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 From
his studio in the sprawling suburbs of Mumbai, Prashant Salvi looks out
on a space where abject poverty and the growing middle class mingle. On
one side, there are labourers working in farm yards and the squalor that
Mumbai is known for. On the other side are large apartment complexes where
rich people live luxurious lives. An artist who is used to observing life
closely, Salvi says: "I am influenced by the surroundings of my studio.
Comparing what is going on on both the sides heavily influences my work."
Even in India, where he has grown up and evolved as an artist, 29-year-old
Salvi is relatively unknown, having exhibited only in Mumbai in September
2000 at the Arts Show Revolution-"a monumental point in my career,"
he says.
Now, however, after winning the 2001 Bose Pacia Prize for Contemporary
Art, Salvi is being introduced to the international art community through
his paintings that are on display in New York..
 Started
in 1997 by Bose Pacia Modern (BPM)-the first institution to showcase contemporary
Indian art in New York City-the Bose Pacia Prize for Contemporary Art
(earlier known as the Emerging Artist Award) is awarded every two years
to an upcoming artist.
In his works which tell very vivid stories, Salvi tackles the complex
issues of prejudice, humanity and sexuality where elements, colours and
figures depict a protagonist and his struggle with this world. "Innumerable
current events and anecdotes of the world around me leave an impression
on my work. I am inspired by society," says Salvi.
Salvi began young. "While studying in the fourth standard,"
says Salvi, "I drew a picture of a local political leader with a
crayon. My father understood that I was serious about painting. So later
he encouraged me to pursue higher studies in the fine arts."
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"I was able to put my work in the context
of notable Indian painters Bhupen Khakkar and F.N. Souza-whose works
I am deeply attracted to"
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Salvi went to the prestigious Sir J.J. School of Art in Mumbai, receiving
his bachelor's in fine arts in 1996 and master's in 1998. After that,
he pursued his passion in his own studio. That was when he participated
in the group event at the Arts Show Revolution, which showcased six of
his paintings. In them Salvi had explored and expressed the growth and
development of body parts into a human being. The series now resides with
art collector and auctioneer Nevile Tulie in Mumbai.
Salvi cites both Western art and Indian literature as his artistic influences.
"The elements used by other artists fascinate me-elements of environmentalists
Joseph Beuys and Philip Guston and minimalist sculptor Donald Jude are
all recognisable in my work. The expressive words of Marathi poet Namdeo
Dhasal and writer Rangnath Pathare have left an enormous impression on
me."
Gradually, Salvi began to realise the value of his own work. He began
to think about his work's relationship with tradition and modernism and
also began to evaluate his place in the international art world. "I
was able to put my work in the context of notable Indian painters Bhupen
Khakkar and F.N. Souza-two artists whose works I am deeply attracted to."
This year's competition was judged by Shamim Momin, curator, The Whitney
Museum of Art in New York City and William Stover, curator, The New Museum
of Contemporary Art in New York City.
"The human figures in my paintings act as characters," says
Salvi. "They show prejudices, humanity and inhumanity." His
work, Dialogue Between Cultural Tree and Geological Element tells one
such story. The protagonist of this particular work is a product of the
harsh industrial culture of the prevailing society. The major figure appears
as an androgynous wind-up toy surrounded by a raw, rugged landscape.
Another painting on view at BPM is Transit. It tells the story of a
protagonist who journeys on bicycle from one land to another. "History
is based on the transit from one land to another," says Salvi. "And
this painting begs the viewer to ask himself 'Which land do I belong to?'
The protagonist replants the tree of his place of 'origin' to the place
where he 'settles'," explains Salvi. Referring to migration in current
society, he says: "He experiences intense feelings while leaving
one place and moving on to another."
Each painting starts from a single emotion that Salvi feels when he
interacts with a person. Those feelings, he says, manifest themselves
in his works. "As a child, I was inspired by the forms and shapes
of the leaves and flowers and the different colours of the bodies of animals.
Even today, all those elements are present in my paintings," he says.Each
element in his compositions symbolises the relationship between the cultural
and natural phenomena in the world which interact on various levels in
both harmony and conflict.
Salvi has reached a platform of recognition that few can dream of. Yet,
like most young artists of the present times, he is critical of himself
while at the same time he is enthusiastic about his future.
"I am not satisfied with my work up till now," he says modestly.
But he's sure of where his inspiration lies. "The people of Mumbai
provide the inspiration and challenges through which I can develop my
talents. My future paintings will be an expression of their energy and
their lives."
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CURRENT
ISSUE DEC 3, 2001
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