Abstract art: Alternate reality: the three dimensional approach
Established artist combines cubism with conventional figurative art.
ISLAMABAD:
Renowned for his art as much as for its reflection on power and beauty, Mashkoor Raza’s signature brush style is on display at the Nomad Gallery, this time putting a third dimension into his work.
The collection features oil on canvas painted in cubism methods (an abstract form pioneered by Picasso to break up an object and reassemble it in angular and at times, disjointed ways enhancing a piece’s perspective). But it isn’t necessarily the form that strikes, as opposed to the combination of sharp colours and powerful brush strokes.
Most of Raza’s primary focus is on demure and seductive women. The horses pulsate with energy and strength transitioning from canvas to reality complete with their own stories: wild horses run with total abandon, trained horses play polo and the lone heroic horse stands alone in shades of black and white.
The brush work varies; while most are painted in cubism, some pieces give out a foggy, translucent effect almost as if the subject sits behind a translucent window an effect attained by “using watercolour oil paints and letting the paint drip and smudge in certain areas,” according to Raza.
The painting referred to (a semi-nude woman draped in a cloth) transports the viewer in an almost voyeuristic way into a lady’s boudoir focusing on her after stepping out of a hot shower, which enhances the translucence.
The beauty of his work may be in the directness of it all, where “the viewer doesn’t need to search for a deeper meaning behind them,” according to artist Ahmed Habib who was present at the opening on Wednesday.
Some may argue that Raza, a recipient of Tamghae-Imtiaz in 2007 and an established artist, needs to change his signature style. However, the confident brush strokes and finesse evident in each piece tell a different story: one where the artist has a perfect command over his medium.
The 35 paintings will continue to be exhibited until December 21.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 16th, 2011.
Renowned for his art as much as for its reflection on power and beauty, Mashkoor Raza’s signature brush style is on display at the Nomad Gallery, this time putting a third dimension into his work.
The collection features oil on canvas painted in cubism methods (an abstract form pioneered by Picasso to break up an object and reassemble it in angular and at times, disjointed ways enhancing a piece’s perspective). But it isn’t necessarily the form that strikes, as opposed to the combination of sharp colours and powerful brush strokes.
Most of Raza’s primary focus is on demure and seductive women. The horses pulsate with energy and strength transitioning from canvas to reality complete with their own stories: wild horses run with total abandon, trained horses play polo and the lone heroic horse stands alone in shades of black and white.
The brush work varies; while most are painted in cubism, some pieces give out a foggy, translucent effect almost as if the subject sits behind a translucent window an effect attained by “using watercolour oil paints and letting the paint drip and smudge in certain areas,” according to Raza.
The painting referred to (a semi-nude woman draped in a cloth) transports the viewer in an almost voyeuristic way into a lady’s boudoir focusing on her after stepping out of a hot shower, which enhances the translucence.
The beauty of his work may be in the directness of it all, where “the viewer doesn’t need to search for a deeper meaning behind them,” according to artist Ahmed Habib who was present at the opening on Wednesday.
Some may argue that Raza, a recipient of Tamghae-Imtiaz in 2007 and an established artist, needs to change his signature style. However, the confident brush strokes and finesse evident in each piece tell a different story: one where the artist has a perfect command over his medium.
The 35 paintings will continue to be exhibited until December 21.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 16th, 2011.