Demonstrating dialogue between canvas and artist

Exhibition by Anwar Saeed runs till November 15.

LAHORE:

Anwar Saeed has captured the evolving relationship between artist and his subject in “in The Generous Company of Pictures”.

Asad Hayee, curator of Rohtas Gallery, said this photo montage showed the artist redefining his subject, feeding it and playing with it. In short, he was demonstrating a “dialogue between a canvas and the artist”, Hayee said.

Saeed, who has taught print making and painting at the National College of Arts for over 20 years, has attempted digital art for the first time in his exhibition “Man Vs Who He Should Be”, which is on display at the Rohtas Gallery.

Of his 30 pieces, only 12 have been displayed due to the limited space of the gallery. Artists visiting the gallery since the exhibition’s opening on October 19 appreciated his work. Negotiations is a series of five pieces showing a one-on-one interaction between two individuals. In Shadows, also a series of five pieces, Saeed has attempted to showcase tension between two players. In Heavenly Creatures, Saeed has played upon the theme of spirituality and dreams.

Rehan Yasin, a visitor, described the work as thought-provoking. “The pieces are unique. Words cannot describe the feelings they evoke. They are certainly thought-provoking, encouraging viewers to question their relationship with their profession.”

Saeed is known for his portrait and image paintings. In his career spanning over two decades, he has displayed his works at the Asia Society Museum in New York City, Laurent Delaye in London and Harris Museum in Paris.

Hayee told the Express Tribune that the artist had created a situation and had then worked on the negatives of the images on a computer. These images had been composed, realigned and transformed for the exhibition. Digital artists either picked a reference or created a situation to avoid copyright infringement, said Hayee, an artist himself.

MH Jafri, another artist visiting the exhibition, was in awe of the work. “I certainly find my own place in his pieces,” he said. Professor Naazish Ataullah, former NCA principal, said Saeed’s work was visually interesting.
“It’s a great attempt by an established painter to experiment with digital prints. Exploring through technology and computerised prints is not so simple and he has done it beautifully,” she said.

The art will remain on display till November 15.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2012.