Agony
and Ecstasy...
Agony
and Ecstasy penned by Irving Stone the American novelist in 1961 encapsulates
the life of Michelangelo the famous Renaissance artist perfectly I also choose
this as a point of entry to talk about Avinash Godbole’s life and work, for
nothing could be far from truth. Avinash Godbole knows the pain of being landlocked
when your heart dreams of flight. He had a long and fulfilling career in the
world of advertising, where he donned many hats; creative director, illustrator
and mentor. Over the years he won many accolades and gained respect as an
illustrator whose lines spoke volumes about, sometimes more than the words.
Looking back it is difficult to tell whether he would continued in the same
mien, but life had something else in store for him. He had a stroke which
turned his life around, but Godbole was one who never gave up, supported by his
wife he did not pick up from where he left but forged a new path. he chose the
metaphor of line and colour to express his life after a stroke in his
paintings.
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| (Kokilaben Hospital. Avinash Godbole had come for his regular checkup:2010) |
Godbole
picked up his pencil again, this time with his left hand. It was a slow start.
It was like learning to paint all over again. He realised that his brain was
still intact: it had ideas, creativity, a vision for beauty. It took three
years to train his left arm to bring that vision to reality.
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| (Untitled : Acrylic on paper 30x20 inches Recent work by Avinash Godbole) |
He started painting full time after he retired as an executive creative
director. Three years ago, he came up with a series of 25 paintings describing
his tryst with the stroke. His doctor encouraged him to use his works to spread
awareness and give hope to stroke patients on life after the stroke, then began
a series of exhibitions in Mumbai and Delhi. He was also invited to exhibit his
paintings at the World Stroke Association's conference in Brazil in 2012. Hope
is the message he wishes to convey to stroke patients and their families. In this solo exhibition he is showcasing a body of
30 works, these unlike his earlier works speak of pain and desire to come to
terms with what life has dealt him. The subjects are pared down to the very
core = what does it all mean? How does one tackle the flesh? The desires, the
unsaid wishes.They are of diverse subjects but what binds them together is the presence
of emotions; be it the musician singing a soulful song or a head, each convey a
passion. The choice of colours is bold and the strokes strong and unwavering,
together they create a painting that not only moves the viewer but stuns with
its intensity.
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| (Face of Fear Dry : Pastel on Hand made paper 24x22 inches Recent work by Avinash Godbole) |
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| (Untitled : Acrylic on Hand made Paper 41x28 inches Recent work by Avinash Godbole) |
Avinash Godbole graduated from the Sir J.J.School of
Art, Mumbai, in 1966. He taught in the same institute before working as a
creative director in some of the top agencies across the country. All along his
forte was and continues to be his illustrations. His works have been part of
magazines and newspapers for over 30 years. He was inducted to the Commercial
Artists Guild (CAG) Hall of fame in the year 1999. Godbole, though actively involved in advertising, always
had painting as his first love. He continued to paint all along, though his
hectic schedule didn’t leave him enough time to devote towards creating a large
body of works for exhibitions. However, he has been showing his works regularly
in galleries in Mumbai since 1997. His works deal with a wide range of
subjects, his main concern being ‘life’. One can also see that the artist draws
heavily from different Indian genres, like Tantra, the Kamasutra, and various
folk traditions.
The artist lives and works in Mumbai.
- By Yamini Telekar
(Note : This PRESS RELEASE for all Indian news paper, leading PR Agency and online social media, please share )
Details : A show of recent paintings by Avinash Godbole on 14to 20 April 2014.
11AM to 7PM (Open on Sunday 11AM to.3PM)
At Art Gate Gallery 1st floor, Chheda Sadan, J Tata Road,above Satyam collection, next to Eros Cinema, Churchgate, Mumbai 400020.
