Smaller expressions of a restless mind
Those who have been observing Shuvaprasanna’s work have no reason to be surprised by the splurge of structured metaphors in a smaller format that appeal to the eye as much as they stir the mind
From the realities of life that he has observed in the city he loves, to the men and animals that are depicted with passionate distortions, Shuvaprasanna has remained a restless innovator through an artistic journey spanning nearly half a century. Through all these creative years, he has contributed both to the artistic identity of Kolkata that remains his primary source of inspiration and to the creative consciousness of those who have fed on his bold initiatives. The large canvases in a string of impressive shows had seen him making sharp observations on social issues that had haunted him at different phases of his work.
At one point, the encounters with Gunter Grass became a turning point, shaping an artistic mind that was inevitably drawn towards broken images and a natural movement towards unconventional spaces. But seldom, if ever, has the artist chosen to shift his format from the large compositions where he could indulge in a good deal of creative freedom to the small format that he presented in his show called 'Mixed Media' at Art Exposure. The subjects were communicated in the visual language that was striking as ever but this time he sprang a pleasant surprise by transforming the idiom to a smaller format but largely with the same radical tendencies that, quite predictably, revealed the same kind of restless energy.
The series of contemporary images in a smaller format came with a powerful blending of technical skill and social concern. The battered impressions of common men and women were as lasting in their impact as the refreshing warmth of flowery patterns that greet the visitor with a tender package of compositions and colours. Shuvaprasana never burdens the mind with complex statements even when he is seen to be driven by dark realities around him. His narratives mostly in an urban context are simple yet hard- hitting, easy to access and yet bold in their overall appeal.
What makes the drawings of men and animals quite extraordinary is the power of their lines, the softness of his colours and the lingering effect of his distorted images. The sleeping elephant, birds locked in a romantic moment, mime artistes concealing the agony of life in comic postures, cats and crows frozen in their curious gestures and lovers lost in their fragile emotions all seem to be an integral part of his creative expression. The attention to detail and the perfection of his textures are unmistakable elements of his work. This time it acquired a fresh dimension in the intimate space of Art Exposure that Uma Mitra and Soma Bhowmik have visualised with care and artistic consciousness.
This is evident from some of the shows that have been curated with an elegant flavour since the gallery opened its doors in 2006. Selections from two veterans – Lalu Prasad Shaw and Thota Vaikuntam – recaptured the faces in the social environment they were familiar with and, quite predictably, grabbed a resounding response. But in its concern for giving the art fraternity in Kolkata a glimpse of the emerging talent from other regions, the gallery brought experimental pen and ink drawings by Laxman Aelay that dealt with musicians eking out a livelihood in remote areas of rural Telengana.
The same spirit of bringing veterans and prodigies on a common platform has brought Shuvaprasanna's personal visual statements. Clearly there are influences drawn from his exposure to European masters that he acquired during his extensive travels but essentially they belong to his own environment and the city that has nourished his creative freedom. "As a conscious citizen or conscious worker, I can't close my eyes. They are always open. So my way of looking and thinking continued to change through internal and external lessons and varied experiences at different point of time in my life. My language has been shifting, my concerns are changing, my approaches to art are seeking new forms and expressions", the artist tells visitors who have expressed their curiosity about the new texture and format. But those who have been observing him had no reason to be surprised by the mixed media comprising acrylic, charcoal and ink that has served to take the new idiom to another level of popular interest.
The show that added another dimension to the veteran's impressive repertoire produced another splurge of structured metaphors that appealed to the eye as much as they stir the mind.
