With its intriguing title, the art exhibition ‘In Love, with Love…’ attempts to capture
the multiple nuances of humanity’s most potent emotion. Love can be familial,
spiritual, ideal, sexual; it can be playful or intensely serious; passionate or
quietly poignant – there are so many kinds and so many ways to love,
underscores curator Samira Sheth. “Love is indeed a rich subject and subsequent
shows will address the arc of love, with each artist highlighting a different
aspect,” says Samira.
To begin with, Goan artist Norman Tagore mines the rich subject
of romantic love. He unabashedly celebrates the powerful driving force that
continues to permeate movies and music, yet rarely forms the central concern of
contemporary art.
Where is the passion, angst, romance, connection, intimacy…
where is the heart in art today? Where is love? Norman Tagore brings back the
forgotten art of love, making a sweet exploration of the complex, multilayered
subject. He highlights the romantic aspect of love, the interplay of desire and
affection in vibrant yet quietly illustrative works that portray a simple
version of love.
Apart from his skilful line and charcoal drawings, Norman is
known for his expressive portraits and nudes in oils. He prefers to paint live
models and his regular studio practice involves working with art models from
all over the world.
Keen to explore various media and styles, Norman is also an
accomplished graffiti artist and has worked on a number of outdoor murals that
reflect a strong Pop Art influence.
In this show, he presents a series of accomplished line drawings
in ink on paper that show couples in embrace or just holding each other. His
suite of colourful fairy tale like watercolours draws from world mythology and
there are the tragic tales of Hero and Leander, Orpheus and Eurydice hung
alongside the timeless love stories of Laila-Majnu; Perseus Andromeda and
legendary lovers Radha Krishna.
The acrylics on canvas are in a completely different style. Done
in a Pop Art idiom, these portray iconic love scenes from the movies. In
addition, there are some wonderfully sensitive portraits of couples. “At once
artful and artless, these carefully positioned couples stand strong in a
culture that frowns upon the expression of affection and intimacy even between
heterosexual couples.
“Norman presents widely diverse expressions of love. While we
have the grand romantic gestures of the movies on one hand, we also have a
portrayal of a world where love is simple and love is real, often found in the
ordinary moments of daily life. Couples look out at the world together,
standing close to one another in quiet companionship.
“There are many readings to these seemingly simplistic images of
lovers rendered in different media but one that comes through most strongly is
that love truly does create a world and momentum all of its own,” says Samira.
The
show, on until October 31, 2019 welcomes art lovers to engage and revel in this
charming celebration of love.
