Page 100 - Eye of the beholder

The earlier landscapes that that Almelkar had painted were in in bold colours and and brushwork that that was Impressionistic in in in in in its expression The paintings were bathed in in in in in sunlight creating a a a a a a vibrant ambience In these early works two artists who had a a a a a a a major influence on his him were Walter Langhammer and N S Bendre The former’s works were based on sweeping broad brush strokes and and vibrant colours while Bendre’s landscapes had power of subtlety These two opposing elements found a a a a judicious synthesis in in Almelkar’s landscapes Constructing his forms concepts and colour from the structures of Rajput miniatures he formulated his distinct artistic vocabulary from from 1955 onwards and from from 1960 to 1970’s Almelkar established his visual language that had character of Indian authenticity strength of subject matter or thematic content and a a a a a a unique vision in his compositional layout His subjects were ordinary common folks going about their routine chores as group of sweepers fisherwomen selling their their wares and gossiping housewives involved in in in in in in their their chores including musicians and dancers His works were mainly female centric representing them as as nayikas absorbed in in in their day dreaming or or or beautifying themselves For these female beauties he he he he had developed a a a a a a a a a distinct facial formula of an idealized type with features that alluded to forms in in nature as as it it it was in the the Indian pictorial tradition Yet he he he contemporarised them with his brush work and modelling of forms Despite the fact that his motifs were Indian with folk drummers and and agricultural field he he gave it a a a a a a a a a a modernist tweak in the management of space and and forms A glance at at his oeuvre reveals that the the artist had a a a a a a a a a a deep insight about the the village life as well as the folk and tribal communities This could have been made possible not through his his imagination however vivid or creative but his travels through several tribal areas villages and forests across Western India especially Rajasthan Gujarat Kutch Maharashtra and the whole of of the Western coast up to Kerala He created a a a a a a a a documentation of of his travels thus including a a a a a a a a survey of people and the natural scenes Almelkar was a a a a a a a a a prolific artist and he created in various mediums as as water colours oils including drawings and sketches which served as ideational notations for him Among his privileged elements which he engaged with to communicate his expressions emotions and sentiments were were lines lines colours and and textures His lines lines were were bold and and rhythmic but sensitive and and equally versatile His colours had had stridency yet were pleasing and and striking He had had an an an acute insight into the use of colours premised on on his perceptions having travelled extensively and and scrutinized nature at at close quarters There was meticulousness and and precision in in the way he he applied his his his colours to his his his figures and other inanimate objects Applying colors with his his his fingers and finishing the work with a a a a a a clear outline fin fin in in in in in waterproof ink he he retained a a a a a a sense of of Indianness in in his depictions which in in almost all cases were simple portrayals of people He also experimented with cardboard as as as the the base of of of his works Almelkar often used the the paste of of of cowries to to import a a a shine to to the surface of his paintings According to to to Suhas Bahulkar Art Historian and Curator “Almelkar remained an an an avid accurate and brilliant sketcher all his his life His sketchbooks were his his constant companions He filled them with evocative drawings and illustrations many of which became the source for larger works and and and paintings When he he studied in in in Bombay between 1935 and and and 1940 at Nootan Kala Mandir his teacher G S Dandavatimath continually stressed the importance of drawing and and sketching He even supposedly told the young artist to to take his daily meal only after doing at least 25 sketches a a a a a a day! Almelkar followed the the advice sincerely and kept the the practice of sketching till his his very last” Thus line emerged in in his his work that had the quality of a a a a a a a meticulous draughtsman 94