British artist Dom Pattinson’s artwork, called urban art, which is currently on display at Sanat Gallery, is an interesting mix of monochromatic pictures and colourful splashes of brightness. His work focuses on depicting a different perspective from the norm that lies beneath the surface of that which is ordinarily considered mundane. PHOTOS: AYESHA MIR/EXPRESS
KARACHI:
Funky and spunky are the two words that come to mind when looking at British artist Dom Pattison’s exhibition at Sanat Gallery. Titled ‘Urban Longing,’ Pattison has showcased his own distinctive form of art through his work - a mix of graffiti and street art that have been combined to create urban art.
Pattison’s work connects to viewers at many different levels. With the frequent use of splashes of bright, fluorescent colours, he conveys a message of beauty even in dark times. For instance, in his painting titled ‘Stand Proud, Stand Out’ he has painted zebras, with their customary black and white stripes, but by introducing fluorescent greens and yellows in the stripes and making the animals wear glasses, he seems to be offering a different perspective on the monochrome animals.
“His work is simply fantastic and focuses on themes of trials and tribulations,” explained Naveed Siddiqui, a fan of urban art who has followed Pattison’s work closely. Referring to the use of vivid colours amidst black and white surroundings, such as in zebras, he said, “Even if you see things in black and white you can have a different perspective”.
The same technique has been used in the artist’s paintings titled ‘Toy Soldiers’ and ‘Irrelevant Elephant’, among many others. The conclusion that one can derive from Pattison’s imagery is that hope exists below the surface of seemingly dull things. One striking picture is that of violence and conflict suggesting hidden love in the most trying times. Titled ‘Till Death Us Do Apart,’ the artwork showed men dressed in formal attire, their heads connected by the barrels of two guns and Siddiqui explained that the piece was especially significant to viewers in Karachi.
In an interview about his show at Sanat Gallery with photographer Adeela Badshah, Pattison said, “My work has always been about hope, love, happiness and peace and that is the exact message I am going to be taking to Karachi; that we are all just humans on the planet”.
The artist will be visiting Karachi on May 5, the closing day of the exhibition. He will also be doing a live painting session at the gallery during his visit.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 17th, 2016.
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