SHIFTING SEASONS

Mapping tradition and modernity

Palette presents a  suite of works that traverse time and tradition to unravel exceptional examples of Indian contemporary art’s early luminaries to an emerging group as we glimpse  standard bearers for avant-garde Indian modern to present  day practice.

Historical dimensions

In some works by the Progressive Art Group , the idea of modernism is linked with the growth of individual consciousness and internationalism. In a later set of sensibilities there is a new sense of national identity. From impression to  expression in the arts there is a thread of historical and sociopolitical dimensions. Though unique in their individual styles, the modernist vocabularies show a unity in  antithetical position to the academic, romantic and orientalist schools of art that these artists  succeeded in replacing.

Individual insignias

In the silent ripple of resonant rhythms this  suite spotlights seminal artworks in an exploration of how  artists — from different social, and cultural, backgrounds — find their own journeys through experiences and observations. This exhibition  draws upon multiple sources of inspiration, not only everyday motifs, but also Indian artistic and folk traditions. Through the litany of imagery we see  some of the most iconic artworks of individual members each one  developing  their signature styles.

Portraits and human figures

From free-floating portraits to human figures images maintain    allegorical styles  that are a  combination of both  personal and social and mythical narratives, embedded in the mapping of memories pressed between the pages of our minds.

Man and nature

It is the observation of the landscape that brings together drawn nature’s bounty and architectural elevations. This in the hands of younger masters reveal rhythms of  a new softness of line that prevails. It’s even more apparent in the nuances of both textural tones and colour. In creating the limpid realms of a flowering tree or a small string of a flower bed it is the releasing strands of colours amongst  the fertile  lights and shadows that create photo realist backgrounds.

Unity of elements

In  paintings that reflect nature , the artists fully develop both form and  space, while also seeking a fine harmony between the static and the dynamic elements of the compositions. These disparate elements unite as one and yet highlight each other perfectly, creating the highly artistic effect of both capturing the realism of its subjects' appearances as well as their character and lively spirit. A unique artistic style is formed through blending, deconstruction, and artistic innovation.

These paintings  lead us into an expansive and cheerful world of thought, somewhere between poetry and painting, reality and dreams.