Date:22/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/22/stories/2008102250970200.htm

New Delhi

Wood ‘sculptures for use’ up for sale

Atul Sinha unfolds ‘Space Beyond Innovation’

Atul Sharma’s ‘Astral Wood’.

A solo exhibition of wood sculptures by young artist Atul Sinha opened in the Capital at Art Konsult gallery in Hauz Khas Village on Tuesday. Titled “Space Beyond Innovation”, the exhibition is on up to November 10.

Atul is adept at ceramics, glass etchings, wood, bronze and papier mache sculptures. He has painted in oil, acrylic, water colour and ink, even using kerosene and diesel in his early works.

Rare insight

His capacity to use different materials has given him a rare insight into blending matter with aesthetics. However, his forte is sculpture and what makes him a breed apart from his contemporaries is that he has been consistently producing “sculpture for use”.

Atul doesn’t make sculptures in bulk. Thus, each sculpture becomes unique as he gives his own personal touch to them. His sculptures can be used as daily use items such as tables, chairs, racks and lamps. The artist intends to transcend the fine line between art and design.

While some art experts have criticised the utilitarian concept of art, Atul continues to seek gratification in the utility aspect of his sculptures.

“When I start working on a sculpture, I only attempt to collate my expeditions and artistic capabilities into three-dimensional figures. But on the same hand, I don’t object when my buyers decide to make use of it. My studio is not a factory which makes multiple copies of one entity. Each work has an identity of its own and is just like any other piece of art,” says the artist.

Deriving inspiration from his diverse travels, from the stark landscapes of Spiti Valley, Leh and Ladakh, the deserts of Jaisalmer to the hills of Uttarakhand, Atul brings out the best in wood, gently nudging it into shapes that evoke recognition of images from those lands.

“I have evolved a repertoire of multiple textures, levels of treatment of the layers and grain of wood and figurative elements as diacritical marks to guide the viewer along the way,” says Atul.

Madhur Tankha