Exhibitions And Events
'Celestial Magic' Exhibition at India Habitat Centre
May 8th-12th 2010
The pieces I displayed were, 'Diwali Peacock' and 'Delhi Decathlon: Hammer Throw at Statesman House,' making reference to the Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010. The latter in particular attracted the attention of the exhibition's patron, Lt Gen Chetinder Singh who opened the show. This was largely due to the contemporary nature of the piece, and Delhi-ites were at this point talking more and more about the Games which commenced later in the year. I was present at the opening show and was glad to talk to visitors about my Commonwealth Games project.
Peacock at Diwali (2010) by Paul Cook
Peacock at Diwali (First Version, 2007)
After experiencing my first Diwali in India last year, I went about creating a piece of work to encapsulate this important festival in the calendar. I knew right from the start that I wanted to achieve a bold and striking image. I scanned the initial drawings I worked on, of a peacock and matched the colours on Photostudio software. The extraordinary colours of its feathers of course appealed straight away. However, as Diwali is not the festival of colour, I also thought about those elements of Diwali which emit light. Fireworks instantly came to mind as a means to convey a vivid festival atmosphere. Of course, fireworks alone cannot depict Diwali unless another visual code associated with India is brought in. On returning to my desire to use a peacock, the final image struck a chord. I worked on the notion of fireworks exploding into the shape of the peacock’s feathers, the most notable feature of India’s national bird. The sparkler effect also brings across the added sense of movement and unpredictability some may well experience by way of sight and sound, when fireworks are omnipresent on the eve of Diwali.
'Art For Life' at India Habitat Centre
May 15th 2010
Incidentally, the Habitat Centre also held the 'Art For Life/Great Wall of Art' Exhibition a week later - This allowed artists to contribute their own take on how AIDS and HIV sufferers cope throughout their lives. My oil on canvas piece entitled, 'Alone He Suffers' depicts a male villager sitting in isolation, bearing the strain of mental and physical agony of living with AIDS, while life simply passes him by.
This was a rare opportunity for me to try my hand at a less familiar medium, after so many years since studying Art 15 or so years ago. Given that there was no sign of a Mac or a scanner, I accepted the paint brush and gave it my best shot during the humid conditions of Habitat's Amphitheatre and short time scale available. I realised how much I missed the buzz of working under pressure, as well as coming up with a proper painting!
India Habitat Centre, New Delhi 2010
