What do Frans Hals, Francisco Goya, Édouard Manet and John Singer Sargent have in common? Covering the period from the 17th to the 20th century, these four artists are the central theme of Kerala artist Shibu Natesan’s recent exhibition. The show is named after a painting which comprises four books dedicated to them—Four Favourites and Other Works. “They have influenced me immensely. For example, Dutch artist Frans Hals used to paint very fast, probably finishing one work in one sitting alone. That is how I paint too. I also feel similarities are there between my style and that of Goya, Manet or Sargent. I look up to these four and also try to take a leaf out of their books and accordingly practice my art,” says the 58-year-old artist.
The works, mostly still life, differ from Natesan’s earlier paintings. The artist acknowledges as much. “The subject matter is the same, what is different is how I have interpreted it. Earlier I would use photographic sources.
But I felt the paint quality was lacking in my work. I wanted to communicate with the painting itself. So I moved to painting from real objects. This happened during the lockdown,
when I spent months in my Wales home. I was surrounded by immovable objects and I decided to paint them. Another departure from my earlier works is that I reduced the scale of the canvas. My earlier paintings were almost always large pieces. While in this exhibition I have focused more on smaller works. With this series it was easier too, as the subject matter was simple. I was just depicting a three-dimensional piece in 2D,” he says.
Every day inanimate objects make their way to his canvas—a pair of rubber gloves lying around with coins strew around; chairs stacked atop wooden tables; an undelivered speed post parcel; a broken wristwatch; a set up cups; a pair of unlaces sneakers… It’s as if the artist is sitting in the centre of room and glancing around and painting things that come into his line of vision. But there’s more to it than random imagery, claims the artist.
“The saint-poet, Swami Tapovanam, has influenced me. In the 1920s, he wrote a book in Malayalam called Himagiri Viharam. It talks about his travels to Mt Kailash. It was the first travelogue in Malayalam. The writing boasts visual balance, encouraging readers to experience a feeling of awe. That is what I wanted to achieve with my paintings. Visual balance should be paramount for an artist,” says the artist, who started his art education in Thiruvanathapuram, before going on to study in Baroda, followed by Amsterdam.
“While I focused on art history in Thiruvananthapuram—also a period when I learnt about Leftist literature and cinema—my time in Baroda was dedicated to honing what I had studied earlier. I charted my own path,” says Natesan, who came across artist Bhupen Khakhar while in Baroda. “I was taken in by his work to a great extent. Though my oeuvre is completely different, I admired what Bhupen did,” says the artist, who terms his time in Amsterdam as the phase that gave him a chance to “see the real picture”. “I studied new artists and experienced art in a completely new way. It was here that I was exposed to European art,” he says.
Natesan reminisces how he was drawn to art from a young age. No surprises there, as his father too was an artist. “I would move around in his studio and experiment with his art materials. In fact, when I decided to study art, my parents wanted me to pursue Applied Arts, as it was more commercially viable, but I had a different aim,” he smiles. So how has he evolved as an artist? “I have had phases.
As I said, this exhibition is quite different from my previous works. I believe the lockdown was the peak period of my artistic life. I was alone in my Wales home and would paint my surroundings and generally ruminate about art. I would wander into the undulating landscape close to my house and depict them in my work,” he says, who also counts his travels as a means of inspiration. “To be honest, I lead a nomadic life. I travel around in my car, carrying along art supplies and an easel. I live and sleep in the car and spend my time painting. It is the best time in my life,” he says as he removes his spectacles and gazes wistfully into the distance.