• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 

Sculpture, Stainless steel and Paint

Mistry’s Stainless Steel Incarnations

Rashika Ojha visits the mega solo show of the noted sculptor Dhruv Mistry at the Travancore Art Gallery, presented by Bodhi and comes out with a feeling that this show reveals the sophisticated potential of the sculptural medium, stainless steel.

Human body traversing spaces, the world of illusions in Maya’s mind, life in motion but frozen in steel, sculptures exploring bodily gestures….so many aspects captured in the static and glossy surfaces of stainless steel. Corrosion resistant and stain free steel is the highlight of Dhruva Mistry’s exhibition, Steel Stainless Still.  Druva Mistry explores a flawless life through a potential medium like steel; steel transcends the commercial domain to be in the art domain in this oeuvre of the artist.

 The crowning Petronas Twin Towers of Malaysia, steel and glass facade resembling motifs found in Islamic art, a reflection of Malaysia's Muslim religion. The gently stepping back of the Chinese traditional tiered pagoda in the Jin Tao Building  creating a rhythmic pattern. All exemplify artistic use of a commercial alloy like stainless steel for multiple purposes which mark a history of achievement. The exhibition by Dhruva Mistry going on in the Travancore Gallery leaves such strong impressions on the viewers but still doesn’t demand a hold from its viewers, a viewer slips through the work as easily as one flips through pages of a newspaper but with everlasting images. What is this special aspect of the exhibited works….are the polished surfaces i.e. the medium or is it the artist?

Both stand equally complementing each other, the concept of reduction i.e. to be able to see human life in the form of small elements or basics. Like body is seen in its minutest of physicality and space is seen as area traversed or aspiring to traverse by human beings. Reduction is the way in which one can understand complicated things better. A little child understands complicated forms better with building blocks and that is one essential part of his learning. Sensuality, a poem by Paul Klee is inscribed in his variations of Maya Head, this suggests notions of sensuality that is play of the mind that is constantly pondering and also sensuality with which an artist handles his art and medium suggesting a relatioship. The concepts of reduction and sensuality borrowed from Paul Klee come across in each of Dhruva Mistry’s work that can be broadly seen as Kaliscape, Spatial Diagram, Maya Medallion, Maya Head, Still Life and Sculptures.

This exhibition exhibits good works, interesting concepts but more than that throws light on the variety of material one can work on and how different materials have hidden potentials for our creativity to explore and this the edge that this exhibition enjoys over others.