Sunday 25 May 2014

Clear lines and original shapes. Therefore, his paintings are truly ‘portrayal of verified existences’.- Pankaja JK

I soar in the sky with wings of steel,
My blood rushes like in leaf’s veins,
My heart leaps up like a hand-cart
Bound forward till its fall,
Me a machine?
Or is it other way round?
Platonic are my relations
With all the material things that my life bonds. 




(Prashant Anasane at his studio Mumbai )


The above lines give us clear idea about the unique theme of Prashant Anasane’s paintings and installations. Generally an artist relates life to nature and feels that human being is a Universe in himself. But for Prashant it’s a different world. For him material things are important in human life. Through his creations, Prashant wants to show relationship between people and material world. Material world has played a fundamental role in shaping human thought, society and over all- Evolution. Our developed brain with its extraordinary executive functions evolves under the subtle guidance of tools in use. There is a close physical interaction between Things and people; almost everyday. They are useful and necessary to us, but these useful artifacts still remains ignored.

Things also gain abstract value and have symbolic system like language which has basic parts of speech.  Prashant has presented us the material world and shown that experiences can be expressed in visible artifacts beyond verbal zones. They have the conceptual, emotional and sensual expressions. They perform emotional role. Take the example of earthen things, a God’s idol or a pot of water, both stimulate the senses. His painting of Axe, evokes the feeling of cutting and division.

What makes his paintings unique is, he does not just try to relate natural elements with human beings but tries to highlight on the fact that human progress was and is possible only due evolution and development of Things. And these material things were designed according to needs of people and based on same working theory as that of living being’s body. There is a similarity of structural theory in animate and inanimate things. Things too civilized with times; they were further modified to make human life comfortable. Therefore, advanced things and objects led to progressive and developed human lifestyle. Prashant highlights this interdependence in his paintings. 




( Untitled’ installation at Jehangir Art Gallery Solo show 2013, Kala Ghoda Mumbai)


His ‘Untitled’ painting and installation of hand-cart highlights the need for discovery of things. The cart is in its original form. It symbolizes labor class. It was invented to provide some relief to people carrying heavy luggage. The cart has been serving its purpose in past and even in present times. He has not changed the original structure so as to bring forth the real purpose of the cart.   


The stone-age period things are not painted by him, but his paintings present an advanced stage and starts from the time when iron, copper had creped in to replace the things made directly from the handy, available natural resources. So only advanced stages of Things are portrayed in his creations.
He also shows the deeper connection of inner and outer existence of things. The synthesis of emotions in human beings and synthesis of parts in Things, led to outer expressions in human beings and texture and working of inanimate. He presents s this concept by using canvas and drawing figures on it. The images on it take shape according to internal weave of threads of canvas. Different things may have anatomical similarity; this is clearly projected in his painting of fish and leaf on same canvas. 


Prashant’s paintings make us contemplate the importance of Things in life. The biological evolution can be credited to material culture that plays casual but unavoidable part. Simple, original structures are presented without make-over by colors and without fiddling with original shapes, this makes us deliberate and they grab our attention. Taking into consideration the social point of view, all these creations are worth watching and admiring. 



- by Pankaja JK
  (Freelance art critic & writer:- Art blogazine 2014)
(Prashant Anasane,Sudhakar D. Yadav with friends at Jehangir Art Gallery Solo show 2013, Kala Ghoda Mumbai)

Note: Right since stone-age man’s development and civilization has been associated with material things. Along with basic elements of life, Things or Tools have polished and made human life comfortable. 

Length, breadth, depth and mass of the things led to awareness of matter and energy and their interactions. Co-relation of human being and Things made us promote things as noun, pronoun and relatively as an action. Likewise, human being started communicating through material things. 

As soon as he became aware of micro scientific structure of Things, he modified and developed it further using technology and walked the path of evolution. 
History, geography, social science, environment, science and like wise knowledge and facts of every other field reflect in Things. Prashant has used these reflections in his paintings. Instead of meticulous ornamentation by using colors and attractive shapes, Prashant has presented the theme through clear lines and original shapes. Therefore, his paintings are truly ‘portrayal of verified existences’.

(Copy right  image by artist)

2 comments:

Thanks for comment JK