Gobardhan Ash

Untitled, Figurative, Gouache on Paper by Gobardhan Ash "In Stock"

Gobardhan Ash - Untitled - Gouache on Paper 10 x 15 inches (unframed size) Style : Regarded as a pioneer of modern Indian art, Ash’s contribution at the time when India witnessed the advent of Western modernism is significant and colossal. His work was exploratory, visionary and inspiring. He printed with bold courage and a free spirit, never yielding to the rules set by official art. He rejected the preconceived notions of how an artist ought to render his subjects and inevitably rebelled against the academic rules “ If we look at nature in the open, we do not see individual objects each with its own colors but rather a bright medley of tints which blend in our eyes, in our minds.” – Gobardhan Ash (The Statesman, April 24, 1994). His verbal imagery alluded to what was real and relevant in India yet transcended to communicate a deeper, universal message about the human spirit. Disillusioned with the limits and constraints he faced, Ash withdrew into his private introspective world to explore his own mode of artistic expression. And although it was the convention then to paint divinities or exotic female figures on their way to the temple, Ash embarked on a new approach altogether to paint farmers toiling in the fields, workers engaged in intense labor to earn their living, thereby setting a new trend of socio-realistic art in India. In 1945, Ash was brought into the public eye when the progressive writers Association discovered his series of paintings on the Bengal famine. The paintings depict, if not document, the ravages of the 1943 catastrophe. In juxtaposition to the famine series, his impressionist and post impressionist gouaches during the late 40s come as an interesting antithesis. Colors, rich and vibrant, come alive in a pulsating tone to dominate the entire painting. Ash never subscribed to a stringent artistic form or technique. Rather, his works from the 80s display yet another intriguing and jarringly different style in his treatment of portraiture. His colors, with the exception of the apparent outlines, are reduced to smudges and smears so that the painting appear to originate from stained canvas. His subjects, spectral figures that engage and draw us within their profound state of despair and helplessness. To characterize the life works of Gobardhan Ash is to recognize the complexity and spontaneity of his ideas and the enormous richness of his style. An artist who devoted his entire life to art, his paintings have transited and evolved from monochromatic sketches and landscape to portraiture; from naturalistic real-life depictions to abstract expressionism. Whatever the genre style-Ash has demonstrated an eloquent mastery over the diverse style, techniques and medias employed, as evident in the vast retrospective collection. His paintings are conceptual and purposeful, displaying a unique individuality. His art expounds a frank desire to convey the value of uncompromising artistic sincerity. Gobardhan Ash remains today a prolific artist of his time. About the Artist & his works : Born : Regarded as a pioneer of modern Indian art, Gobardhan Ash (1907-1996) was born at the village of Begampur in Hoogly district of West Bengal.. Family : His father was Haricharan Ash and mother Gouri Devi. He spent all his life in this village and died here in 1996 at the matured age...

Chhotu Lal - Untitled, 10.25 x 14 inches Gouache and Gold on Acid Free Paper, 2020 ** Shipped in roll form. Born in 1957, Chhotu lal is an acclaimed artist based in Udaipur, Rajasth...

From the estate of Jerry Opper & Ruth Friedmann Opper Slit c. 1940-1950's Gouache on Paper 15" x 18", Unframed *Custom framing available for additional charge. Please expect framing...

From the estate of Jerry Opper & Ruth Friedman Opper Black Floor c. 1940-1950's Gouache on Paper 15" x 18" Unframed *Custom framing available for additional charge. Please expect framing time between 3-5 weeks. From the estate of Ruth Friedmann Opper & Jerry Opper. Ruth was the daughter of Bauhaus artist, Gustav Friedmann. San Francisco Abstract Expression A free-spirited wave of creative energy swept through the San Francisco art community after World War II. Challenging accepted modes of painting, Abstract Expressionists produced highly experimental works that jolted the public out of its postwar complacency. Abstract Expressionism resulted from a broad collective impulse rather than the inspiration of a small band of New York artists. Documenting the interchanges between the East and West Coasts, she cites areas of mutual influence and shows the impact of San Francisco on the New York School, including artists such as Mark Rothko and Ad Reinhardt. San Francisco's Beat poets...