Lot 57: RAMESHWAR BROOTA (B. 1941)

RAMESHWAR BROOTA (B. 1941)
Untitled
signed 'R. Broota'; inscribed '(RAMESHWAR BROOTA) 6 2004' (on the reverse)
oil on canvas, scraped with a blade
30 x 30 in. (76.2 x 76.2 cm.)
Painted in 2004

The male body has been a predominant feature of Rameshwar Broota's oeuvre. Simultaneously a site for conflict and its resolution, the artist's characteristic technique is employed here to great effect. At once masking yet revealing, this unique subtractive process involves scraping away layers of paint by nicking a blade across the canvas to create nuanced monotones and expressive textures. This painting presents a male torso as a disembodied yet universal 'Adam' of the twenty-first century. The virile figure exudes strength against its dark surroundings and fills the entirety of the background, whilst in the foreground an admonishing finger bisects the picture plane. At once interrupting the viewer's gaze and phallic in emphasis, this work is a complex exploration of de-personalized anatomy via multiple narratives, activated by the viewer's imagination.