Texts and numbers have long been juxtaposed with images, complementing, articulating and even clarifying one another. In Bengal, this has venerable origins with one of the earliest examples being the doodles of the poet and artist Rabindranath Tagore where he transformed struckout lines and words into images which assumed evocative and frequently phantasmagoric forms. Those images were entirely serendipitous and shaped by intuitive decisions and accidents and helped shape a new visual vocabulary which informs and impacts artistic practices even today.
In works of several recent artists, words and numbers have become the central focus of the image instead of a mere accompaniment, resulting in a new syntax that is not merely aesthetic but also conceptual.
The sculptor Meera Mukherjee used letters from the Bengali alphabet in her bronzes for their visual and aesthetic potential and also entire lines of poetry which were not immediately apparent but yielded their secrets on close inspection. It was as though she was imparting to the viewer a key with which to decode the mysteries of her work. A highly stylized method of creating texture, this use of script contributes to a more nuanced interpretation of her work. Adip Dutta, who was mentored by Mukherjee, continues this tradition both in his sculptural works as well as his drawings. In works such as Animate Among the Inanimate, seemingly arbitrary objects like gloves, aircraft and hairbrushes are placed next to lines or blocks of random text which exploit the visual qualities of script but also look to remake meaning through language. The emphasis here is as much on ideas as visual forms where text and language are key components in taking meaning beyond the mere physicality of objects.
Denne historien er fra January 2020-utgaven av Art India.
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Denne historien er fra January 2020-utgaven av Art India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Parts, Wholes And The Spaces In Between
Sonal Sundararajan introduces Samira Rathod's free-spirited and rebellious explorations in the world of architecture, furniture and design.
"The Fine Art of Going to the Pictures."
Dr. Banerjee in Dr. Kulkarni's Nursing Home at Chemould Prescott Road brings together 26 paintings featuring a series of dramatic scenes from Hindi and Bengali films. In conversation with Abhay Sardesai, artist Atul Dodiya talks about childhood trips to movie halls, painted figures gripped by tension, and the closeness and remoteness of cinematic images.
"To Finally Have Something of Your Own to Mine."
Dayanita Singh is the recipient of the coveted 2022 Hasselblad Award. Keeping the photograph at the centre, she speaks to Shreevatsa Nevatia about books, book objects, photo novels, exhibitions and museums.
OF DIVINE LOSS
Shaurya Kumar explores the relationship between the subject and object of devotion, finds Aranya.
THE PAST AND ITS SHADOWS
Neha Mitra visits two shows and three artists in Mumbai.
FORCE OF NATURE
Alwar Balasubramaniam dwells on absences and ephemeralities in his new work, states Meera Menezes.
SHAPES OF WATER
Devika Sundar's works delineate the murky, malleable boundaries between the human body and the organic world, says Joshua Muyiwa.
INTIMATIONS OF INTIMACY
Sunil Gupta shares his journey with Gautami Reddy.
THE FRACTURED PROSPECT
Nocturnal landscapes as ruins in the making? Adwait Singh looks at Biraaj Dodiya's scenes of loss.
TEETERING BEYOND OUR GRASP
Meera Menezes traces Mahesh Baliga's journey from Moodabidri to London.