Monotony breeds mediocrity. The spring show of Calcutta Painters, held at Chitrakoot Art Gallery from March 19-April 7, is a case in point. Here was a set of diverse artists who tried to steer away from the influence of the "neo-Indian school" and strove to create eclectic, individual styles. But any style, even a markedly individual one, needs to evolve and innovate to remain engaging and relevant. This is where these artworks seem to have come up short, even though the group deserves to be lauded for surviving as long as it has.
The works of seniors like Jogen Chowdhury, Rabin Mondal and Shyamasree Basu evoke a sense of déjà vu - there is little that makes these pieces stand out from work that these artists have done before. Chowdhury's dry pastel work is well executed; Basu's brush and spatula strokes demonstrate assured craft; Mondal's 'primitive' men and women remain as haunting as ever. But does one expect anything less from artists of their calibre? Wasim Kapoor reprises a vacuous-looking Christ and Sudip Banerjee's portrayal of cavernous architecture shows little by way of imagination.
Nikhilesh Das uses a striking palette of ultramarine and peruvian in Dream I (picture) and Dream II. Sharp outlines and patchy paint are employed to portray Das's signature languid women and a voyeuristic dreamer. Subhabrata Nandi's Mahanagar by Satyajit Ray - Catastrophe Continues captures the chaos of a skyline teeming with high-rises, their height making the head swim.
Amal Nath Chaklader's Mount Kailash was refreshing and a study in fluidity. The combination of powdery pastels and watercolour made the airiness of the clouds enveloping the peak tangible. The eddies of music emanating from and surrounding Gautam Bhowmik's violin player (done in thick swirls of paint), too, looked real enough to touch.
There was something endearing about Bipin Goswami's grotesque Owl; Pradip Mondal's sculptures had a hint of movement reminiscent of tall grass swaying in a breeze. The clever layering of the surface with newsprint and jabs and whirls of paint by Subrata Ghosh encapsulates the inchoate drama of nature, hinting at growth and rejuvenation - perhaps his work could inspire some of the others in the group.
