Legendary painter Jatin Das may have quelled the romantic notions about inspiration and creativity for almost 50 years now,but art connoisseurs have always appreciated the finesse with which he has captured his art. His modern academic paintings with female nudes and erotic couples have graced numerous national and international shows apart from various artist camps. And the man is not tired of painting these. Human body has always fascinated me, said Das,as he looked around the 135 paintings being showcased at an exhibition titled Elevated,Enlightened Human Body on at Punjab Kala Bhavan. The paintings,which reel his love for dynamic figures and rhythmic body movements,date back to the last few years and focus on moods of an individual,capture the sense of being,emotional upheaval,while portraying a plethora of emotions,a result of the interaction between society and nature. The art works bring out the man-woman relationship with all its pain and joy to life Among the things that engage the eye at the exhibition,are discontinuities of colour planes and rushing lines. Most of the art work is done on either very large canvases or very tiny ones with his trademark oil and water colours. Das has also included some ink paintings,which have been brought after travelling to four cities. These paintings,he tells us,have been brought in after a rigorous selection process. One should showcase only the best. While painting is always fun,the process of exhibiting can be tedious. From framing,cataloging to coordination,it takes a lot of time and patience. In all this humdrum,one should be sure that the quality is never compromised on, said Das. Das also steered away from the prototypes who exhibit to sell. While money is important,it should not be the reason to paint, says Das,who is critical about the way art is progressing. Art has become extremely commercial and materialistic. There is no time for practice. Also,the interest in art may have magnified,but it is not for arts sake. It is more of a fashion statement, he said. The artist who does social commentary through paintings only once in a while,also talks about the fad of selling painting through contacts rather than based on the work itself. To call oneself an artist is a big responsibility. You have to give it your best shot. The modern education system is taking away the sensibilities and it is for the artists to give it back, says Das,who also enjoys collecting artefacts. Having showcased his works in Chandigarh after over a decade,Das says he might not showcase here ever again. I paint for the sheer love of it and exhibit only once in a while, he says. The exhibition is on at the Punjab Kala Bhavan,Sector 16,till May 29
