MEDITATIVE MINDSCAPES
The art calendar of March-April has a few solo shows that leave an indelible mark on art enthusiasts as well as the uninitiated. These displays are poignant and evocative and linger on, leaving a lot to the viewer’s interpretation. Two such solo shows are.
SUBODH GUPTA
Cosmic Battle
Acclaimed artist Subodh Gupta’s solo show at Nature Morte brings together three installations. These installations attest his refined aesthetic vision and are a culmination of the devices and motifs he has so deftly employed through the years of his artistic output.
The centrepiece of the show is a large, slow rotating, semi- spherical metal installation suspended from the ceiling. Larger than life and elusive, this sculptural work is titled Cosmic Battle (II). Formidable and overwhelming in dimensions yet carrying elusive and surreal connotations, it draws the visitor in. Like the cosmos that inspired it, the imposing installation Cosmic Battle (II) attempts to reconcile the interconnectedness of all phenomena.
It was created in 2018 from steel, brass and stone and emerges from layers of memory of Gupta’s childhood in Bihar wherein he would sleep on the roof with his cousins and family during summer and watch stars.
In the side room of the gallery is another highlight of the show titled Self Portrait 2022. This installation is also evocative of the artist’s childhood, the daily business of living and rituals. This sculptural work conceals a surprise and signs of life are discernable as it breathes deeply, creaking and moaning over the remains of railway tracks that connect Gupta back to his memories of growing up in a railway colony.
Speaking of this piece the artist says, “It is inspired by ritualistic traditions that impacted me while growing up. For example, in some of the religious offerings in India, you make a platform with red bricks, you draw rangoli on it, on top of which you place the utensils. I believe in India we did not grow up going to a museum and learning modern art history, everyday rituals were the sites of learning and artistic inspiration.”
The third work in the exhibition titled Torso 2021-2022, is a sculpture of a human figure in a state of decomposition. It is reminiscent of Renaissance masters and is influenced by the French sculptor Rodin’s work. The self-cast torso in bronze stands anchored to a plinth made from the railway tracks from his hometown and is a stoic statement on human mortality.
Over the years, Gupta has stayed true to his signature penchant for working with stainless steel utensils and found, common-place objects. The motif of the vastness of the universe and the interconnectedness of all forms runs throughout his oeuvre. “Even though scientists have not fully marked the scope of the universe’s vastness, I believe that we are not alone in the journey. All these ideas influence me a lot in the making of my work,” says the artist.
On view until April 10, 2022 at Nature Morte art gallery, New Delhi
PANDIT BHILA KHAIRNAR
Between Light and Shadow: Travels through an Indian Landscape
Nashik based artist Pandit Bhila Khairnar is among the very few Indian exponents of the colour-field painting movement. An aesthetic medley of his abstract paintings on canvas and paper are on display in a solo show at Gallery Threshold. These works on display – single canvases and triptychs are devoid of forms, recognizable shapes or images. They feature bold gradients and tonality that evoke memories and unfold narratives. For instance, the yellows, greens, sombre ochres and subtle oranges capture the verdant terrain of Khairnar’s hometown Nashik. The open skies and space seem a yearning to go back to simpler times. And as Pandit explains, “ the greys tinged with red invoke emotions during the intersection between dusk and twilight. ” His paintings pull the viewers into the work, inviting them to make their own interpretation. According to him, “ it is through the expression of the abstract, the real becomes visible.” Khairnar’s childhood spent in the rural landscape of Nashik, helping his father on the farm, shaped his artistic sensibilities. For him working on the canvas with blurs of oranges, yellows and greens is an ‘intuitive and meditative’ experience. He uses layer upon layer of oil paint on a flat surface, treating his canvases as fields where colour and light can shift in space and time.
Pandit Khairnar, Untitled, Graphic on paper, 2020 (right), Oil on Canvas, Gallery Threshold, 2022 (left)
Khairnar’s subtle new works on display are graphite works done on paper. This new body of work was executed through the lockdown. These employ horizontal lines to create space and form. The horizontal lines suggest distance and calm and the broken ones express the ephemeral. To be able to capture the sensitivity of a landscape with such economy of means is not only a remarkable testament to the power of line as an expressive force but also an illustration of Khairnar’s exceptional drawing skills. To be able to extract the essence of colour field painting using pure line is a remarkable artistic feat. These works have the same non figurative, abstract tone as his oil on canvas works and leave a lot to the interpretation of the viewer.
On view until May 7, 2022 at Gallery Threshold, New Delhi
Text by Prachi Goyal
Image and video courtesy: Nature Morte Art gallery, Gallery Threshold, the Artists, Curious Comet collective
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