Form penchant

K S Kulkarni's modern, cubist-dominated art of the Indian scene has intriguing compositions.

Mostly referred as a "lesser-known" but no less important for that, Krishna Shyamrao Kulkarni (1916""94) was part of the turbulent art scene of the 1940s in India.

Like his contemporaries M F Husain and F N Souza, Kulkarni was also among the genre of artists who were greatly influenced by the Pablo Picasso-started Cubist art movement in Europe in the early 20th century.

They, on their part, were trying to redefine Indian art by starting the Progressive Arts Group by imbibing the new modern art form that denied the classical conception of beauty by abandoning proportions and organic integrity of traditional forms and colours towards geometrical and sharp-edged angular pieces.

Like his contemporaries, finding and discovering their individual styles within the modernist and experimentative movement, Kulkarni's muse became scenes from Indian life "" its rusticity and its rich tradition portrayed in modern Cubist art style.

Playing with the form "" of objects, and more so with the human form for which he had a inclination, Kulkarni's works were able to synthesise and express his modern style and the Indian terms "" stark and uncluttered, his human forms could have the sensuality and voluptuousness of Khajuraho sculptures or, at times, their liner clarity, while a sense of rhythm, even though abstracted, resulted in images and compositions.

His interest in painting is said to have been sparked while painting billboards. Later, graduating from the Sir JJ School of Arts in Mumbai, his studies were disrupted for a while as he joined the Quit India movement.

Thrice a national awardee of the Lalit Kala Sangam, Kulkarni was the founder member of the Delhi Shilpi Chakra and the first art director of the Triveni Kala Sangam. He managed to juggle three different roles in art "" an art educator, forerunner for the modern art movement in India, as he explored the plasticity of the human figure.

Critically applauded, the scholarly Kulkarni did not manage the fame achieved by some of his contemporaries.

"He was not media-savvy," says gallerist Payal Kapoor of Arushi Arts who has been collecting his scattered works "" oil and acrylic, mix media paintings on canvas, board and glass, ink drawings on paper and sculptures over the past 2-3 years, that are now on display at the gallery.

As Kulkarni cleverly mutated his forms in the Indian cultural context, he continuously experimented with the line, colour, tone and texture of his images, in technique and figuration, making his style inconsistent at times.

But mostly his technique was "strong line oriented, very cubist and fantastic", says Kapoor. His experimentation of line and form that present novel variations within the series of a particular theme are most referred to.

Among them is the series of ink drawings on paper of his Mother and Child theme that has inspired many an artist on its vision and the executed composition.

Kulkarni's experimentation and excellence with different mediums is also reflected in a difficult oil on glass work "" The Little Girl, in which the contemplative expression of the girl is considered "priceless, considering oils on glass are painted on the reverse", according to Kapoor.

Considered the artist "who did not get his proper due of fame and value for his works while he lived" by Kapoor, the academician and artist Kulkarni till today is regarded in high esteem by the students he taught.

Not choosing to participate in the rat race of the art world, Kulkarni did miss out on his due fame. But as is said repeatedly for art "" "the artist dies and not his art". Kulkarni's works are now getting their share of recognition in the current buzz of the art market.