Nepali Abstract Paintings : A Development Analysis

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About the Author Krishna Prakash Shah, one of the leading abstract artists of Nepal, has been working in the field of creative art for more than three decades. He has dedicated himself in the study, research and exploration of abstraction and abstract thought along with the creation of abstract paintings. Physical things of the world are visible and tangible, but we also sense the existence of invisible, intangible and mysterious aspects that play vital role in the life and the world. But what are these elements? How are their shapes? They challenge us to unveil. It is a matter of quest and exploration. All scientific, social, cultural, and artistic innovations have been guided by the imagination of the unknown and the abstract. We imagine the things that do not exist at present, and we try to materialize that dream. Abstract thought is the trailblazer of all inventions, creativity, new knowledge, experimentation, and all human achievements throughout history. These are the key elements of human happiness and hope. The writer shares his research findings and creative experiences in terms of the origin, development and impact of abstract art in general and Nepali abstract painting in particular.

His interest and quest for abstract imaginations are sources for the production of new knowledge, which can be different thoughts and ideas for others that help to change the world. Shah earned his MFA (Master in Fine Arts) from Tribhuvan University. He has exhibited his works in three solo art exhibitions in Nepal and three solos in Europe. He participated in more than a hundred national and international group art exhibitions and residential art workshops. Shah, a visiting lecturer at Kunst Akademie Kalkar, Germany (2016-18), was honored with "Regional Talent Award" by the Government of Nepal for his long dedication and outstanding contributions in the study and research of fine arts (2013) and the "Regional Special Award" in 2011 and 2018 by Nepal Academy of Fine Arts.

He received "Amatya Art Award" as the best artist of the year 2021 in the genre of modern and contemporary paintings. Besides this, Shah, the winner of six national-level art competitions, attempts to explore the invisible dimensions of reality in his abstract visual arts and states that the quest for knowledge begins with abstraction. Shah has brought forth his own perspective on abstract art: "Abstract art is one of the best achievements of human civilization, and abstract thought is the most important key that has changed the world."

Preface An Extensive Discourse on Abstract Art with New Perspective Krishna Prakash Shah's Nepali Abstract Paintings: A Development Analysis is a research work on Nepali abstract paintings that reviews the history of the area, traces the evolving trends and their development up to the recent time. In other words, the work is a tentative outline of Nepali abstract paintings. The writer has identified the crosscurrents in the compositions and traced their roots for the quest of the sources. The scholarly exploration leads to the origin of abstract art in the global context following the beginning, evolution, development and maturation. The writer has recapitulated the history of western art from postimpressionism to the present with special emphasis on Kandinsky's theory of abstract art that contributed to the refinement of abstract art, and the movements that shared from abstractionism. There is the cross flow of techniques and attitudes. Some contemporary compositions shared the alien techniques to create their unique forms.

The book analyzes how these techniques have been applied in the context of Nepal and for what purposes. Shah has presented the components step by step with a clear structure. First, he defines the concept of abstract art with authentic scholarly references. Abstract art presents inner reality without external reference.

The harmonious colors and rhythmic forms stand for themselves without recognizable contents. Then, the book traces the origin of abstract art throwing light on the trends that tilted toward abstraction like Fauvism, Expressionism and Cubism. Breaking away from objective representation, the art forms focused on subjective expression. The distance between the artwork and the external world is increasing. Next, the writer has explored the development of abstract art. After clarifying the concept of abstraction and abstract painting in the global context, he becomes more specific and comes to the history of Nepali abstract painting. After the significant survey and review, he focuses on the works of individual artists. He describes, analyzes, interprets and critiques the individual compositions after throwing light on the brief background of the artists and their works in general. He attempts to justify what he states based on textual references and visual works themselves.

The discourse is persuasive and· convincing due to its clear argumentation and logical presentation. He has developed a theoretical modality for the interpretation and analysis of abstract paintings and applied it for discussion. While going through the book, I experienced a sort of adventure due to the unusual beauty of artworks and the alternative perspective of verbal texts. Reading the book resembled the appreciation of artwork. The invisible lines of descriptions, explanations and narrations do not move in a straight line but glide in rhythm in spontaneous' curves with full swing. The curiosity remains awake due to the expectation, frustration and retrospection in the readers. The work carves the image and conveys the information of Nepali abstract paintings delightfully. While going through the interpretation of some artworks, I experienced similar rapture even in the second and the third readings. It is a new experience of a new thing. To find a book dedicated to abstract art in general and Nepali abstract painting, in particular, is rare even today.

In addition to unique interpretations of artworks, the writer has developed his theory of abstraction and abstract painting. He argues that the new thing begins from the quest for invisible and unknown things, ideas and concepts. Most of the scientific experiments and inventions have been guided by imagination and hypotheses. While discussing the concept of abstraction, Shah states in the book:

Abstract art is one of the best achievements of human civilization, and abstract thought is the most important key that has changed the world.

The writer has fulfilled most of the requirements of academic research and writing including a thesis statement, literature review, research methodology, theoretical modality and interpretation. The list of works cited at the end guides enthusiastic readers to other sources. The work has contributed to carving the history of Nepali art authentically.

Introduction Recently bygone millennium has seen tremendous upheaval in the history of human civilization. The faculty of human agency has traced an unimaginable experience. Particularly talking of the last century, the human being has crossed the demarcations of possibilities and impossibilities setting a new path in every dimension of life and the universe. Scientific inventions and religion-cultural enhancement juxtapose artistic and literary innovations in the scenario. Thus, a domain of knowledge has influenced the other. In this respect, the domain of art has been influenced immeasurably. The changes brought by such scientific and practical experiences have influenced the domain of knowledge. Such crosscurrents can be seen and felt in the world academia by means of various artistic and literary movements. Among them is Avant-Garde, an art movement that influenced the realm of "painting". Thus, the late nineteenth and early twentieth century has a greater influence on art.

One of the influential isms is the symbolism that added the elemental variety in paintings. Some of the symbolists like Redon and Moreau first emulated the element of music in a painting by using abstract forms. German philosophers Schopenhauer and Nietzsche proclaimed the strength of the music. The musical cadence, true harmony, and "the inner life" are the major characteristics of abstract painting on which Wassily Kandinsky focuses. This research Nepali Abstract Paintings: A Development Analysis attempts to delineate the definition of abstraction, techniques of abstract paintings, and the procedure of creating such abstract paintings through which the artists undergo. It also considers certain tenets of abstract paintings as a major tool of analysis and interpretation of abstract paintings. For this, this book catches up with Wassily Kandinsky's theory. He was the first painter who executed abstract paintings and wrote a book on abstract painting entitled Concerning the Spiritual in Art.

Abstract paintings by various Nepali painters will be presented here so as to interpret and analyze them according to established criteria. This book will glimpse a brief history of Nepali abstract painting. For making a critique on artworks, some of the primary materials available are used, and some secondary materials like photographs of Laxman Shrestha's paintings are used. Other indirect references like critiques by art critics and art historians are taken from reliable websites. Informal interviews and exhibition catalogues are considered authentic materials. National dailies like Gorakhapatra, Rising Nepal, and The Kathmandu Post, Fine Art Magazines like Akriti have been considered as basic media on the basis of which the artists who are labeled. as an abstract painter are selected for research work. Seniority has been set as their date of birth and tried to follow a chronological sequence. Thus, some recent artists and their works of art are excluded from interpretation and analysis. This book will focus on artworks to regard an artist as an abstract painter.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages