What’s on a wanderer’s canvas? : The Tribune India

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What’s on a wanderer’s canvas?

Born in Bhubaneshwar and based in suburban Gurgaon, artist and sculptor Jagannath Panda’s work straddles the twin worlds with unique efficacy.

What’s on a wanderer’s canvas?

Dweller of Metropolis-III



Monica Arora

Born in Bhubaneshwar and based in suburban Gurgaon, artist and sculptor Jagannath Panda’s work straddles the twin worlds with unique efficacy. Majority of his creations are centred on the oft discussed themes of the effects, both positive and negative, of urban environments as well as the displacement or uprooting of peoples from their native lands.

Very deftly, the artist is able to encompass symbols of urban landscapes, animal and bird motifs, foliage and other material from architectural models, drawings or paintings and blends these seamlessly in his works, offering onlookers an experience of the real and the mythical. For instance, in his 2012 work Trajectories of Love and Hate, there is a bird’s eye view of an urban dwelling within a larger, darker and earthier landscape, dotted with a few patches of green and largely twisted into a surreal reality. Fatal-Sublime is actually a direct allegory to the destructive nature of urban growth and planning as it depicts an ugly car crash with faint hints of some buildings in the distant background.

Another social aspect often represented in Panda’s work is the ever-growing chasm between the privileged and the not-so-privileged in the contemporary society. His 2005 acrylic on canvas, entitled Water-05, is a stark reminder of how the economically deprived are marginalised in the society.

The artist has exhibited after a long gap of some seven years and put up a solo show in New Delhi recently. He takes Crystal Cities next to Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai, from September 27 to October 29. In this exhibition, the artist has taken simple objects used in home furnishings or interior designing, such as fabrics, wood, pieces of broken toys or other objects, bits of photographs, acrylic on canvas, and so on to create the paintings and sculptures displayed therein.

Speedmetals is a stunning portrayal of the chaos of modern, urban life, whilst Wonderland I and II are almost fantastical, elevating reality into an alien space. Another series, The Structure of Arid Terrains, deploys a malleable, fabric-like substance, which is pasted on the canvas in shapes derived from what look like architectural drawings but juxtaposed with bits of currency and some bright images against a fantastical background.

Most interesting to observe is how the artist has used animal motifs and attributed them with human traits, as is evident from the lifelike sculpture of a bird’s bust in The Custodian of Untold Truths or even in The Profiteer. Akin to an eagle or a hawk, both are like these malicious individuals, ready to encash on an opportunity presenting itself for furthering personal goals, a powerful metaphor for the politicians and leaders. Metropolis is a huge sculpture occupying centrestage at the exhibition and has used the metaphor of a human hand to show how misuse of the environment and natural resources has more or less rendered them on the verge of extinction. The Dweller of Metropolis series comprises very neat, optical diagrams, which are used against images of memorabilia signifying how the middle class struggles to elevate itself to an aspirational lifestyle and leaves debris of its displacement on the way.

In another work, the Alchemy of Dwelling, the artist has used the images of basic hutments housing daily utility items like books, dentures, some plants, even animals and bits of body parts to explain a disjointed living style, which is completely misplaced from its roots and is trying to find its bearings. And, the Crystal City canvas is a huge conglomeration of high-rises from which peeks a section of the blue sky, presenting the tragedy of those living here, virtually touching the sky but never able to catch even a glimpse of the slice of blue heaven amidst the multitude of urban structures. The quintessential concrete jungle has been created from seemingly ordinary objects and somehow the Jagannath Panda’s aesthetics treat them like an alchemist to create a holistic work of art, which is valid for each and every conception.

As social psychologist Simon du Plock, puts it, “Modern civilisation does not generate an ethical framework for human life.” Jagannath Panda’s thought-provoking creations stride somewhere in between.

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