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He is not the easiest man to gauge. Try pinning him down and the response to queries goes off tangent. Jatin Das, one of India’s celebrated artists whose works have been part of the 2nd Biennale, Cuba, Havana, Asian Biennale, Bangladesh, 1985. Tokyo Biennale, the 15th International Art Show, Japan, et, and whose paintings sell at astronomically high sums may not be a copywriter’s delight. But a delightful man (in Chandigarh at the invitation of the Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi), who loves to take pleasure in simple joys of life, he sure is. So, rather than holding audiences with sermons on what’s behind his paintings, he would like you to share the joy of raindrops falling, the delicious kebabs and the newly-appeared bud in the pot.
The fine art of dining and wining, he believes, is as important as pure arts. Having grown up admiring the likes of versatile and gifted men such as scientist Dr Homi Bhabha, Das knew early that life isn’t nor meant to be one dimensional. So, he takes as much pride in creating figures as in rustling up a new recipe or writing a poem. Even though he has been capturing the vibrancy of human form and relationships since long, queries like why figures permeate his works annoy the artist. So does the fact that few artists of today indulge in image making. He rues, "It’s sad that today’s generation of artists refuse to work on a drawing board or care to draw. Image making is difficult. If you can draw figures it means that you understand the grammar of art well. New-gen artists would rather play with colours and boast this is painting." But isn’t his imagery abstract, too? By that logic, he feels that everything is. In fact, he observes that all objects have a tangible and intangible dimension. "Take a photograph of my finger, magnify it 10 times and you will have an abstract image." Indeed, body is a tool, a metaphor but then all acts not only art have a higher purpose for otherwise he asserts, "It would be banal." Beyond this he wouldn’t deliberate on the semantics of art. The process of painting he is willing to share only with fellow artists. He explains thus, "Would surgeons discuss their surgical techniques with anyone other than medical practioners?" Still to indulge the ignoramus in us he does elaborate why female forms are a recurring leitmotif in his creations. "The world over female form has been painted more for it has greater movement, lyricism and, above all, lalitya, that is grace and refinement." As for the immanent lyricism in his works, he says that art form has to have a musicality in it. Does this music exist within him or he imbibes it from the outside world? He remarks, "Little things in life excite me. As Le Corbusier said, designing a chair is as important as a city." Incidentally, Corbusier doesn’t figure on his my favourite list but Lutyens, who designed New Delhi keeping in mind the Indian ethos, does. Tradition is important to Das for it’s this which talks of 64 kinds of art, lays stress on being a complete artist. Years ago, he wrote —"I am a painter aspiring to be an artist". And for him creating the JD Centre of Arts at Bhubaneswar is in continuum with being an artist. With a sense of pride, he divulges how this centre being designed by friend architect B. V. Doshi will be the first of its kind in the country. Ready with 800 boxes full of antiques that will dot it, Das shares excitedly how the art complex will house traditional tools and more. Does he feel the same
sense of achievement as he looks at his gifted daughter, the well-known
actor Nandita Das? He jokes aloud, "Oh, I am not her or anybody’s
fan, I only collect fans," thus explaining his fetish for his large
collection of fans from all over the world that will soon become a part
of a museum in New Delhi. But returning to the daughter, he recalls how
he would never impose any restrictions on her and only allowed her to
be. But yes, he does confess with a twinkle in his eye, "She has my
genes." The rebellious ones, too? He dismisses those who dub him a
rebel with a jibe, "The angry man of art and blah blah are mere
cliches." And this man of substance and mettle would have nothing
to do with euphemisms. Complete human beings are his ideal as he devotes
his energy to become one, succeeding fairy well in it.
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