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Lot Essay
Mohammad Ali Talpur is recognised as the leading contemporary minimalist artist in Pakistan. Following the example of minimalist/conceptual virtuosos such as Sol LeWitt, Talpur champions a return to the craft of drawing. Working in marker, oil and acrylic on canvas as well as ink and technical pen on paper, his work is a perpetual investigation into the mechanics of forming lines, a meditative obsession which immersed Talpur into a process of mapping the very medium of drawing.
This example from the Leeka (line) series is one of Talpur's largest scale canvases to date. The pronounced horizontal line bisecting this monumental work provides a natural partition, effectively transforming this canvas into a spectacular diptych. Works in the Leeka series, reveal something more than a purely objective mechanical discipline. Beneath the meticulous technical prowess and startling elegance of line in this work, lies a subtle textural and organic quality. Instead of cold and calculating, the work becomes dynamic and energetic as the multitude of considered lines form rich flowing abstract textures of feathers and fur in keeping with Talpur's fascination with beasts and birds. While the Leeka series is indeed an exploration into the process of drawing and construction of line, Talpur exceeds precedents set down by proponents of Minimalist and Conceptual art of the past.
This example from the Leeka (line) series is one of Talpur's largest scale canvases to date. The pronounced horizontal line bisecting this monumental work provides a natural partition, effectively transforming this canvas into a spectacular diptych. Works in the Leeka series, reveal something more than a purely objective mechanical discipline. Beneath the meticulous technical prowess and startling elegance of line in this work, lies a subtle textural and organic quality. Instead of cold and calculating, the work becomes dynamic and energetic as the multitude of considered lines form rich flowing abstract textures of feathers and fur in keeping with Talpur's fascination with beasts and birds. While the Leeka series is indeed an exploration into the process of drawing and construction of line, Talpur exceeds precedents set down by proponents of Minimalist and Conceptual art of the past.