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Journalism of Courage
Trying to paint the mountains of the Kangra Valley,in all their glory,is quite a futile task. It is only after you have moved away from the mountains and reached a contemplative state of mind that you can distill their greatness. Then you pick up your brush, says painter Mehlli Gobhai,80. The words encapsulate his entire experience as a painter. His ongoing eponymous solo at Gallery Espace reflects this contemplative distilling of forms and events. The placid tertiary colours and subtle lines that mark this suite of paintings are,however,not designed to lead one to a form or narrative,they exist in the realm of art for arts sake. Gobhais works do not deal with the topical,nor do they tell a story that leads one to a social message,they are simply an arrangement of lines and colours that are meant to engage the viewer in a contemplation of pure aesthetics. In that sense,they can be compared to Indian classical music.
It might come as a shock to many that I began my artistic career studying the human body anatomy. I had piles and piles of anatomy drawings and nude studies at the The Royal College of Art in London and these drawings are what I often made my living off,because they are always easier to sell. However,if you look very carefully at my work you will see that every painting has a spine,shoulders and a torso, says Mumbai-based Gobhai. Hence,elements of the human form that can be found in these works,though these are not direct references.
The effect is to give the paintings a more sculptural,third dimension. He has also shared an old sketch book,displayed in a glass case with the viewer a first for the artist. One can get a sense of his tryst with the human figure as there are a few anatomy drawings in the book that is otherwise covered in grids and strong lines. I have never liked pretty forms and I always look for a body that is strong and linear, says the artist. We can see that by just looking at his work.
The exhibition will be held till October 5
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