Painting ''false'' realities on canvas

New Delhi, May 16 (UNI) The portrait of a lady in orange countenance and pink hands sitting on the sofa with simple geometrical lines behind her creates different meanings in different contexts of a single shape.

Three artists play musical instruments in front of a wall painted black while their oval faces are covered with the hues of green, orange and white. A father sits affectionately with two daughters bathed in different shades of pink and brown in the foreground while other rooms in orange and blue are visible at the back exploiting the visual imagination of the viewer.

In none of the above paintings, the features are visible, the lines are drawn to create a particular object or colours are added to signify the mood of the canvas, yet it succeeds in creating a comprehensible realistic imagery.

These works of art styled in the concept of ''pseudo realism'', literal in their themes and proportion assume metaphorical dimensions if seen from the perspective of colour schemes and use of symbols. The father of this new genre of art in the Indian art scene, Devajyoti Ray, is well recognized for using off-beat colours and contours successfully to create a balance between the real and the surreal, transporting viewer to a private and imaginary world of the artist.

Talking about this ''nascent'' form of painting, that was exhibited in the city's India Habitat Centre yesterday, the artist said the hues of nature kept on changing from green to blue and brown and sometimes black. It, however, created a balance and as long as this poise was retained, unrealistic colours could also find a place giving a freedom of creativity to the artist, he said.

His paintings depicted everyday life with realistic images that were juxtaposed with different colours and contours to maintain the depth that created a three dimensional realistic effect.

'' My works have men with green hands and red legs, the trees may be yellow and leaves blue. Yet the overall picture does not look grotesque,''he explained.

The geometrical shapes that Ray incorporated had varied meanings in different contexts. He said, a simple circle might look like a clock in one painting, a cooking utensil in another painting and a circle tyre in a third canvas.

The concept of ''pseudo realism'' took its own time to come to life and was well appreciated in art circles since 2003. It was the zeal and the boldness of the young artist that led him to break free from the existing patterns of canvas and create a different cosmos for himself in the painting fraternity.

UNI