Transitional lines: To touch under the skin of nature its essence. From the catalogue of Kan-dinsky’s analytical drawing like a dressed up women, ready to play her number: color in the work of Tapan Dash, commands attention and compels the spectators to glide on. Between the warmth of red, the deep indigo and several other primaries and secondary scheme of colors, here is yet another journey about to unwind.
The path is well marked and appears equally exciting to follow on. In deep, it’s the line that prods the eye to move on. Absolutely bare and basic, it conjoins the spirit of the form. In fact, the spirit doesn’t seem to require a body and the lines are sufficient enough to suggest the character of the form.
The charm and challenge of Dash’s work is definitely coded in the line. Although it has the strength of the here and now, one cannot miss the transitional quality, which is inscribed with spontaneity and ease. Nowhere does the artist give us the impression of toil and labor but an impression of sincere child like utterance greets the retina. And those who relish the purity of drawing will never be able to resist appreciating the drawing / paintings of Dash. The lines are so essential in his work that color merely highlights the volumes created by his drawing. The burst of vibrant color mislead the eye to view his works as paintings. But only if we had the means to wash out the entire color-coding attributed by Tapan to his subjects, we will only notice the line grid that not just is the skeleton but is also the medium, which provides volume to his people.
Unconcerned with any kind of analysis the lines create stories. Urban fables unfold to create dra-ma.
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