A personal point of view

In the New Year one of the first shows is Lost in Motion  Recent Works, Ink on paper by the self taught artist Dhanur Goyal  presented by Gallery Ragini at Visual Arts Gallery . The artist believes that his work “does not directly” engage with any particular social or political issue, it takes on a more individual, introspective and autobiographical role in terms of a mental response or reaction towards the issues that we as humanity are trying to grapple with. Nor does he believe in cutting edge art practice, preferring to engage with basics of paintings like drawing and pigment.

His paintings move from chaos and frenzy, to depiction of faith and tranquility  sentiments every individual would feel in different circumstances and situations, to finally  fulfillment and knowledge of life’s progressions, of appreciation that everything is, has been and will be in a constant state of movement. There are two sets of works, with differing treatment though similar motifs permeate both. One set is constituted by polychromatic landscapes that are dense and complex, with vegetational forms and landforms filling the surfaces. In the shadow of the trees or under the hills or along the rivers, primordial ritualistic dances and hunting scenes with bows and arrows are performed by stick like figures reminiscent of cave art of Pachmarhi and Bhimbetka caves dating to the Mesolithic period.

There is a cultural continuum in these primitive painterly traditions that has been preserved in the paintings of Worli tribals and wall paintings of Madhubani. The colours also reflect this continuum with an emphasis on Earth colours, reds, ochres and blues that in the days of yore were derived form mineral and vegetational bases. Goyal uses ink on paper to bring out these elemental features, maintaining transparency of pigment. The swirling lines superimposed on the base painting create an aura of frenetic variations and movement within the composition. The other set of works are pure drawings, of stark forms against the surface of paper.