality, Rajesh’s artworks are undeniably stunning. His years of creative practice are evident in the talent and compassion he demonstrates. When we talk about its emotional side, a human figure or face emerges among the succession of abstract-looking stones.
This struggle can stay in your mind whether you call it the humanization of stones or the turning of people into stones. These works of art are a representation of the growing violence and inhumanity in human existence and society, which we have already covered in the opening of this essay. However, the artist’s emotions appear to be looking for the chance that human elements may still exist in the stone-hardened civilization. The circumstance is similar to “Jaaki Rahi Bhavna jaisi”. However, Sudarshan Fakir’s lines come to mind when seeing these paintings….
Patthar ke khuda patthar ke sanam patthar ke hee insan paaye hain
Tum shahar-e-mohabbat kahate ho ham jaan bachakar aaye hain
Butkhana samajhte ho jisko pucho na vahan kya haalat hai
Hamlog vahin se laute hain bas shukr karo laut aaye hain
Ham soch rahe hain muddat se ab umra gujaaren bhi to kahan
Sahra men khushi ke fool nahin shahron men gamon ke saaye hain
Honthon pe tabassum halka sa aankhon men nami see hai “faakir”
Ham ahal-e-mohabbat par aksar aise bhi jamane aaye hain