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Lot Essay
Often autobiographical and intensely narrative, K.G. Subramanyan's paintings draw from his experiences as an accomplished writer, designer, and educator. Employing an artistic style indicative of Indian folk art much as the cubistic styles of Western Modernism, Subramanyan addresses complex political and social issues often touching upon gender, sex and the inherent tension between public and private life.
Speaking on this series, critic Kamala Kapoor draws the viewer's attention to the highly animated nature of these works saying, "the subjects appear fictionalized, their emotional ramifications opened up. There is a plot, a dialogue, and a sense of drama that takes us inside the characters. In numbers 1, 3 and 4 of the "Midnight Blues" series, for instance, the drama turns more overt with the dynamics that support ostensible subject matter in the enactments verging on the sado-masochistic where, masked men brandish knives as women hurtle for cover. Throughout there is a sense of the erotic limned with dark menace, but the physical contortions appear to emanate as if from the theater of the absurd." (K. Kapoor, K.G. Subramanyan, Exhibition Catalogue, The Guild, Mumbai, December 2003)
Speaking on this series, critic Kamala Kapoor draws the viewer's attention to the highly animated nature of these works saying, "the subjects appear fictionalized, their emotional ramifications opened up. There is a plot, a dialogue, and a sense of drama that takes us inside the characters. In numbers 1, 3 and 4 of the "Midnight Blues" series, for instance, the drama turns more overt with the dynamics that support ostensible subject matter in the enactments verging on the sado-masochistic where, masked men brandish knives as women hurtle for cover. Throughout there is a sense of the erotic limned with dark menace, but the physical contortions appear to emanate as if from the theater of the absurd." (K. Kapoor, K.G. Subramanyan, Exhibition Catalogue, The Guild, Mumbai, December 2003)