Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Speakspace: Calibration

Every now and then, I feel the need to look at art that doesn't necessarily fall within the linguistic lineage that I draw from; like the diverse circle of friends I have in my life. I delight in the surprises that unfold through these virtual wanderings. I am often reminded of a small self-portrait painted by Jackson Pollock sometime in the 1930s, which I first saw at a Jackson Pollock retrospective in Venice in 2002, while I was touring Italy as a student. Although his abstract expressionistic action paintings will always be among my favourite artworks, the intensity of the gaze in this small painting has been etched in my mind very vividly. 

Short-cuts to information or abridged history lessons often mask the interesting routes in the development of artistic languages by creating stereotypes within art history. Here are some works that have either been from the formative periods of artistic journeys or are departures from what they have otherwise known to be identified by.

V.S. Gaitonde  Serigraphy  1989

Arpita Singh  Bottles Oil on canvas 1969

Diego Rivera Woman at Well Oil on canvas 1913

Jackson Pollock Self Portrait 1931-35?

Mark Rothko  Slow Swirl  1944

Malavika Rajnarayan






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