Walking into the Crimson Art resource to witness this art show, the versatile artworks oozing confidence, vivid hues, strong textures and bold figures call out to you. And in keeping with the title, the artworks make temperatures soar. An amalgamation of four artists with different styles and narratives, each artwork is carefully selected from the vast gallery collection by gallerist Silloo Daruwalla.
Siloo Daruwalla has handpicked most of the works which fit into the dwindling climate which we are experiencing now due to the use of strong reds, bold textures and themes.
India has a tradition that is rich in colour and the colours change with every season. Each summer, the blazing sun beats the soil to a dust and its people create a colourful palette to beat the heat away.
The show ‘40 Degrees Centigrade’, the diversity of Indian colours and lines has been brought to the fore. From the abstracts to the figuratives, these works of art portray India in all its summer colours. The exuberance of colours, one complementing the other, form paintings which are truly evocative of the intense heat.
The colours become a subject of celebration for Dhan Prasad. There is a vibrant feeling of sensuality in his forms. One can see the colours of India and the rural flavour emerging from his compositions.
On the other hand, the nearly monochromatic drawings of Sunil Sarkar radiate brightness. The bulls come alive in his energetic lines and the confindence of the artist is evident in his strokes. The fluid strokes lend an urgency and effortless movement and the way he has portrayed the corves and muscular prowess of the bulls makes them look royal. In S.Rajesh’s paintings, the styles make the magnificence of unrefined nature come alive with all its tranquillity and turbulence. And the techniques he uses to create the fascinating textures are also equally remarkable. Moving away from geometric forms, we see a purely raw portrayal of the varying moods of nature in Somanand Gadakari’s paintings. The way he uses light in his landscapes simply connects the viewer with the blinding sun.
One of the artists, Rajesh Mani explains, “Textures are the main strength in my works. I try to relate the deforestation and cutting down of trees today, using it as a metaphor in my works. Whenever we cut trees, the barren land has several textures, which I try to play around with in my works and I have tried to use a lot of warm colours to depict global warming.” The versatile artworks in the show make for a thrilling watch and act as an ideal refreshment for any art aficionado this summer. The exhibition is on till May 14. The writer is an art curator and art expert.
