Krishna Pulkundwar
comes from a Village in Maharashtra with all the rural visual inputs from his
childhood.His keen observation there of nature has stayed with him throughout. The
colours, the play of light and shadow, the effect of rain, sunlight, clouds,
even the moonlight changes how things seem and look.
But more, much more than all this Krishna
was fascinated by textures. The look and feel of stones, barks, pebbles and
leaves viewed through running streams. The ripples caused by a vagrant breeze,
the effect of falling rain. This inspired a great to recreate that on his
canvases.
11''x15'', Untitled, dry pastel on paper
But Krishna is no longer a village lad. He
moved to the big bad city of Mumbai! He is a Professor at Sir J.J .Institute of
Applied Art. He has moved ahead. Completely comfortable in his skin as an urban
person, he is no longer wowed by the city he lives here, is completely
acclimatised here and belongs here.
What has stayed with him is the continued
fascination with texture. The look and feel of city walls , the stones on our
streets , the puddles and potholes , Yes , and the falling rain , the rippling
breeze on the trees and waves of the sea . It is still nature but in an urban
environment.
36''x18'', Untitled, Acrylic on canvas
To this is added modern attire. Working in
a College, he daily sees the young dress – colours, shapes, textures again –
and he is inspired anew. Being surrounded by the young is a wonderful thing –
you are constantly challenged, you interact with them at several levels, you
are exposed to the various media that they use – and you have to update
yourself – and move ahead.
With time comes a certain maturity.
Krishna now looks beyond the obvious, he is more discerning. In the visual
language, he is now pared down, more refined. He has moved away from the common
craft of painting to a more creative level, with much more thought and soul
behind it.
11''x15'', Untitled, dry pastel on paper
There is much more focus behind Krishna’s
work now, not so much impulse and more deep thinking. The forms have been
minimised, the geometrics more diffused, the colour palette more homogenised.
The simplicity is what makes the paintings so elegant and sophisticated.
And as always, the texture is the main
thing. Doing away with a conventional brush, Krishna is using a palette knife,
rollers, rulers and other implements he has created for his work. This gives
the paintings a depth, almost an impasto feel.
JAMAAT is proud to present the second solo show with us, of Krishna Pulkundwar's paintings.
We had presented Krishna's first solo in November 2007. His vibrant reds, oranges, yellows, bubbled with the exuberance of his mood. 3 years later, now in 2010, Krishna has grown as a person, as an artist. He is thinking more deeply, he has matured to a new sensibility. Still inspired by the natural surroundings of his childhood, he remembers bunking school and going with his buddies to the river side, climbing the trees and looking down at the vistas of the fields and the rivers.
The various shades of green, merging with the greys of the clouds, and blues of the waters. The play of sunlight and shadows on the water and within. A peaceful time, a time to introspect. This has given Krishna a different palette. Veering to the blues of the water, interspersed with the sophisticated complexities of grey, the dashing freshness of greens and the earthiness of yellows. The city of Mumbai that he has moved to, also still influences Krishna. The windows and doors that we all look through, frame his works, the geometrics are evidence of them. They give us a perspective to looking deep and delving within.
Krishna enjoys his time, teaching at J.J. Institute of Applied Art. He is inspired by the interaction with his students, enjoys the constant energy they bring and is charged by their freshness. No wonder he is such a popular teacher. However, his passion is his painting. Every day, no matter what the hour, Krishna sits focusedly painting, sketching, in a quest for self progress. Frame and form come constantly to mind: and he ponders, judges, evaluates. Like a musician does "Riyaaz" every day, Krishna must paint every day, listening to the strains of classical Indian music. Painting for him, is "Swanand", his self pleasure. If the viewer also derives pleasure from the work, then a
further goal is achieved.
Krishna's fascination for the dense colour of black is very interesting, juxtaposed with the counterpart of white. Combined with the contrasts of light and shadow, giving endless nuances of grey. Working with acrylics, inks, pastels on canvas, the current suite of paintings are abstracts pared down, minimised for maximum impact. The most simple, as we all know, is the most difficult. They come from a constant journey of delving within, a search for realisation with no real figure or destination. Just journey on, to get better, get more pleasure, and get more "Swanand".
Abstract Joyscapes Many years ago, a little sapling found itself uprooted out of the pristine environs of cool breezes, ample sunshine, flowing streams, and a beautifully simple life. And it found itself replanted into a whole new environment. One of chaos, hustle-bustle, and a furious pace. In such terms could be described Krishna’s migration from his rural roots amidst the warm embrace of nature, to the big bold city of his expression.
While several others might actually have been bogged down by this brutal shift in environment and habitat, Krishna totally exploited his gift of art to marry the influences of his roots and his current existence. And the world was treated to the immensely delightful paintings of Krishna Pulkundwar!
While one might wholly appreciate the acute realism of a landscape painting in the mirror image of God’s creation, the exact stirrings that a beautiful abstract work evokes is something else altogether. I would associate the joy derived out of Krishna’s abstracts to the little inexplicable abstract joys that all of us encounter on an everyday basis. Joys like the sudden blush of an evening sky, the heady feeling that comes with the fragrance of wet earth, the sense of liberation our heart feels on hearing the cuckoo’s call; all abstract expressions, but with very real enrichment of the senses. Quite a bit like taking in the vivid earthy colours, crisp form buildup, and the overall beauty of Krishna’s paintings.
Colours form unique colonies, textures breath a new life, and a flat surface discovers new depths in the bold expressions on Krishna’s canvas. And through it all, I’m sure the viewer experiences a whole new manifestation of plain old simple joy!
Prof. M G Rajadhyaksha Ex Dean, Sir J J Institute of Applied Art, Mumbai
If you carefully go through a painting, you may find various meanings according to your understanding or even the color, texture, composition or subject might interest you. That is why in order to understand an abstract painting; the point of view is what matters most. Ultimately it is the viewer’s point of view.
My paintings always fascinate me, but if the viewer finds it interesting or even if it brings a little smile on his face I would consider that I am going the right way.
Every sensible thought inspires me to work; Also I get inspiration from changing colours and textures of Nature. Producing new work is an ongoing process & my soul is visible in all my works which I create. I always wish to express myself through my art, and people enjoy my expression. Hope you will enjoy these new works also.
I am an Abstract Painter & Lecturer at J. J. Institute of Applied Art Mumbai.
I always wish to express myself through my art and people enjoy my expression. There is a large group of admirers and collectors of my work in India & abroad. I believe, The most simple is the best.
I am from a small village of Maharashtra State, India and now I am in metro city, so the amalgams of nature and city life are mirrored in my work … As a child I loved visiting rivers and was fascinated by the reflection of shallow water, the textures of wood, stones and leaves. These developed into frames of reference and manifest themselves as windows and boxes in my work… As every painting gives me pleasure, so does the medium. Each medium keeps on encouraging me to explore and experiment. All my paintings have given me sublime satisfaction of creation. The feeling of immense joy, which I have experienced, I hope to offer the same to the viewer.
