Mirage

Mohan Singh employs his work to depict different moods of the modern youth. This talented artist’s work consists of compositions in multihued figurative art, rich in colours, full of energy and sprayed with young people whose fantastic gestures depict individual personalities. A lecturer in Art, Singh is surrounded by young people and chooses to articulate their different moods and pursuits in his latest body of works. Singh's works are predominantly figurative with a focus on urban reality, celebrating life as he weaves incidents and fantasies into his paintings.

Initially it may seem that the artist just touches the surface of the lives of the modern generation but on closer observation their trials and tribulation emerge through his subtle yet humorous renderings. Here the sad predicament of the attention-seeking lover is that his lady love prefers to give all her attention to a butterfly, while she completely disregards him; there a young man aims his bow and arrow at a gold finch and leopard, totally ignoring his lady love. However the young woman seems completely unperturbed by this, exuding a confidence and attitude that is very prevalent in today’s young women. Through these paintings the viewer can relate to Singh’s significant analysis of and commentary on human nature. The artist chooses vibrant and colourful impressions to establish his unique rapport with the viewers.

The youngsters that populate Singh’s paintings not only embody characteristics of fun loving people, but also seem to be indulging in diverse celebrations from music to masked amusements. The depiction of the trumpet held by a boy seems to have all the young girls completely enthralled, like the modern day Krishna and the gopis. The tales of love have been in our conscious through the ages and continue to be prevalent with the youth.

The element of love reflects all ages perfectly. Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart. It is the illusions of this sentiment that seem to attract the artist. He renounces the lure of the unfeasible and affirms the positive sentiment of love and hope.

However images of the masks symbolize a negative emotion. They represent deceit and the two-faced nature that sometimes becomes a major part in many relationships.
By displaying serious undertones Singh questions the attitudes of the youth who treat relationships in a vacillating fashion in their free and open society. In one painting called “Let’s call the whole thing off” the artist questions the fickleness of youth who, while being immersed in deep passionate relationships, are ready to give it up on an impulse. While focusing on the couple he creates an atmosphere where languid sexuality pervades. The artist seems to say to the couple that to reject a person is easy but to love a being, it takes enormous willingness, humility and an egoless attitude.

His human forms are imbued with a sense of playfulness as they interact with each other in different situations and places, often becoming part of a pageant that shrouds the body and the senses. Sometimes Singh engages the world of illusions and reality, touching the life and spirit that exist in the unconscious, completely mesmerising us with his colourful visions.

He entices the viewer with the youth of modern India dressed in Western clothes, as he gently unfolds different aspects of their lives, filled with images of fairytale extravaganza; the dramatic changes in Indian society have been brought about by urbanization, liberalization and globalization of the economy of the country. His social commentary on the prevailing society reveals a pressing need for a deeper understanding of life.

Manipulated in bright colours his penchant for colour and reality emerge. He breathes life into his images with the stroke of his brush, using gentle colours in his canvases. Through the sheer vibrancy of the images and intensity of colour, emotion and line the artist creates fascinating images of youth and love, sometimes with an erotic flavour.
Singh’s artworks reach out to the viewer, touching their hearts with the spirit they embody, communicating in a compelling universal visual language. He imbues a deep feeling of romance in his works as he tirelessly takes the viewer on a journey that is sometimes real and sometimes a fantasy kindling a deep feeling of romance.

- Uma Prakash
Art Critic