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| Avtar Singh Virdi (centre) with his work. Picture by Uma Shankar Dubey |
Jamshedpur, Aug. 6: On first look it appears to be a child’s attempt to draw a picture. But when reflected on a cylindrical metal body, the distorted figures take shape and the painting blooms right in front of your eyes.
Meet Avtar Singh Virdi, who is the only living exponent of Anamorphosis — an art form which appears distorted when seen directly but assumes shape when reflected on cylindrical metal bodies. Virdi’s work will be on display at the Beldih Club on August 9 and 10.
Anamorphosis was developed by Leonardo da Vinci in the 16 th century. Virdi says his love affair with Anamorphosis started 45 years ago when a car pulled up next to his vehicle. “I saw my distorted reflection on the car’s body and I felt like painting that figure, oblivious of the fact that it was an art in itself,” said Virdi, who makes freehand Anamorphosis portraits without any mathematical calculations.
“My first portrait was that of a nude lady which when seen on the canvass appeared to be distorted strokes. But reflected on a cylindrical metal or glass body one could make out the figure,” said Virdi.
“Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar were gifted their Anamorphosis portraits when they were in the steel city a couple of years ago,” said Ravi Bhamra, event manager for the exhibition and Virdi’s son-in-law.
“We also sent the Prime Minister his picture and he was so pleased that he wished to meet my father-in-law (Virdi),” Bhamra said.
“A century ago Anamorphosis paintings were valued at $6000,” he added.
Virdi’s portrait of the President has been considered for the Limca Book of Records and the Guinness Book. “He will set the record in painting the highest number of Anamorphosis portraits in the world. The Limca authorities have asked us to send another portrait of the President by 2004, which is magnified five times to form a life-size portrait, ” said Virdi’s son, Birendra Singh. After attaining such dizzying heights, what’s next for Virdi? The artiste said he will pay a tribute to Rabindranath Tagore.
