Threshing

K.K. Hebbar's evolution as an artist reveals a gradual movement from academic realism to near-abstraction. Studying at the JJ School of Art in Bombay, Hebbar acknowledges the influence of both Amrita Sher-Gil and Paul Gauguin on his early work. He admired Sher-Gil's ability to combine 'Western' painting techniques with Indian subject matter and Gauguin's "powerful execution of character and form". His visit to South India in the late 1940's has sometimes been referred to as the "turning point in his art". The use of bright colors with bold images and strong lines as seen here become characteristic elements of this period. "Now he paints without being conscious of any style or technique. He paints as he feels, always searching and experimenting, for something he has not done before..." (R. Chatterji, 'K.K. Hebbar', Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi, 1993.)

Hebbar's early works, as seen here, often depicts aspects of Indian life such as the local festivals and daily activities of the common man. In later works this translates into his preoccupation with man's scientific and technological development. Having lived through two world wars, Hebbar's fascination with science is not without an element of discomfort. 'I was conscious of the seeds of destruction that technology carried in its womb'. (K.K. Hebbar, Voyages in Images, Mumbai, 1991.)