Letting the paper speak
RANA SIDDIQUI
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Painter and graphic designer Amitava Das’s “semi-retrospective” show of his paper works’s is interesting for more reasons than one.
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A Reflection A work of Amitava Das on view .
Though paintings of Amitava Das have always been doing the rounds in different exhibitions across Delhi, this one is a tad different.
This time, 60-year-old Das is out with his paper works, barely shown.
The works cover a period of Das’ 37 years’ artistic journey, from 1970 to 2007.
If some of them portray his growing-up days in Shimla which had a great influence on his other works, some reflect the chaos of the 1970s across the globe.
Some remind one of the coming back of that energy that Das felt after he joined Jamia Millia Islamia as a lecturer.
The recent ones are those in which his figures, that “vanished” in his last works, are making a subtle comeback.
Titled “You Shall Remain Hidden – selected works on paper”, this “semi-retrospective” as Das puts it, is an effort in giving paper works the a status equal to paintings.
“Mediums should not be discriminated between.
More durable
No art works come with a guarantee card.
Pencil works are more durable because there is no acid treatment involved in them.
In fact, oil and acrylic works are more prone to damage because of the chemical reactions.
The works of Leonardo Da Vinci stand protected till today.
We also use acid-free paper now. Paper is no longer a fragile medium,” explains the veteran known for his ‘open’ attitude to art.
The example of this approach is the designing of this show by Vishal Dhar, an artist and graphic designer.
The works have been mounted “according to his evolution and exploration, focus, skill and texture,” says Dhar.
For instance, Das’ New York series has been mounted in a vertically framed column that gives the impression of skyscrapers in that city which accentuate the purpose of his being there, he adds.
Das, known for his fusion of nature and man in his colourful abstract creations, goes down memory lane: “I have always missed my Shimla days. But when I got posted as a lecturer in JMI (1974-5), I had to start early. I used to take the Ring Road overlooking a beautiful landscape. The scenic beauty not only connected me back to Shimla but also recharged me. I started playing with the clouds, winds and space in my visual language.”
Das is an architect by training. He was an exhibition designer for India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) for 25 years.
Progressive artist
He was also looking after fete designs abroad.
His ‘open’ approach to art and design earned him the label of ‘progressive’ artist.
But Das remains quite traditional at heart.
“Those days because of the clear divide between two groups; PAG (Progressive Art Group) and Bengal School of Art, it was very difficult to choose one. I was taken as more of a progressive artist because my works reflected the times. I believe a work of art should reflect its time, otherwise, it wouldn’t be valid. It would just be an assembly line work.”
If he marvels at today’s youth doing much of “issue-based” works, he disapproves of artistic works imitated on garments or accessories.
“A true designer would never mix art with accessories. I would never like someone wearing a ‘Picasso’ sari. Such attempts are not usually successful. A few years ago, Titan tried to reproduce Raza’s works in its watches but failed because Raza’s works have very strong graphic qualities,” says Das.
The artist’s works are on show at Gallery Espace till September 13.
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