Scribbles, distortions, threads and illusions were some of the new trends spotted at the second edition of United Art Fair. By Iknoor Kaur
Studio lights, installations and a series of paintings, prints, graphics, textiles, furniture and ceramics — the second edition of United Art Fair (UAF) beams with creativity. The exhibition that is known for bringing relatively anonymous artists in the public eye, stuck to its ground this time as well, with over 280 Indian and 14 international artists exhibiting their art. We spotted some new trends at the second edition of UAF.
Beyond abstract
Though abstract art has been in picture for a while now, what make this series different are the additions of, what everyone called “scribbles”. While some people threw their imagination on the canvas with the help of a brush, artist Aarti Sunder grabbed a pencil and let all her emotions flow. Though she described the painting in her synopsis as a “pictorial narrative”, in the first look her sketches seem to be untidy. However, when one went into the details there did emerge an unexpected twist. The trend is popular with over 30 artists, who have used the mish-mash technique.
Tease the eye
Artist Tauseef Khan gave her works a new dimension, literally. She specialises in painting historical monuments and landmarks with a twist, through the use of “optical distortion”. Her collection of paintings that are exhibited had monuments like Jantar Mantar, Humayun’s Tomb and the Tower Bridge of london, all looked at through a set of champagne glasses. The imagery is so beautifully painted that it looks like a digital print.
The Right knot
Amidst the meticulously decorated hall, we also spotted threads and balls of wool hanging from the painting. A closer look revealed that the muddle was actually intentional. Megha Katyal took the family theme and used acrylic paints on a canvas. She supplemented the painting by a screen of tapestry which was woven only at parts to blend into the image. It’s one-of-its-kind idea. While people have used thread to create their art, she is the only one to use it to highlight her work.
In between the dimensions
3D paintings are a common sight in the contemporary art scenario. However, hanging in the middle of the second and third dimensional paintings, is Vijendra Sharma’s Desire for Salvation. Its frame is designed in a way that it appears to be a part of the painting itself. The 3D work features a rope that covers the frame in parts.
Cane click
Installations were aplenty, but what grabs the eyeballs are the headgears made by Shakuntala Kulkarni. The photograph of the girl wearing a traditional tribal attire made of cane serves the backdrop to the headgears. Kulkarni has created three varieties of the head gear which differ in style and size.
Photo essay
There are a number of photo stories on display. However, the best part of these photo stories is the theme they are based on. Mostly it is contemporary urban realities. Some photographs capture a particular location in a metropolitan city and observe the various moods of people who visit the area through the day.
Write it out
Pen and ink may be our understanding of the black and white art form, but when an entire picture is created with the help of only text, it takes another shape. We are referring to the text art. The exhibition has several paintings scribbled with text.
photos Pankaj Kumar