Inbetween Hope and Fear (exhibition)

The creative soul keeps coming back again and again towards the residue of joy; the energy of life which remains as a 'negative' form. This negative form isn't negative in terms of its emotional nature; rather encountered as the endured space that hasn't been created but rather got its unmuted existence. This small spirit of human life which was always present but got overshadowed in material aspects of life becomes the fulcrum for lifting the mundane; boredom of daily ritual of living, this negative shape becomes the 'weapon' against the non-functional; noncreative, and sterile. The form of weapon or tool is the form that emerges from the deduction. This shape is the most essential and therefore unstylish, one can decorate it around the main aspect of the function. The tool of the battle for life is absurd in terms of the aesthetic of superficial and therefore the most beautiful form, hence one cannot change it any further for fancy. The form of weapon or tool is negative in terms that the function for which the weapon is meant is the positive aspect. The union of the function and form is going to bring victory over the evil or mere opponent. The act of striking with the weapon is visualized in the mind and then practiced towards achieving excellence.   Rajendra believes that the mere configuration of the aesthetic visual doesn't qualify to be art. Artists' life lived and un-lived; his experiences and struggles are very much necessary for the completion of his art. "My art is the bridge between the past and future the past which came from a small town and present in the Mahanagar Mumbai". Experiences of farming from the past have always remained as inspiration for him, the various tools used in farming like a plow, spade, and sickle, etc. were creating a subconscious impact for the abstract idiom of paintings and sculptures. The tools are now taking shapes of weapons in the chaotic environment of present surroundings. Fear is the source or the place of weapons. When the weapons are hung on the wall like those swords and shields that is the sign of shedding of fear. The weapon not used becomes an array of sight which enchants the sensory experience, but at the same time, it also makes a subtle statement. This is the duality and union of two opposites like peace-violence; negative-positive; mutiny-subservience; action-sterility; hope-fear etc. As per Rajendra "My art is my statement" this statement has the potential of the dual nature of reality. The statement isn't like a statement and the visual isn't only for enchantment. `Striking the equilibrium of opposites is the true meaning of life is his art suggesting this? (Read more about this artist) Nitin Arun Kulkarni, New Panvel, 30th September 2019