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Wednesday, Feb 27, 2008
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Artistic glimpses of the mega-city

Sudhir Patwardhan captures the psyche of Mumbai in his paintings

Inside Mumbai: A painting by Sudhir Patwardhan from his exhibition ‘Citing the City’ that begins at Delhi’s Shridharani Gallery today.

Inspired by real life incidents and changes taking place in the bustling mega-city of Mumbai, artist Sudhir Patwardhan has come out with a weeklong painting exhibition that opens at Shridharani Gallery in the Capital on Wednesday.

‘Citing the City’ depicts Patwardhan’s take on urban landscapes that are snapshots of events, reflecting the psychological fear lurking in the minds of its dwellers. He highlights the insecurities plaguing in their minds, ready to engage in fisticuffs at the slightest provocation or oblivious to violence around them.

Doctor-cum-artist

Paradoxically, this Mumbai-based artist did not study at a conventional art institute. His study of the human body comes from another kind of study when he was training in medicine at the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, in the late 1960s. He slowly but gradually developed a fascination for the creative world of art. As a result, he faithfully carried a sketchpad to the rail and bus stations, capturing on paper the commuters and coolies, vagrants and vendors as they went about their daily activity.

Experience of the city

Through his sensitive and thought-provoking works of art, Patwardhan gives illustrations of a constant dialogue between art and society.

As most of his experience comes from living in Mumbai, Patwardhan says he has depicted various aspects of the city. “I have basically showcased the urban landscapes of Mumbai on canvas. Not any particular landmark of the city, but the general experience of living in it. For the past two years I have been observing the overcrowding of the city and chaotic traffic jams. There are genuine housing problems and co-existence of old houses with new ones, buildings and flyovers due to rapid development.”

Violence depicted

Stating that he has also depicted violence seen on the streets of Mumbai, Patwardhan says: “There are political reasons for the flare-up on the streets. Sometimes there is tension due to bad blood between Hindus and Muslims. Recently the city witnessed a war of words between Maharashtrians and North Indians. Ordinary people got carried away by emotional speeches and got involved in ugly fights. So the ordinary man gets subjected to tension and insecurity. Then there are local shopkeepers who keep getting intimated by the underworld who want a share of their wealth.”

Born in Pune in 1949, Patwardhan has held several highly acclaimed solo and group exhibitions in Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore and Vadodara over the years.

Madhur Tankha

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