Sketches, Scribbles, Drawings

Book excerpt: A sketch . . . records something that happens between the artist and the object. Now closer to the artist, now closer to the object, but still hanging in the tension in between. Or the memory or recall of that tension. A composite of line, scratches, smears, swabs and dots that recreates an object, it learns its rhythm in the process. And becomes an object by itself. The artist sometimes keeps it to the essentials; at other times he dresses it up and makes it play a role. Set sail a narrative. And take one to new shores of experience. This uncovers new images. So this ceaseless doodling; the unravelling of what is, then its reknitting into novel composites. This volume of sketches, scribbles, drawings spans the work of the last 30 years, with the bulk of the material coming from the period between 1980 and the present. The selection has been put together by the artist himself, with the aim of compiling a definitive collection. This volume includes his early sketches from 1968, the black-and-white drawings for his reverse paintings from 1980, his China, Japan, London and Oxford sketches, drawings of nature, and figure studies. It provides a rich variety of mediums and styles, from works in crayon and watercolour to pen and ink scribbles, brush drawings, notes, doodles and working drawings. The volume opens with a thoughtful introduction by K. G. Subramanyan, reflecting on the importance and purpose of such sketches and drawings for an artist, and looking back on his experiences over a long and eminent career. There is also a substantial biographical sketch prepared by art historian and close associate R. Siva Kumar, who has observed K. G. Subramanyan s oeuvre over the years. A leading artist, theoretician and teacher, K. G. Subramanyan is Professor Emeritus at Kala Bhavan. He lives and works in Santiniketan.