The Hindu : New Delhi News : ‘Weighty with profound realities’

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Tuesday, Feb 05, 2008
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‘Weighty with profound realities’

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

Sculptor Neeraj Gupta’s works are on display at India Habitat Centre

Woodwork: ‘Liberation of imagination’ by Neeraj Gupta.

NEW DELHI: Noted sculptor Neeraj Gupta’s exhibition, “Enduring Stones, Deep Woods”, is now on at Visual Arts Gallery of India Habitat Centre here. Presented by Art Konsult, the exhibition is on view up to February 7.

“The artist’s life-size sculptures in stone and wood are truly a visual delight. Very rarely does one encounter genuine, fresh mutations in the art of sculpture. The artist’s works in wood and marble are equally weighty with profound realities,” says art critic Keshav Malik about Neeraj’s work.

“Some of the artist’s sculptures follow the logic of Indian aesthetic and he has also utilised ancient sculptural motifs in fresh contemporary incarnations,” he adds.

Noting that the works of the artist, who has a background in architecture, is neither modern nor traditional but free of all fixed categories, Keshav says: “Since sculpture relates to our bodily feelings, we find ourselves totally involved emotionally, physically, as well as intellectually in his works.”

According to Neeraj, super-technology, great as it is, has caused the arts of the day to forget their true language. “The scientific methods seen applied to some of today’s art works are brilliant, but great love alone is the aim of all art. Art is not titillation, not information, not reduction. Art must somehow or other still have the mysterious power of transcending history, and horizontal time that alone makes us see things acutely.”

Stating that artists should think from the ground up, he adds: “Kinetic sculpture can be exciting, but the Neolithic methods are closer to our bone. All lasting art is contemplative and does not pander to our vulgar curiosity.”

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