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Bold strokes of a master
IT IS probably the first time that Chennai is being privy to such a major exposition of the renowned modern Indian artist Paritosh Sen's work. Having studied under D. P. Roy Choudhary in Chennai in the 1940s Paritosh Sen was a founder member of the Calcutta Group, an association of artists that intended to instil contemporaneous ideals in Indian art. This exhibition, a retrospective, includes Sen's early works in the characteristic wash technique of the Bengal School, such as ``Bengali Wedding" where an almost sacred light suffuses the scene. The lyricism of the Bengal School style was soon substituted by strength and boldness in form, content and style that came about with the formation of the Calcutta Group.
The major influences in Sen's works in the 1940s were the Famine in Bengal and the Partition of India when his works began reflecting the turbulent socio-political situation. In ``Third Class Compartment," the crowded and cramped space suggests the misfortunes of the lower strata in society with vibrant colours highlighting the dissatisfied faces that are bored, impersonal and blank.
During his sojourn in Paris in the 1950s, Sen interacted with Picasso and other Modern masters. His style reflects the influences of Modern Western art with inherent traces of the Cubist idiom. Most intriguing are Paritosh Sen's self portraits which border on the caricature — passive and contemplative and consistently reflect the elapse of time. The earlier works portray the artist as a grey-faced figure, while subsequent renditions have a coloured face, sometimes in brilliant yellow and green. He probably speaks of himself through the objects placed on the table beside him such as a clock that is probably symbolic of the ephemeral aspect of time, while tablets and a glass of water may signify routine in the octogenarian artist's life.
Paintings like ``The Sarangi Player" and ``A Man with Hand Fan" from the mid-50s have bold two-dimensional shapes, starkly delineated forms and large staring eyes. This essence is carried through to his recent works such as the striking large-format painting ``Ravana Mourning Death of Son." Ravana's brightly coloured face and sword are highlighted with the figure embroiled in pathos, his big eyes open yet introspective with emotion. The characteristically bold lines and stylised yet vigorous strokes dominate every painting with brilliant colour assuming power in expression.
Sen paints urban themes and portraits but it is the human figure that dominates his art. His female nudes in various attitudes of daily living are two-dimensional yet assume a semblance of voluptuousness.
The robust forms in the triptych ``Bathing Women" show his adeptness at handling mundane themes with a hint of humour. This retrospective of paintings and drawings from the past six decades by one of India's greatest Modern Masters is on at the Lalit Kala Akademi and Art World until April 18.
SWAPNA SATHISH
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