With of river and earth, Syed jahangir continues to expand on his elemental imagery, and his exploration of nature - , particularly the relationship between man nature. Although nature has remained an important preoccupation with jahangir, it is seen in increasing poignancy and sympathy in recent work – which at times border on the metaphysical or the mystical. He now goes for the ‘life of things’ in nature - William Wordsworth did, nearly two centuries ago. Jhangir himself ha tried to understand nature in its seasonal manifestations in his early watercolors, and was particularly attracted by the green hills of Chittagong hill tracts, or of Muree in Pakistan. Trees and tropical vegetation provided him both an instant theme and rich, vibrant colors. As a water colorist, his primary concern was to bring out the shimmering quality of the hills and landscape and the play of light and shade, in a manner reminiscent of the impressionist. But Jhangir was more down to earth, always keeping an eye on the people who inhabited the landscape or its fringes, their daily life and living. As a result, his paintings always came with the life of nature and life of people engaged in different preoccupations.
In a phase that began roughly in the mid 1960s, Syed Jahangir took up abstraction, more as an artistic challenge in self- expression than in following the dominant trend of time. As most of his friends and peers raced along the path of abstract expressionism, so did Jhanagir, but he never completely alienated himself form the land and the people. They made their appearance even in his abstract work, sometimes in muted but suggestive details, sometimes in geometric configuration. Jahgangir was always been enamored with open spaces, particularly the sky and the river, and these were subjected to selective spatial treatment in his work.
After the country’s independence in 1971, Jahangir like some of his contemporaries began to take up political issues in his work, and this new preoccupation demanded that the treatment of these themes be straightforward, and dynamic. For a time, Jahangir practiced both abstraction and figuration, showing mastery in both. But his politics was of a personal king which the common people and their welfare figured prominently. It was never power or for that matter, social revolution that was his concern.
The return to figure is also saw Jahangir explore the relationship of the people with the land and nature. he began to look closely at the vast life that goes around in the villages. He began to understand its vital energy as well as its quiet moments. Then he began to look passionately at the moments that energize people’s outer and inner needs – the claim of the evening, of silvery midnights, the moments of togetherness, when people harvest the corps or fish in the river.
Gradually, the river the boats, the open fields rich with golden harvests and fishing nets taut with exception of a satisfactory catch became the recurrent images in his work. Earlier. Jahangir had dealt with quiet moments and special meaning in life symbolically, even mystically (reflected in such titles of his exhibition as Rejuvenation of the soul, Vibration and in Quest of the unknown). Now he is centrally concerned with how nature impacts total being of individuals – not simply their spiritual life but also their day to day existence. In the recent years, much of the dynamism and energy of Jhangir’s work come form his treatment of men and women at work. But then again, a quiet full hangs over all human enterprise, suggesting that behind al life force; there is the inevitable presence of nature. It is a benign and graceful presence - affirmative of a cyclone – which is so common in this delta
Of river and earth shows once again Jhangir’s excited involvement with nature – and as in the previous couple of solo shows, with a comic vision as well. I have always admired jahangir’s strong sense and treatment of space; his ability to turn a patterned compassion (e.g. moored boats or fishermen flinging nets) into a transcendent image; his very distinct and by now signatured use of ultramarine and golden yellow; his persistence with the motifs (which often have a symbolic value) of the moon. The boat, the fishing net, his bold use of the foreground of himself in many areas, particularly in giving a quiet, meditative look to scene which are otherwise hectic, such as scenes of harvesting. There is no sense of hurry in any of his composition, no unnecessary dabbling with color no effort to crown meaning into his canvas. All is peaceful and serene, yet one never misses his sympathy with the men and women who his canvas.
Of river and earth has put together Jhangir’s usual acrylics and oil, a few water colors and some spectacular ink drawings. These latter are a reminder of Jhangir’s versatility as an artist. The drawings have a wash treatment, which heightens a quiet contrast between the background and the foreground, of two clusters of images and forms – a characteristic of Jahangir’s art that one also sees in his larger work.
Jahangir is a tireless traveler through life with a keen eye for detail. Of river and Earth shows him with all his power of observation and empathy, of sensuousness and sensibility. I must mention here a couple of his romantic paintings in which a couple romances in moonlight or reflects on love. These paintings show an artist who believes in the transforming power of love.
An ode to life and nature
With of river and earth, Syed jahangir continues to expand on his elemental imagery, and his exploration of nature - , particularly the relationship between man nature. Although nature has remained an important preoccupation with jahangir, it is seen in increasing poignancy and sympathy in recent work – which at times border on the metaphysical or the mystical. He now goes for the ‘life of things’ in nature - William Wordsworth did, nearly two centuries ago. Jhangir himself ha tried to understand nature in its seasonal manifestations in his early watercolors, and was particularly attracted by the green hills of Chittagong hill tracts, or of Muree in Pakistan. Trees and tropical vegetation provided him both an instant theme and rich, vibrant colors. As a water colorist, his primary concern was to bring out the shimmering quality of the hills and landscape and the play of light and shade, in a manner reminiscent of the impressionist. But Jhangir was more down to earth, always keeping an eye on the people who inhabited the landscape or its fringes, their daily life and living. As a result, his paintings always came with the life of nature and life of people engaged in different preoccupations.
In a phase that began roughly in the mid 1960s, Syed Jahangir took up abstraction, more as an artistic challenge in self- expression than in following the dominant trend of time. As most of his friends and peers raced along the path of abstract expressionism, so did Jhanagir, but he never completely alienated himself form the land and the people. They made their appearance even in his abstract work, sometimes in muted but suggestive details, sometimes in geometric configuration. Jahgangir was always been enamored with open spaces, particularly the sky and the river, and these were subjected to selective spatial treatment in his work.
After the country’s independence in 1971, Jahangir like some of his contemporaries began to take up political issues in his work, and this new preoccupation demanded that the treatment of these themes be straightforward, and dynamic. For a time, Jahangir practiced both abstraction and figuration, showing mastery in both. But his politics was of a personal king which the common people and their welfare figured prominently. It was never power or for that matter, social revolution that was his concern.
The return to figure is also saw Jahangir explore the relationship of the people with the land and nature. he began to look closely at the vast life that goes around in the villages. He began to understand its vital energy as well as its quiet moments. Then he began to look passionately at the moments that energize people’s outer and inner needs – the claim of the evening, of silvery midnights, the moments of togetherness, when people harvest the corps or fish in the river.
Gradually, the river the boats, the open fields rich with golden harvests and fishing nets taut with exception of a satisfactory catch became the recurrent images in his work. Earlier. Jahangir had dealt with quiet moments and special meaning in life symbolically, even mystically (reflected in such titles of his exhibition as Rejuvenation of the soul, Vibration and in Quest of the unknown). Now he is centrally concerned with how nature impacts total being of individuals – not simply their spiritual life but also their day to day existence. In the recent years, much of the dynamism and energy of Jhangir’s work come form his treatment of men and women at work. But then again, a quiet full hangs over all human enterprise, suggesting that behind al life force; there is the inevitable presence of nature. It is a benign and graceful presence - affirmative of a cyclone – which is so common in this delta
Of river and earth shows once again Jhangir’s excited involvement with nature – and as in the previous couple of solo shows, with a comic vision as well. I have always admired jahangir’s strong sense and treatment of space; his ability to turn a patterned compassion (e.g. moored boats or fishermen flinging nets) into a transcendent image; his very distinct and by now signatured use of ultramarine and golden yellow; his persistence with the motifs (which often have a symbolic value) of the moon. The boat, the fishing net, his bold use of the foreground of himself in many areas, particularly in giving a quiet, meditative look to scene which are otherwise hectic, such as scenes of harvesting. There is no sense of hurry in any of his composition, no unnecessary dabbling with color no effort to crown meaning into his canvas. All is peaceful and serene, yet one never misses his sympathy with the men and women who his canvas.
Of river and earth has put together Jhangir’s usual acrylics and oil, a few water colors and some spectacular ink drawings. These latter are a reminder of Jhangir’s versatility as an artist. The drawings have a wash treatment, which heightens a quiet contrast between the background and the foreground, of two clusters of images and forms – a characteristic of Jahangir’s art that one also sees in his larger work.
Jahangir is a tireless traveler through life with a keen eye for detail. Of river and Earth shows him with all his power of observation and empathy, of sensuousness and sensibility. I must mention here a couple of his romantic paintings in which a couple romances in moonlight or reflects on love. These paintings show an artist who believes in the transforming power of love.
S. Mansoorul Isalm
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