Avinash Godbole: A Galloper bounded for a cogitative leap.

Exclusive interview & Review by Pankaja JK.

It is said that Art flows in blood, its in genes; Avinash Godbole proves it right through his body of work recently displayed at Mumbai’s Art Gate Gallery. He continues to exercise his will to express in form of forms and figures even after being bounded to wheel chair after the stroke. I personally feel it is not right to admire any work of any individual considering the limitations put to their movement due to physical impairment. Sympathy waves reduce the intensity of expressed theme. So addressing personally to Avinash, I would say “Your work is an epitome of defeating the physical helplessness by cognitive power. The hope that you develop in minds of alike handicaps is very potent”. 

(Prabhakar kolte, Avinash Godbole, Prof Sathaye Sir J. J. Institute of Applied Art, Viru Hiremath at Avinash Godbole's Solo show Mumbai.)

Varied expressive faces are a natural outburst of feelings that human undergo at every instance and according to changing situations. Life takes twists and turns and one has to be ready to handle it wisely without being paranoid. His paintings suggest ‘live and let live life’. he shows human being is a compile of all animals. There is not much difference between us and those dumb souls, though we have additional power of brain. Do we really follow brain’s order during tragic or happy moments? Does philosophy work in emotional situation? These doubts are baseless because, as we can make out from his paintings, the philosophies work only in placid circumstances and not otherwise. The works themselves show the agony of Avinash after the calamity, but it is best to observe his subtle ability to win over situation. Here I feel he applied the Reasoning and moved on with vigor and gist without being distracted. He illustrates power of mind over heart. Sexuality is recurrent in his works. It’s a basic need of every living thing. He proposes to be unbiased at its thought. Accepting it as a basic need adds ‘life’ to life. And this is the ultimate theme of his paintings- Life.

The black and whites and the bold colors metaphors his concept. The bold stokes intensify the theme. His paintings are not only appreciative pieces but a retrospective. They try to find meaning of life at a point when one losses all hopes of living. And especially in his case he aims to develop positivity among the people (with stroke attack) who may be gallopers before their tryst with illness but now steadfastly grounded. But let them be like tree which has no movement, yet it spreads its branches and grows to be the shelter and life giver. The exhibition was truly inspiring and motivational.   

ART TALK : by Avinash Godbole

What is the theme of the show?

In this solo exhibition ‘The Avinash Godbole Show’ at Art Gate gallery at Satyam Collection, I am 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.  It is basically about how I started painting and continued my dream even after i faced difficulties in my life. The Love for paintings never died in me. Paintings are everything for me even after I had an paralytic attack.

(Artist : Avinash Godbole)

How long did it take for the artist to paint these pictures?

I paint almost 100 to 150 paintings a year and in this exhibition I have put up selected paintings which were recently painted and which depict my life.

How has the journey been for the artist throughout the making of the series?

Inspired by my own recovery from a stroke that left me crippled 11 years ago, and the gradual re-picking up of the brush one hand at a time. I started off his career by paintings which included diverse subjects ranging from sexuality to philosophy, explorations of the human mind and resurgence from pain. The thing that binds his paintings together is the presence of emotions in him.

What according to him is the most special  bit about showcasing the paintings?

To look around my life and my paintings and to show the world that being a handicapped person I can still paint like them. I never complain about being a crippled person as i wants to prove that I can still live a life like a normal person

Tell us about your journey. How did you motivate yourself to make the paintings and how difficult was it?

I know the pain of being landlocked when your heart dreams of flight. I had a long and fulfilling career in the world of advertising, where I donned many hats; creative director, illustrator and mentor. Over the years I 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 I would have continued in the same way but life had something else in store for him. I had a stroke which turned my life around, but I never gave up, I was supported by my wife. I did not pick up from where  I left but forged a new path. I chose the metaphor of line and colour to express my life after a stroke in my paintings. I picked up his pencil again, this time with my left hand. It was a slow start. It was like learning to paint all over again. I realised that my brain was still intact: it had ideas, creativity, a vision for beauty. It took three years to train my left arm to bring that vision to reality. I started painting full time after he retired as an executive creative director. Three years ago, I came up with a series of 25 paintings describing my tryst with the stroke. My doctor encouraged me to use my 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. I was also invited to exhibit my paintings at the World Stroke Association's conference in Brazil in 2012. Hope is the message I wish to convey to stroke patients and their families.

Are you looking at art as your alternate career now? It like I exist because I paint. This is not an alternate career me. Now this is my life, my passion and i lives for painting as painting has give me new lease of life. 

(Spotted Sunil Padwal and Tathi Premchand at Solo show by Avinash Godbole)

( Report courtesy AP PR )

 

My Name is Yusuf, Yusuf Afzal Hussain...

In a well defined space structure, lines are spread out in rhythmic frequencies. They meet, Accumulate and multiply. There are small regions and vast territories, motion and stillness, there are energetic centres, tension and release. Space is invested, charged with organic forces, obeying mysterious laws.Through a linear language of which he has acquired mastery, Yusuf reveals his essential preoccupation : lines in space. He starts with the simplest strategies of horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines, to build up pictorial situations of great complexity and sophistication.

An intuitive perception of geometro-dynamics and acute form sensibility lead him to the higher structures of human awareness.Paintings are worked out meticulously towards perfect form orchestration. Some are bathed in light to attain motionless crystal purity. Others reveal infinite variation, recurrences and organic growth. Colours creep in discreetly to become an integral part. Forms, as counterparts or dynamic opposites, expand and contract to find the right relationship and equilibrium. Ever present, the line an alive entity, generates line, radiates

energy-plays the life spectacle. The evidence is not the narration of life, it is life in essence. Yusuf has liberated himself from the visual image of the exterior world and is involved in a major preoccupation-the painted space-almost like the vocal musician, who goes beyond the comprehensible word, to pure music.Here is a painter’s vision of great authenticity, with origins deep-rooted in different facets of Indian thought. The long and discreet research of Yusuf reveals an original expression of rare sensibility. His paintings should be seen in silent meditation, without prejudice or preconceived notions, for sheer joy and exaltation.S.H. RAZA

Paris 21stNov. 1988

( S H Raza and Yusuf Afzal Hussain  )

My Lines :When describing the ultimate purity of a line Paul Klee had opined that a line can never be drawn in its purest form. Whereas I believe that if a line has no true existence in nature, then how can anyone judge its purity at all. A line is an invention of man, who believes that it actually has a place of its own in nature. So far a line has been used to explain accessible things, to give expression to the shape and form of projections, to define circles, etc. The basic line is drawn to express the texture. A line lays a very important role in giving a dead form to any creative effort. It is light that enables us to see natural shapes clearly. The capacity to reflect light gives things their colour. Two opposite colours make it possible to see the out lines markedly.

The reflection of light enables the line to determine the outside limits of any thing thus making them recognizable. I believe that a line should be viewed only by its basic character of art lining. Normally I keep a line ___________ in the space and then without making it give a shape to any natural commodity, I let it take its own form, or let it loose to create its own line and shape.

When a point moves, a line is drawn. In my art the line plays a very important role. When I picturise the group of lines as a basic element, a strange happening occurs. Many lines emanate from this indivisible point, which then give birth to innumerable unrecorded lines. So, when I draw one single line I an actually creating two of them – positive and negative. The white lines between two drawn black lines is not purely space that has been left out. It is actually a deliberate effort. They also form to my line drawings, the same way as the black lines do. The two combine to produce a sensuousness which breathes life into my lines and gives them dynamism and mobility.

In my paintings the lines maintain their basic linear character, and pictures drawn with them are also linear in character. My shapes and forms are not surrounded by lines, infact they are left independent and given an infinite form. In this way a line remains a line in my pictures alternately running, turning, sustaining, joining, rising, flying, breaking and sometimes creating a net like texture. Some times the line goes back to its origin, becomes a point and then just disappears. And in the midst of all this query quietly, without disturbing the linear character, my paintings get filled with colours.For me the line is a living unit, full of limitless possibilities I believe that when an artist creates a shape using the line, then it is the line that gives it a definite shape, then ending all other possibilities. That is why in my line drawings you do not see shape of any natural thing – my group of lines is full of possibilities capable of being taken anywhere. My creations are not created through extraneous lines. Infact they are a group of innumerable lines which can be increased or drawn in any direction. And so my line drawings have their origins from the lines, their space and form is always basic where the innermost values remain the same and where the possibilities are endless.

My paintings are musical notations of music yet unborn:

They are the concrete shapes of vocal tunes that cannot be sung or played to music. The scattered notes are abstract musical notations, but we feel their vibrations in our senses. While a linear drawing is an extension of a point. The lines (in my painting) seem to be quivering on that point where lines would transform themselves into music and are scattered. This is my notion to draw.

- YUSUF

(Recent painting by Yusuf)

The passion of Yusuf’s work comes through best in his large black and white canvasses, where his life of details strikes you. I have never seen any work quite like this and that is the nicest thing about it. There is no sense of dejavu. No comparisons are possible. All you have are these gripping graphic statements, in minimal colours, reaching out for your attention, they tell you many ways. Much of it may escape you, if you are used to figurative work. What you cannot miss, however, is his amazing control grammar, the subtle syntax, the mystical pauses.

PRITISH NANDY

The Illustrated Weekly of India – 1989

Exhibitions but still remains badly neglected by connoisseurs. In a group show his work tends to appear rather austere in comparison to the pictorial flourishes of other works in the exhibition; but actually these drawings of his are perfectly and meticulously worked out arrangement.Writing a foreward to one of Yusuf’s catalogues, the elder painter (and Director of Roopankar) J.Swaminathan says: “…..There is none better than Yusuf how understands the meaning and magic of line. Over the years he has let it flows through his finger at times creating fearful anthropomorphic forms, at times letting it resurrect human forms, sometimes agonized and sometimes full of joy in free-floating space and at times along to play with play with its own rhythm and create forms which are not cognizable, which have no reference but all the same flow out of the hands of man …… “

YUSUF must have moved away, a long time ago, from figurative work. Over the years he has developed a thorough command of formal structure. It is lucid, free-flowing and vibrant. Side by side he effortlessly creates textures which are subtle as they are individualistic. Indeed, among all other graphicists it will be difficult to find an artist with Yusuf’s flair. Although he uses the language of monochromatic drawing, it is easy to realize that behind these drawings there is a poet’s personality and probably even that of a mystic thinker. In older times the art of calligraphy was closely allied to poetry and mysticism. Yusuf’s drawings have that same calligraphic depth and perfection, and hence this surmise about the man within.

DHYANESHWAR NADKARNI

SEWENTEEN INDIAN PAINTERS-1998

Ever since, he has been involved with ink-both on paper and canvas – his work is composed of tiny strokes that build and hold afloat. Apparitional images, there is no relation with calligraphy for where the letters bend, ‘stop’, he says. Yusuf has protected himself from influence, always believing that painting things as they are, is not the purpose of art. This is what caused him to change both his technique and the formal values. But the maintains that fragments he takes upon himself the burden of enthusing it with a new energy (E = MC², a transformed power, colours creep in very slowly into his works, currently he tints only his canvases with a cloth dipped in waterproof ink.

AMARNATH

INDIAN ECLECTICS-1989

(Copy right text and image by artist)

PRESS RELEASE 2 - Exhibition : Contemporary Paintings of Avinash Godbole

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.

(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. 

(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.

(Face of Fear Dry : Pastel on Hand made paper 24x22 inches
Recent work by Avinash Godbole)

Godbole’s work is expressive and he deals with deep philosophical questions that besiege man throughout life especially if faced with a life altering calamity as he did. His work is introspective. Another recurrent subject is that of sexuality and how we human beings deal with or rather shun it, but he faces it head on and puts before us a rather unabashed depiction. In fact in his career as an illustrator he received acclaim for his work done for Debonair magazine through the 80’s. 

(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.

A show of recent paintings by Avinash Godbole at Art Gate Gallery

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.

The Legacy of the Master- Vilas Tonape

There is an anonymous quote that reads, “Art is the highest form of hope”; it propels us into a deeper understanding of creation, beauty and nature. Art gives so much to the human spirit, whether you’re standing before the greatest masterpieces in the world or your own canvas. Being an artist means more than simply expressing oneself; it is a story being told—a story of courage and truth, a story of hope. 

(Vilas Tonape in his studio)

Vilas Tonape is a man of extraordinary depth and expression. His roots go back to India where he first picked up the weapon of mass creation that would ignite a fire—a paintbrush. He has excelled in all he does, receiving his BFA in drawing and painting with distinction, from the Sir J.J. School of Art, University of Bombay and his MFA in painting from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. His work has been exhibited internationally in Bombay, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Ontario; he works in both figurative and non-representational modes.

"Rolando", 2011, Graphite on paper, 22" x 18"

He has competed across the United States and India, winning many awards that showcased his remarkable artistry in the field. Tonape has judged many artexhibitions, worked at several renowned schools and universities, and has conducted workshops and presented discourses at numerous venues. There is a natural magnetic energy surrounding the passion-infused professor. He engages people with professionalism and pride. Countless artists across the world have been under the watchful eye of Vilas Tonape, and have only bettered themselves because of his mentorship.

"Drunk Detective", 2014, Pastel on paper, 25" x 19"

Beyond all the awards, of which there are dozens upon dozens, beyond the numerous recommendations and features in magazines, beyond all of those lines on a resume, there is something that only can be recognized as a deep need to create. This fire in Tonape’s spirit is made evident when he stands before students and artists alike, blowing the dust off of the goldthat they already possess within. If teaching is required, then demonstrating what it is that the students must grasp, is vital. Vilas Tonape not only introduces concepts of the Renaissance and Baroque Masters, he exhibits the techniques before his students’ very eyes. He focuses solely on what his eye sees in human features or folds of cloth, and he lets his hands show his students the way. Poetry unrivaled in beauty and grace emerges on the canvas before Tonape, and with one small gesture or movement the subject jumps off the page. 

"Anna Lisa", 2014, Pastel on paper, 22" x 17"

With only mere words to convey what this man does to his students, I will say that he bestows a gift beyond measure to them—the gift of art. Tonape is a teacher, an educator, and above all, he is an artist. He challenges those around him to dig deeper into themselves. He pushes himself to get better with each pastel and each painting that he does, only accepting the utmost excellence. There are few in this world that are both artist and educator; there are even fewer who grant others the opportunity to discover the magnificent world of a paintbrush or pencil.

                                                Elliana Hillhouse

                                                Trinidad, Colorado, USA
Published : 2014 _ art blogazine

PRESS RELEASE Exhibition: Contemporary Paintings of Avinash Godbole

PRESS RELEASE Exhibition: Contemporary Paintings of Avinash Godbole Date: April 14 – 21, 2014 Venue: Art Gate Gallery, Churchgate, Mumbai 

Byline: The Art Gate Gallery hosts an exhibition of contemporary paintings by Mumbai based Artist Avinash Godbole. 

(Artist: Avinash Godbole)

About the exhibition: In this solo exhibition Avinash Godbole is showcasing a body of 30 works, inspired by his own recovery from a stroke that left him crippled 11 years ago, and the gradual re-picking up of the brush one hand at a time. These paintings cover diverse subjects ranging from sexuality to philosophy, explorations of the human mind and resurgence from pain. What binds them together is the presence of emotions; whether it be the musician singing a soulful song or a human head - each conveys passion. The choice of colours is bold and the strokes strong and unwavering. Together they create paintings that not only move the viewer but stun with their intensity. 

(Untitled  :Acrylic On Canvas, 48 x 84"in by Avinash Godbole)

About the artist’s work: Godbole’s technique is expressive but his subjects introspective, as he deals with deep existentialist questions. Another recurrent subject is that of sexuality and how we human beings deal with or rather shuns it. Three years ago, Godbole created a series of 25 paintings describing his tryst with stroke. He was also invited to exhibit his paintings at the World Stroke Association's conference in Brazil last year. Hope is the message he wishes to convey to stroke patients and their families. This exhibition is a continuation and tangential progression to that theme. 

(Untitled  :Acrylic on handmade paper, 33 x 23"in by Avinash Godbole)

About the artist: Avinash Godbole graduated from the Sir J. J. School of Arts, 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 work has 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, through his hectic schedule. He has been showing his work regularly in galleries in Mumbai since 1997.  

The artist lives and works in Mumbai. 

He can be contacted at: +91 98206 57358 or emailed at ratangodbole@gmail.com

Exhibition details: April 14 – 20 (11.00 am to 7.00 pm) and April 21 from 11.00 am – 3.00 pm Art Gate Gallery 1st Floor (above Satyam Collection) Chheda Sadan 115, J Tata Road Churchgate Mumbai, India

The deadline for submitting applications is April 30, at 2pm

Carlos Garaicoa, Sin título, L.A. (Untitled, L.A.), 2005. Courtesy MoMA, New York.

International call for applications for Botín Foundation Visual Arts Grants and art workshop 2014

Application deadline: April 30, 2014

Botín FoundationPedrueca 1, 39003
Santander
Spain
T +34 942 226 072
info@fundacionbotin.org
www.fundacionbotin.org

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Botín Foundation Visual Arts Grants and art workshop 2014The Botín Foundation, Spain’s leading private foundation in terms of the scale of its investment, launches an international call for its yearly Visual Arts Grants, and for its summer workshop, to be directed this year by Cuban artist Carlos Garaicoa.
International Visual Arts Grants 22nd call 2014–2015The Visual Arts Grants provide artists with financial support for education, research and the undertaking of personal projects in the sphere of artistic work. To conclude the grant cycle, the Botín Foundation organizes a group exhibition featuring works by all the grantees, and accompanied by a catalogue. The call is open to individuals of any nationality; applicants must be over 23 and under 40. 
The deadline for submitting applications is April 30, at 2pm. All applications must be filled out online www.fundacionbotin.org. The other documents must be sent to the Botín Foundation in Santander. Works of artists selected in the last edition can be seen in the video of Itinerarios 2012–2013 here.
Summer workshopThe workshop will be led by Cuban artist Carlos Garaicoa and will take place in Santander (North of Spain) from June 30 to July 11. The workshop will admit a maximum of 15 artists. Applicants from any nationality will be considered. Participants who do not reside in Cantabria will be provided with free shared accommodation and a stipend of 455 Euros, paid at the end of the workshop. Applications must be submitted online by April 30.
Terms and conditions at www.fundacionbotin.org.