With the festival of Holi around the corner, the play of colour is on everyone’s mind. Colour is such an important part of our lives which we often oversee in the larger spectrum. Primary to visual experience, emotions and expressions, colour plays a significant role in daily life and the festival of Holi is such an apt reminder that life would be mundane without colour.
In art, colour is the most significant and formal art element; a property of light if we would like to technically define it. Specifically, colour is the quality or wavelength of light emitted or reflected from an object. Colours may be produced by the use of pigment (paint or dye), by the choice of naturally coloured objects, or (in installation art) by the use of lights or television screens.
In visual experiences, harmony is something that is pleasing to the eye. It engages the viewer and it creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the visual experience. When something is not harmonious, it's either boring or chaotic.
This plays a significant role in making art a visual experience for the viewer. Similar to the festival of Holi which is a visual experience and when the barriers of class and caste are dropped for everyone to equally enjoy the festival with camaraderie.
As art binds all this festive season we share two beautiful and colourful works by the artist JMS Mani. His art is an amalgamation of Indian culture with Occidental Western formalism. His figures are modeled in three-dimensional form, with bold brushwork, similar in style to those of the impressionists. The pulsating colours in his paintings offset the dark skin of his characters, creating a sense of drama in his compositions. And it is his colours and compositions which are expressive, rather than the figures themselves.
As art is the celebration of colour and visual imagery so is the festival Holi a heightened enjoyment of life in varied hues.
We wish you all a colourful celebration this Holi!
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