The young woman, probably in her early 20s, was trying to augment the fire in a mud-stove. Strands of hair were falling on her forehead but she was so intent on building up the blaze by blowing through an aluminium pipe, that she didn't bother to push back the hair from her eyes. But even if she wanted to, she couldn't have done it.

Because she was frozen in a neatly done-up frame. Yes, the girl was an oil painting that looked astoundingly real. And she was not alone. There were many women like her, as also men, and girls and boys in different frames, all of them captured realistically in beautiful oil paintings. Displayed at a gallery in Chennai, all the paintings — with their rural backdrop — gave refreshingly new and excellent insights into rural India.

Young and realistic

Galleries usually tend to display contemporary abstract works that lend themselves to varied interpretations. For some gallery visitors, it is often an exercise in art appreciation, rather than any intent to buy a piece.

But lately there's a marked difference in the contemporary art doing the rounds of galleries. Rather than abstract forms predominantly executed with mixed media or other new techniques, the new crop of works are simple oils and watercolours depicting natural beauty, rustic scenery, or contemporary lifestyles in both urban and rural areas.

Artist A. Vasudevan, for instance, paints urban landscapes complete with traffic and electric poles crisscrossing the streets. He has a way with lights. His recent exhibition titled “Morning Glory” captured the resplendence of morning sunrays in temples, homes and streets. The paintings are not exactly photo-like, but are realistic with shades of impressionism and some details left to viewer's imagination. Artist Ilaiayaraja's works mostly depict rural household activities. Karthikeyan focuses on landscapes and nature.

These young artists exude confidence about their choice of medium and themes. They also don't feel the need to conform to established styles and patterns. “I like to paint real-life images. I don't want to make abstract works just because they have better commercial value. I want to paint what I want,” asserts Karthikeyan.

Nevertheless, despite their self-belief, they had a tough time getting their works displayed.

“Initially many galleries rejected us saying our works are old-fashioned and not contemporary. The choice of abstracts or realistic paintings, it all depends on the viewer's and the buyer's taste and preferences. Ravi Varma is highly regarded even today. The galleries didn't want to host our realistic works. But they were good enough to give their space on hire. So many of us would pool our works and resources together and exhibit at these galleries. Once our works found many takers, we were invited to put up exhibits,” says Karthikeyan.

Home buyers love it

Neelam Dhanda of Sunny Systems Gallery in Adyar, Chennai, says many individual buyers are showing interest in realistic paintings. “Mostly corporates and offices buy abstract works. For the average individual buyer, the abstracts are complicated and difficult to understand. They are able to relate more to the real-life paintings. So the individuals who buy art for their homes definitely go for real-life canvases.” she says.

But some art observers don't see any new trend here. Sanjay Parthasarathy, an art collector in Chennai, says that earlier the Masters who painted abstracts also did a lot of real-life paintings.

“Artists like Adimoolam used to do both. In a city like Chennai, at the micro level you may find a trend of new artists with more realistic works, but on a macro level, I feel it is all the same — with exhibits of both abstracts and realistic paintings finding space in galleries.”

But with an increasing number of young artists focusing on realistic works, are we seeing an emergence of ‘Indian Impressionists', like what happened in Europe post Renaissance?

Neelam thinks some of the works could be impressionist, if not all. “An impressionist painting would be a bit hazy and the brushstrokes would be bold and very visible. You will see the details slightly blurred in them. Whereas, most of these realist paintings that you see in the market today are more like photographs... I know there are some Indian Impressionists; but we have not yet displayed any yet.”

Works of Sandhyaa Shetty, an Indian-origin artist in the US, appear influenced by impressionism. Having grown up and trained in art in Bangalore, she has a penchant for landscapes and Indian rural scenes.

“I love painting landscapes, and the rural parts of India are my main source of inspiration. I have participated in many shows and my works are in collections across India,” she says. The influence of French Impressionist Monet is unmistakable in some of her landscapes.

Fed by real-estate boom

Neelam says the real-estate boom is fuelling the market for real-life artworks. The number of new home buyers is increasing, as also the perception that good paintings on their walls lend a touch of class to their lifestyle.

So, soon after buying an apartment, many young couples head to the galleries looking for artworks.

They invariably look for works that they understand, and something closer to real life.

And what's more, there is also the fond hope that the upcoming artist of today will grow in stature, and that painting in their living room may well be the work of a future Master!

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