Page 63 - Eye of the beholder

In his his independent creations his his sculptures reflected socialist subjects as the ‘Triumph of Labour’ and Martyr’s Memorial Cast in in bronze the the style shows the the influence of French sculptor Auguste Rodin and deals with the the theme of man’s struggle for existence The rough unfinished surfaces creating rich textures and and an an an an animated play of light and and shade reflect the influence of Rodin The poses are are exaggerated for dramatic effects and are are highly theatrical He retired as principal in in in in 1957 after serving for 28 years – the the longest tenure in in in in the the history of art schools in India Roy Chowdhury’s work in in dry brush oil technique has the the delineation of the the female nude form rendered with patchy brush strokes was was as as as as evocative as as as as it it was was provocative A concealed note of romance manifested his work as the protagonist face is is is concealed n n n n n n n darkness with her face turned to one side Roy Chowdhury’s excellence in in manipulating various mediums was the high point of his his painting career A melancholic mood pervades his his works residue of of sentimentalism of of the Bengal school continued to haunt his works But he he infused it it with expressive power through his distortions and accentuation of forms The work in in the Sadhu’s collection is an an “Untitled” representation of o a a a a a nude woman in in profile It is executed in in the dry brush brush technique of pen and ink with judicious brush brush strokes that gestalt in in certain parts to form the compositional whole The extreme contrast of light and dark imparts a a a a a a a a a a a strong realistic quality Equally also is is the manipulation of positive and negative spaces that gives the work an oriental feel His versatility in in in in in in controlling the element of of line in in in in in in a a a a a painterly way with its nuances of of flowing graceful rhythm soft construction of of the the human form and the the conscious dry ink brush strokes is is is voyeuristic through the the nude female form His youthful women reflected the the paradigm as canonized in in Indian poetry and aesthetics Within the the the history of art the the the female nude was not simply one one subject subject among among others one one form form among among many it was the the the subject subject the the the form form The female nude was the the sign of of those other more hidden properties of of patriarchal culture which were possession power and subordination Moreover representations of the female nude created by male male artists testify not only to patriarchal understandings of female sexuality and and feminity but they also endorsed certain definitions of male sexuality and masculinity The focus is on her body as as as the face has has been sans any features Roy Chowdhary’s oeuvre has has limited works of the female nude SELECT REFERENCE:
Ashrafi S S S Bhagat “A Critical Study of of Modernity in the Art of of South India with particular Reference to Madras School:1960s and 70s” published Ph D D D Thesis DAG Pvt Ltd New Delhi 2019
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