Hasnat Mehmood
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Hasnat Mehmood
IN MEMORIAM: Visions and revisions
By Qurat ul ain Siddiqui
Chawkandi Art Gallery recently displayed the works of artist Hasnat Mehmood. His series titled ‘Original image may vary’ on the most part circles around depictions of the Quaid-i-Azam and Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah in various media, such as, ‘graphite on vasli’ and ‘mixed media on digital print’. The first work of the series begins in a stale yet patriotic tone perhaps signifying the rather dismal patriotism in the nation’s mood. The clear portrayal of the two figures has been somewhat tampered with in the latter depictions in the series.
The second, third and fourth renderings of the two figures also portray four crows in each work making the overall impression rather confusing if not simply bizarre. The figures appear darker as the series progresses from works one to two to three to four and suddenly the shades tone down in the series’ fifth work. However, in the sixth work, the artist makes a rather radical move that in the view of many dehumanises one of the subjects mentioned earlier. The artist develops on the similar trend in the subsequent work and leaves the ordinary art spectator baffled regarding the meaning and the implication of these unusual portrayals of (historically) the most important man for Pakistan.
However, considering the series’ title ‘Original image may vary,’ the artist has chosen to look at the same image in varying ways, and seems to be sharing his vision with the rest of us, this particular collection of visions and revisions. Works 11 and 13 nevertheless represent the subjects nearly completely transformed and dehumanised, and leaving the viewer vulnerably exposed to further confusion. Interestingly, in the latter few works, the subjects have entirely disappeared, having turned into different beings, tempting the viewer to question, let alone wonder about the impulse that has been driving the artist and the idea that the artist seems to be fiddling with. Images 22, 23 and 24 in the series are portrayals of six crows that seem to be flocking together.
The ideas introduced in this particular series are rather eccentric which is for any artist, one of the privileges and freedoms of artistic expression, however for an ordinary art viewer this particular series comes as a perplexing shroud of vague ideas.
Top: Mixed media on vasli
Above: Mixed media on digital print
