GANESH PYNE (1937-2013)

UNTITLED (MASKS)
OIL AND TEMPERA ON CANVAS

A HAUNTING, ENIGMATIC COMPOSITION BY GANESH PYNE, ONE OF INDIA'S MOST CELEBRATED MODERN MASTERS OF THE BENGAL SCHOOL TRADITION. FIVE MASK-LIKE FACES AND ELONGATED FIGURES EMERGE FROM A DEEP, SMOULDERING GROUND OF BURNT UMBER AND DARK SIENNA. TWO MASKS HANG SUSPENDED BY FINE THREADS, LIKE PUPPETS OR OFFERINGS. BELOW THEM, A CENTRAL FIGURE WITH WIDE, WATCHFUL EYES STANDS FLANKED BY A VEILED PROFILE FIGURE AT LEFT AND A LONG-NOSED OCHRE MASK ON A STAFF AT RIGHT. A DARK RAILING IN INDIGO AND BLACK CUTS ACROSS THE FOREGROUND, WHILE PASSAGES OF TURQUOISE AND BLUE GLOW BENEATH THE MUTED EARTH TONES.

THE SURFACE IS RICHLY TEXTURED AND WORN, AS IF EXCAVATED, WITH THE LUMINOUS, MINUTELY LAYERED QUALITY OF TEMPERA THAT IS THE HALLMARK OF PYNE'S MATURE WORK. THE STYLIZED, ARCHAIC FACES, THE SENSE OF SUSPENDED TIME AND THE QUIET UNEASE EVOKE HIS PERENNIAL THEMES OF MORTALITY, MEMORY, MASQUERADE AND THE FRAGILITY OF THE HUMAN CONDITION.