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Journalism of Courage
When radiologist and budding painter Sudhir Patwardhan arrived in Mumbai 30 years ago, he spent his spare time at art hubs like Gallery Chemould. That’s where he saw one of general physician Gieve Patel’s paintings from his Railway Platform series. ‘‘His railway platform was completely empty, but for me it was very provocative,” recalls Patwardhan, who showed up at Patel’s dispensary the next day to invite him to see his works. Patwardhan hopped on to Patel’s scooter and they drove to his then Girgaon home. ‘‘I was quite apprehensive at the beginning,’’ laughs Patel. But when Patwardhan nervously revealed his works, the immediate connection became palpable and they discussed their paintings for hours.
Now for the first time in the history of their three-decade long friendship, New York’s Bose Pacia gallery will host a joint exhibition, Paintings by Sudhir Patwardhan and Gieve Patel, in January next year. It will preview in Mumbai this month. The idea of a joint show never occurred to the artists before. “Since we discuss our works almost every day, the idea seemed redundant,” says Patel. But now fellow artists wonder why no one thought of it before.
For the veterans, putting their works together hasn’t been difficult. ‘‘Discussing our works-in-progress and new paintings has been a ritual with us. Gieve is incredibly sharp and always sees through me,’’ says Patwardhan.
There’s a fundamental similarity between the idioms of Patel and Patwardhan. Both engage with the urban landscape, scenes from the street and marginalised people. ‘‘Even people who don’t know us tend to draw parallels in our works. In texts on art history and articles on art, Gieve and I are always mentioned together,’’ Patwardhan says.
Both are self-taught artists who enjoy the nuances of figurative art and their subjects are socially relevant. Yet, they approach their works in very different ways—‘‘Sudhir was deeply influenced by Marxist philosophy, with an urge to speak for the marginalised. I never wanted to speak on behalf of others. If Sudhir is the spokesperson, I’m the witness,’’ explains Patel.
So while Patwardhan’s early paintings of energetic, strong and optimistic construction workers, rickshaw drivers and coolies were obviously contrary to their usual portrayal as weak victims, Patel’s empathy and sympathy with the working classes were much more implicit.
For this show, Patwardhan’s figure of a middle-aged woman Paying the Bill is representative of his oeuvre. Although her hands are full, with a plastic bag, umbrella and purse, she is completely self-sufficient and in control. Behind her is the changing landscape of the suburbs of Mumbai with hills and multi-storey buildings. There is a corporate man going to work while a street child squats on the other side of the road.
The multiple layers and contradictions in Patwardhan’s painting is poles apart from Patel’s simple image in Mourner. Clad in a light blue sari, a woman stands alone, frozen in her horror. She leaves the viewer cold. ‘‘These pictures came out of sketches from the late 1980s of the victims of the Delhi riots,’’ says Patel.
Currently, he is finishing his largest painting ever, Shipbuilding in Mumbai. ‘‘Did you know the ships they make in Cuffe Parade are exported? An entire family works on them. I felt that something was missing in the canvas. Sudhir suggested that the ship needed more details,’’ says Patel, who added a ladder and two men working on the ship. Patwardhan recently completed 12 works and is preparing the catalogue for the New York show. The more gregarious of the two, Patwardhan says with boyish excitement that he’s curious to see how the show shapes up.
Nalini Malani, who has known the artists for three decades, sums up their camaraderie: ‘‘The acute humanitarianism in their works makes them stand out. A background in the medical profession gives them a unique insight into human suffering.’’
(Preview of Paintings by Sudhir Patwardhan and Gieve Patel at the Museum Gallery, Mumbai, from November 28 to December 4)
