The
photographic clarity of Natesan’s paintings at first alludes to a
straightforward representation of the real. His canvases are filled with
blocks of bright colour like the glossy pages of a magazine and distracting
details are stripped down to the minimum. Indeed, the precision of his
technique, combined with the appropriation of images gathered from popular
culture, lulls the viewer into a sense of the familiar, the recognised and
the emotionally detached.
However, Natesan injects his realism with a sense of irony, and often humour,
seamlessly juxtaposing the everyday with unexpected symbols to unbalance the
viewer’s initial perceptions. Past works have included Lara Croft
entrapped in barbed wire in Break Free 2003 and a wild cheetah climbing on a
sports car in the urban landscape of Existence of Instinct I 2004. Such
shock contrasts and encounters create strong metaphors, very much in the
same vein as the German painter, Friedrich Casper David before him, to whom
Natesan looks up to. Through the symbolism, the viewer is encouraged to
shift and re-focus their gaze, and in many instances, to re-address their
own socio-political beliefs. Topics of focus range from power structures and
moral breakdown to racism and the predicament of the migrant.
Shibu Natesan was born in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala in 1966. During the
eighties Shibu studied Painting at the College of Fine Arts Trivandrum,
Kerala followed by a Masters in Print Making from the Faculty of Fine Arts,
MSU, Baroda. In 1996 he was selected for a two-year residency at the
Rijksakademie, Amsterdam and won the Uriot prize. Shibu currently divides
his time between Baroda and
London. He was also awarded
UNESCO - Aschberg Bursary for a year, and also Uriot prize, Rijksakademie,
Amsterdam. Shibu has participated in many solo and group shows - his
international shows being 'Linkage', Gallerie Nanky De Vreeze, Amsterdam,
'Pictures of Pictures'. Curator Lynda Morris, Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol and
many other shows.
Shibu's
works are in important collections in India and abroad.
Back
© 2002 The Guild. All rights
reserved.
