Today July 10 2016 is 93rd birth anniversary of G A Kulkarni (जी. ए. कुलकर्णी)
लोकसत्ता, मार्च 1 2016: "...लेखकाने हस्तलिखित दिल्यानंतर
त्या लेखनाचे पुस्तक
होताना सौंदर्यामध्ये भर घालण्याची
जबाबदारी ही प्रकाशकाची
असते. ती निभावण्यामध्ये
प्रकाशक कमी पडत
असेल, तर हा
एक प्रकारचा सामाजिक
गुन्हाच आहे, असे
मत ज्येष्ठ साहित्यिक
भारत सासणे यांनी
व्यक्त केले..."
Howard Simon:
“One of the distinguishing marks of a great book is
the persistence with which it is illustrated. The Bible, Cervantes’ Don
Quixote, the works of Shakespeare and Rabelais, Pilgrim’s Progress, Aesop’s
Fables—are all among the much illustrated books. Almost every generation
demands the classics in modern dress, set forth pictorially by a favorite
modern hand. There scarcely has been a generation without its interpreter of
the world’s great books.
On the subject of fine bookmaking there have always been two different schools of thought. There are those who would decorate a book with clear, beautiful type, print it on good paper and allow, at most, a printer’s flower to decorate the page. And there are the others to whom an illustrated book is an enriched one. ..” (‘500 Years of Art & Illustration’ , 1942)
On the subject of fine bookmaking there have always been two different schools of thought. There are those who would decorate a book with clear, beautiful type, print it on good paper and allow, at most, a printer’s flower to decorate the page. And there are the others to whom an illustrated book is an enriched one. ..” (‘500 Years of Art & Illustration’ , 1942)
The late G. A. Kulkarni clearly belonged to the second group, "to whom an illustrated book is an enriched one".
Most fans of GA don’t often talk about this aspect. But GA himself has written about it.
Reading the letters quoted by Mr. Anand
Antarkar (आनंद अंतरकर), in his book ‘Ek Dharwadi Kahani’
(एक धारवाडी कहाणी), 2015, however it looks like GA was largely unhappy with the state of illustrations for
Marathi publications in general.
"...अंक सजावटीत अतिशय फिका पडतो. कथांची चित्रे Good Pictures तरी असावीत किंवा Good Illustrations तरी. सौ. केशकामत यांच्या सजावटीत दोन्ही आढळते, पण असे क्वचित. 'हंस' चा हा भाग मला फार सामान्य वाटला. (मी थोडासा चित्रकारही होतो.) आणि मुखपृष्ठावरील चित्रदेखील आपण पूर्वी पहिले तर नाही ना असे वाटले. (अर्थात हे पुष्कळच मासिकांच्या बाबतीत घडते.) म्हणजे तुम्ही दुसर्या टोकाला जाऊन ' सत्यकथेसारखे भीषण मुखपृष्ठ द्यावे असे मी म्हणत नाही. पण 'आस्वाद'वरील चित्र मला बरे वाटले…(सजावटीत [शि द] फडणीसांचा समावेश नाही. एका विशिष्ट तर्हेच्या लेखनाला त्यांची सजावट मस्त जमते. पण त्यांचा आवका फार मर्यादित आहे.)..." (a letter dated November 4 1968)
Following are two more examples of his views on illustrations:
courtesy: copyright holders of GA's letters and Mr. Anand
Antarkar
Now imagine if William Blake illustrated GA's 'Orpheus' (ऑर्फियस) from 'Pinglavel' (पिंगळावेळ), 1977!
Artist: William Blake (1757-1827), The Book of Job,
illustrated, engraved and printed by William Blake