Forces of Nature

The 56-year-old artist has always been inspired by nature. His constant muse — the tree — remains the theme of his current show as well. “I show giant structures that outlive mankind. These trees are full of grace and silent dignity,” he says. His paintings portray a jungle in monochromatic tones,where over-lapping stems branching out of twisted tree trunks are spread all over the canvas. Evidently,Elliot’s theme is rooted in the naturalist style that dwells on nature and the botanical world. But his use of graphic design elements makes the art works more contemporary. His works are priced between Rs 50,000-Rs 1,00,000 and have been sized keeping in mind the Indian tastes.

Born in New England,Elliot studied Graphic Design at Rhode Island School of Design,USA. He later worked on special effects and graphic designing for films. “My artistic expression was best suited to paintings. So I moved to Grenoble,a small town in France,and dedicated my time to art.” The artist has earlier exhibited his works in Saudi Arabia,Paris and USA.

Though Elliot’s art is always based on the same theme,every time he travels to a new place,he plants cultural tones in it. To work on the current show,he rented a studio at a scenic plot outside Pune,where he retired to paint his trees. “I have lived most of my life outside Europe,but the vibrancy and chaos of the Indian life is unmatched. The cultural life lends a lot of meaning to art,” he says. But,Elliot’s reasons to come to India are beyond experiencing a cultural life. “The world is looking at India as an emerging force in the art world. Europe and America are still wallowing in the post-recession slump. In France,the government is gradually pulling out of the cultural scene,which means less support for art and culture related activities,” he adds.

Though the art scene in India is more encouraging,Elliot confesses that getting a show at a reputed gallery is not easy. “Most of the galleries already have their list of artists to promote,or they are booked for a long time,” says the artist,whose exhibition is on till November 18.