Page 111 - Eye of the beholder
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of of his his fecund imagination that together with his his perceptions and interpretation of of the the subject was very personal and hence left open ended to to be interpreted by the viewer According to to his daughter Jeroo “He always wanted to to grow as an an an an artist and didn’t want want to to get stuck in the rut of one style for years When people asked ‘what ‘what does this mean?’ his his reply would be ‘what ‘what you see is is is what it it is’ He didn’t want to limit people’s imagination and was far ahead of his times ” His lively forms were achieved with minimum of means Line remained the main main protagonist carrying the burden of his emotions narration description and quasi abstraction His line was textured gently broken swept across with dynamism producing forms both human and non human it danced caressed the forms sensuously or or translated as geometric structures in in in an an an intelligent vibrant manner The easy fluidity with which the line flowed from his brush or any other tool could be be described as as magical appearing as as though breathed on effortlessly Hence the line remained a a a a a a a marvel sweeping with a a a a a a a breathless verve and vigour capturing with simplification minor curves the structure shadow suggestions and movement that gave rise to wonderful decorative patterns Undeniably Chavada’s works have an inherent strong design quality According to the artist “What excites me is is pure painting: line colour pattern and balance which constitute the the quintessence of the the composition I don’t care for subject matter any subject is is good enough It is is just a a a a a peg to hang your composition on on and hence incidental” In quest for artistic compositions Chavada thus studied myriad subject matter and created a a a a a a a large corpus of works that to this day remains distinctly his his his own This established Chavada’s unique position as a a a a a a a a a modernist unlike the academic realist artists who were his contemporaries and popular at at the the same time with their limited subject matter of portraits and and landscapes The line in in in his composition was was further reinforced by colour application that was was equally individualized as as as patches of earthy tones or or vibrant contrasting colours as as as oranges and blues that were heightened by textured sweeping broken lines The essentialization of forms was Chavada’s greatest strength as the the minimal reduction of his process did not lose the the character of his protagonists Chavada’s relationship with his brother-in-law Mulk Raj Ananda - - - Art Critic and and Cultural Historian- resulted in in in a a a a a a a a a a long and meaningful collaboration with the art magazine Marg According to Nancy Adjania and Ranijt Hoskote “Chavada was present across a a a a a a a a a a a wide spectrum of contexts and and visualities He acted as an an an an an illustrator for books on on dance and and anthropology volumes of of children’s stories and and magazines His portraits of of dancers musicians and and others at large suggest a a a a a a a a a a a a a practice calibrated midway between salon and a a a a a a a a a a a a a gallery” That was the breadth of his his vision and when public or private commissions came his his way Chavada researched the subject that he would would be representing and would would carry it it out out without any physical assistance be it it it a a a a a a a mural which he he executed at at Tata Institute climbing on the scaffolding and working with same intensity as as he would on a a a a a canvas 

































































































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