The Artist's Soul

One of the motivations behind the development of abstraction was the strong desire of many artists to turn away from the world of things. Banishing reference to the worldly materialism became a central goal for abstract artists. It led both to a search for formal purity and to consideration of ways of express the unceasing human quest for transcendence. B.S. Desai's present journey is in the same direction. Yearing for yoga and meditation naturality leads him to search for a spiritual language to suit his new pursuit. In his quest for transcendence in the life around, he abstracts the essence of the same in his own way. Inspired by the accidental textures, he devises a method of removing, scraping, erasing some portion of the wet oil colours on the canvas to create new visual world. The end result is sumptuous colour orchestration and exuberant compositions. Though sometimes the subjugated floating forms suggest the presence of some recognizable forms, intention of the artist is to enhance the vivid mental emotions. His paintings absorb the spectator by virtue of its colour and texture and by concentration on simple whirling forms. In a nutshell, each work evokes the feelings of a sublime visual poetry.

B.S. Desai's visual world is lively and colourful in aerial open space. It is indeed a visual contemplation. His perceptions are mysteriously manifested. Yes, it is a divine union with yoga.

B.S. Desai's painting series "Yogadarshana" is an attempt at finding 'allegories' and 'equivalents' for physical, mental and emotional exercises, with oil paint. Interestingly, the very choice of paint, as against the other media, is a political choice, in this context. Painting, a result of a certain kind of physical/emotional/mental act is itself a conditioning--a yogic exercise. The result of yogic exercise and that of art share a common point. Both are abstract or incomparable with other mundane achievements. Very simply stating, his pictures have figures in the central part of the canvas, at a point wherein two diagonal lines meet. The 'effect' and the 'result' of the colour rendering are pleasant, erases pain of the viewer, is ready to do away with his intellectual prejudice about visuality. Desai's works attempts to capture our notion about infinity with finite apparatus--the painterliness. In the due process what he addresses is in itself the result. He is implicating an alternative serene lifestyle as against the urban, mundane and eclectic--that is the typical historicity of urbanizing globe.

B.S. Desai's work may be called the landscape of his soul. But this does not imply that the artist is sentimental. His paintings have a definite impression of India's deeper personality. The range of his colours are vivid yet sober they express a particular chasteness which few artists achieve. The strokes of his brush highlight mystical intensity. His figurations are not abstract but harmonious. This enables the compositions to exist unassumingly in their individual states. The temperament of the compositions is complimentary to the overall mood, the qualities being enriched by psychological or spiritual elements. His art is essentially an expression of faith strongly tinged with filial values. Reverence & humility are palpable, as also a hesitance that betokens good breeding & inner culture. The artist has the skills to depict what he really likes to paint, he has the tact not to shout out aloud in garish colouration. His brushwork is not brash. The artist is a modern painter who paints from deep feelings & his own truth in life.

In what appear to be a sort of spiritual transcendence, B.S. Desai delves deeper into the practice of yoga and its effects. He beautifully portrays the emotional/spiritual/mental levels of relaxation that is possible through yogic exercise. Desai, a profound adherent of yogic practice demonstrates divergent asanas and experiences a blissful state. He invokes the Kundalini in all his asanas and becomes one with nature. The healing blue light cleanses and infuses back into his body with newer luminosity. As he practices, the energies emerge out like tiny birds in flight and rejoice in total abandon. To the artist the experiences are very personal and only for individual fulfillment that has nothing in common with religious connotations. Colours are a harmonious blend and forms seem to dance in their own cycle of movement, thus creating in the viewer.