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Lot 85

 

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"[Raza] has created an equidistant vocabulary which acts as a signpost for incorporating international sensibilities. At the same time he has archived a gravitational force, sprung from deeply entrenched childhood memories." (Yashodhara Dalmia, "Germinating Tidal Waves", Raza, Vadehra Art Gallery Exhibition Catalogue, 2006, pg.3)

Raza had always perceived a need to portray with emotion, rather than retinal observations, which... "[Raza] has created an equidistant vocabulary which acts as a signpost for incorporating international sensibilities. At the same time he has archived a gravitational force, sprung from deeply entrenched childhood memories." (Yashodhara Dalmia, "Germinating Tidal Waves", Raza, Vadehra Art Gallery Exhibition Catalogue, 2006, pg.3)

Raza had always perceived a need to portray with emotion, rather than retinal observations, which reflected in his expressively rendered landscapes. The early 1970s is touted by art writers and critics as Raza's gestural phase, defined by a focus on the physical act of painting, speed and spontaneity. Raza's recollections of this period testify to their appeal: "Instead of being constructions, my paintings from the 1970s are more gestural in technique and expression. In terms of colour too, they are expressionistic. The spontaneity was new and compulsive-I let the canvas grow...." (Geeti Sen, "La Forge: The Furnace", Bindu: Space and Time in Raza's Vision, Media Transasia India Ltd., New Delhi, pg.59)

The present lot, made in 1974, falls in a part of this phase that features a number of Paysages. The title suggests that Raza might have recollected the famous Provence in southeast France. Raza had visited Provence towards the closing of the 1950s. A conflict between construction and spontaneity is perceivable in this work. The palette is contained within a grid, and the colours occupy very distinct positions on the canvas. Yet the brushstrokes appear to be varied and changing course. Some are swift staccatos, while others appear in long, quivering streaks. Another important aspect to this work is the confluence of Raza's learnings in Paris, and his own studies of colour composition in India.

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