At Lakshana Art Gallery, where sculptor Srinivasan R., is displaying 55 of his art works, there is a sense of tranquillity. Picture vivid canvases in different shades of green, each one capturing a different aspect of a leaf. As if one were looking at a leaf through an artistic microscope highlighting only those things that have caught the artist’s imagination! But on closer inspection the exhibit not only showcases the journey of the leaf from green on to yellow and auburn but also that of the artist. “I have been a sculptor since 1980,” says Srinivasan. Every time the artist wants to unwind, he creates leaf pieces in bronze. “I have created over 200 of these!” he says. In 2000, he exhibited his plant series (in bronze). But over the last two years the artist has been experimenting with a new medium. “I used to find water colour difficult,” he says explaining the nuances of the craft, “The blending requires finesse.” Over a period of two months Srinivasan created 55 paintings in this series all of which is now a part of ‘Colors on Paper’. “If you notice carefully, you can see in my first five paintings how the colours are darker and over the next few I managed to master the technique,” he adds. Softer colours work better for this medium than darker ones, he explains and adds that he soon plans to work with larger canvases.
Colors on Paper is on till November 1 at Lakshana Art Gallery, 5, Abhiramapuram First Street, Chennai