This is from their website:
‘Kalakshetra literally means a holy place of arts (Kala : Arts, Kshetra : Field
or Holy place). Deriving inspiration from this noble ideal, Kalakshetra was established, in the words of Rukmini Devi,
“with the sole purpose of resuscitating in modern India recognition of the priceless artistic traditions of our country and of imparting to the young the true spirit of Art, devoid of vulgarity and commercialism.” The training of young and talented people by masters of art, with the background of a religious spirit, has been its main aim.’
This all ties up with that exciting period between 1890 and 1910 when the arts took the bold step and found its way from realism into abstraction through Kandinsky and Mondrian who were both Theosophists. Perception crossed the line from the external to the inner self. Some of us might not think it but we are never the same again for it. When the concept permeated our living space realism in our minds would have crossed the line from the external into the inner self and forced us to look at things in a different way. Perception, intuition, chance, spontaneity and insight would have become more important in reading the inner self. The seeking of the intangible Truth of things more important than seeking the object. Of knowing once place in the universe more important than ones place at home. From the outer to the inner. A new world to ponder. Abstract art is here today and just over a hundred years ago it was not. All because of a few who decided to cross the line and chance a form in the, “the true spirit of Art”, without considering the consequences to their careers. The Kalakshetra was set up in that spirit by Rukmini Devi (February 29, 1904 – February 24, 1986) at the time the wife of Dr. George Sidney Arundale (1 December 1878 in Surrey, England — 12 August 1945 in Adyar, India). Dr. Arundale was at the time the president of the Theosophical society. Theosophical society? ART, advent of abstraction, Kalakshetra, ‘the true spirit of the arts’. But what has the Theosophical society got to do with the arts?!!: Art history today.
