Abstract shades, realistic appeal
Artist Devajyoti Ray's canvases speak of the pseudoreal world that one inhabits
Artist Devajyoti Ray did not have any formal training, but his affair with art began quite some time back. In fact, he admits that he's been painting for a very long time now. His present show, 'The Discreet Charm of Pseudorealism', includes 23 paintings — all in various ways depicting the pseudoreal world one inhabits.
Ray's style of painting itself can be called pseudorealistic, as he popularises the form where abstract shapes and offbeat colours that do not have any parallel in the real world are juxtaposed to create an artificial image that has the appeal of reality. "It basically entails using abstract ideas and shades to make a realistic appeal. And therein lies the challenge," says Ray, clarifying that his art cannot be called abstract in that sense. And he asserts that people are rejecting post-modernist art. "That phase of art driven by ambiguity has already seen rejection in the West. It will, in India too," says Ray.
His paintings in the current show is inspired by Luis Bunuel's film The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, which delved into the lives of how the Bourgeoisie in the late 20th century lived a life — completely unaware of what was happening around them. Today, the bourgeoisie not just continues to think as they used to do once, but are even making the rest of the populace think like them. This has been achieved through the domination of the media, which often does not show reality in its true form, but in a way that certain sections of people want the rest to believe. Ray maintains that he doesn't mind if viewers are unable to grasp the pseudoreal aspect of his paintings. "But they should be able to see them and enjoy them. For an artist, however, it's important to get into the intellectual aspect of the art," he says.
Artist Devajyoti Ray's canvases speak of the pseudoreal world that one inhabits
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Artist Devajyoti Ray did not have any formal training, but his affair with art began quite some time back. In fact, he admits that he's been painting for a very long time now. His present show, 'The Discreet Charm of Pseudorealism', includes 23 paintings — all in various ways depicting the pseudoreal world one inhabits.
Ray's style of painting itself can be called pseudorealistic, as he popularises the form where abstract shapes and offbeat colours that do not have any parallel in the real world are juxtaposed to create an artificial image that has the appeal of reality. "It basically entails using abstract ideas and shades to make a realistic appeal. And therein lies the challenge," says Ray, clarifying that his art cannot be called abstract in that sense. And he asserts that people are rejecting post-modernist art. "That phase of art driven by ambiguity has already seen rejection in the West. It will, in India too," says Ray.
His paintings in the current show is inspired by Luis Bunuel's film The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, which delved into the lives of how the Bourgeoisie in the late 20th century lived a life — completely unaware of what was happening around them. Today, the bourgeoisie not just continues to think as they used to do once, but are even making the rest of the populace think like them. This has been achieved through the domination of the media, which often does not show reality in its true form, but in a way that certain sections of people want the rest to believe. Ray maintains that he doesn't mind if viewers are unable to grasp the pseudoreal aspect of his paintings. "But they should be able to see them and enjoy them. For an artist, however, it's important to get into the intellectual aspect of the art," he says.
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