Chennai :
They say a fine piece of art has the power to silence the chatter in the mind and lift us to another place. “Well, art is art, isn’t it? If the versatile artist GD Paul Raj had been alive today, he would have turned 100. More than 80 works of his were on display at Anna University Alumni Club, Adyar, for two days, to commemorate the birth centenary of the acclaimed artist. The event was inaugurated by actor-artist Sivakumar.
When you see Paul Raj’s works, you can’t help but instantly fall in love with them. His paintings might seem simple and straightforward. Linger a little longer and one is aware of something deeper, the story that the artist was trying to tell.
Every line and colour expresses a statement. Art works are arranged in such as way that they unfold the artist’s journey.
A visual treat not only for nature lovers but also for those who enjoy realistic paintings, they provoke, inspire and narrate in every literal sense. It also retells or recreates a sense of child-like enthusiasm of stories heard or seen long ago.
Most of his paintings are influenced by day-to-day life and feature men, women and animals. Different shades of the same colour are used to give the paintings a distinct impact. The use of minimum colours to give the feeling of so many colours and the sharpness of the outlines show a clear influence of the mural style. The subjects are all painted in great detail, and tell tales of rural life.
Those curves of certain lines… the subtleties of colours… Each canvas is uncomplicated, with the subject matter drawn from the seemingly mundane, but for Paul Raj, each brush stroke rendered them unique. He used artistic liberty to enlarge their eyes or juxtapose them with nature.
His paintings (pencil shading, acrylic works, water colour, pastels) explore men and woman in bright colours with the folk element through the path of gradual artistic transformation.
When you see a painting of trees, it looks as though we are seeing it for the first time – that is the quality of freshness that the artist infuses into each painting, enabling the viewer to embark on a journey of wonderment.
The paintings, mostly, are given a light wash, and have a misty look which gives them an ethereal feel.The recurring images of dramatic monsoon skies at sunset, thick mist, mountains, rivers and cattle depict his extraordinary relationship with nature.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by S. Subhakeerthana / October 22nd, 2014