Why call the show, `Fragments from an unstructured existence?’ He smiles, “Well, because nothing in my life or my art has ever been about structure. I flit between media, between subjects to find myself. There are times when I know that a comfort zone could have served me better.” Most commercially viable art being produced today, he says, comes from `muscle memory.’
“You delete a little, add a little and you keep doing what has now become synonymous with you. My 42 years in art have seen me dabbling with photography, colour printing, water colours, acrylics, oils, graphite and my favourite medium..pastels. I veer between abstracts, landscapes, between an explosion of pure pigments and restful monochromes. I go where my search takes me.”
Though committed to the idea that art must be respected and given its due,Milind wonders sometimes if there is a middle way for artists who neither want to show their work in bustling street fairs nor in regimented galleries. He understands the economics behind both but chooses not to judge those who take either route.”I am a lone wolf. I was asked why I am showing my work at Rangoli, a venue ‘meant’ for upcoming artists and I made it clear that I don’t distinguish between ‘seniority’ and youth. When it comes to art, every serious practitioner deserves respect. And Rangoli is a great exhibition space. It is right at the heart of the city and everyone has access to it,” says he.
In his richly varied artscape, the one consistent note has been his love for pastels. In a country where collectors think of art as an investment opportunity and do not buy a pastel study as readily as they would buy a work in oils,Milind has fearlessly stuck to his conviction that pastels have a timeless appeal. He says, “Even Leonardo da Vinci used pastels. So did Tagore in the last years of his life. Monet did some of his best work in pastels. As did Renoir. It is not a medium that fades away with time. The brightness stays and the richness of pure pigments stands out. Some of the leading artists in the world work with pastels but in India, there is a certain reticence towards the medium.”
During a memorable visit to the US, he met Wolf Kahn, who is a legend in the field of pastel art and recalls, “It was so gracious of him to make time and meet me. I felt inspired to not just continue my work with pastels but also to teach and spread awareness about their use.”
And since this is a time for retrospectives and introspection, he wants to also revisit his work from 1979 to 1999. “These years are locked up in boxes and not even my artist friends have seen the work I did then.” Maybe, in a few months, more fragments will become whole and Milind Nayak will finally have an overview of the big picture he has been painting all along.
The artist also had a slide show on his paintings and an interactive session on January at Rangasthala.
Rangoli Metro Art Gallery, MG Road Boulevard.
11 am to 7.30 pm – Wednesday to Monday
Closed on Tuesdays
with The New Indian Express