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Lot 90

 

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In his recent work, G. R. Iranna has turned to explore contemporary crises of identity and their effects, both positive and negative, on the human psyche. The cast of his large scale, theatrical works has thus come to include ‘the Retired King’. These new stock figures are “trapped between past and future, power and the loss of power. These are tragic inheritors of lost empires, deceived by cunning mapmakers and their own inability to... In his recent work, G. R. Iranna has turned to explore contemporary crises of identity and their effects, both positive and negative, on the human psyche. The cast of his large scale, theatrical works has thus come to include ‘the Retired King’. These new stock figures are “trapped between past and future, power and the loss of power. These are tragic inheritors of lost empires, deceived by cunning mapmakers and their own inability to second-guess the dark angel of history” (Ranjit Hoskote, The Dancer on the Horse: Reflections on the Art of Iranna GR, Mapin Publishing, Ahmedabad, 2006, p. 29). In the present diptych, the king is dressed in regal attire, but has no throne. One hand on the hilt of his sword, he is ready to defend his kingdom; however, his is only a desiccated land of pebbles and shadow-tigers that push him into a corner.

Contrasting the ideal of sovereignty with the unkind actualities of the present, Iranna highlights the ephemeral nature of power and position. “The king began as a fairytale figure for Iranna, drawn from the stories his grandmother used to tell him when he was a child in Sindgi; but the figure outgrew the context of nostalgia to become a means of commenting on the harsh realities of history and political life” (Ibid., p. 29).

The artist’s surface and technique match the existential turmoil of his subjects. Immersed in paint and unsympathetically textured with drips and splatters, Iranna’s activated surfaces reflect the physicality of his creative process and heighten the anxiety of his characters. Explaining his use of tarpaulin instead of canvas for these large-format pieces, Iranna says, “A smooth surface binds me…I want to extend myself, for which I need rougher surfaces. The choice of materials I use reflects my temperament. After working on various types of paper and canvases, I opted for the rough surface of tarpaulin. It shows the restlessness in me. I like the rusted surface of an iron sheet and old depleted walls. These surfaces excite me to create…” (rpt. in Ibid., p. 26, 27).

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