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Lot Essay
One of the major changes that occurred in Raza's works upon his arrival in France in 1950 was his experimentations and use of oil as a medium. This change, according to him, was an "adventure" with the aim being to "build a picture." (As told to Geeti Sen, Bindu: Space and Time in Raza's Vision, New Delhi, 1997, p. 56.) Colour is of great importance to Raza and it is around the use of "raw, emotive color" that the painting is built.
In the 1960's, his work takes another turn, where it is the mood of the painting, or as he states, "a certain climate of experience" that is of paramount, rather than the delineation of recognizable forms; be they figures or landscapes. The key element now becomes the brushstroke, which "creates the mood". "The vibrancy of colour becomes a sensuous and physical presence, applied with a boldness that defies the need for subject matter - and for all else that mattered in a painting." (Geeti Sen, Bindu: Space and Time in Raza's Vision, New Delhi, 1997, p.76.) This change could be partly attributed to his experiences both with the French artists as well as the 'Abstract Expressionists' whose work he became familiar with when he visited California in the 1960's. As a result, the most important concern was to capture the "inner rhythm" of subjects, primarily through the use of colours.
In the 1960's, his work takes another turn, where it is the mood of the painting, or as he states, "a certain climate of experience" that is of paramount, rather than the delineation of recognizable forms; be they figures or landscapes. The key element now becomes the brushstroke, which "creates the mood". "The vibrancy of colour becomes a sensuous and physical presence, applied with a boldness that defies the need for subject matter - and for all else that mattered in a painting." (Geeti Sen, Bindu: Space and Time in Raza's Vision, New Delhi, 1997, p.76.) This change could be partly attributed to his experiences both with the French artists as well as the 'Abstract Expressionists' whose work he became familiar with when he visited California in the 1960's. As a result, the most important concern was to capture the "inner rhythm" of subjects, primarily through the use of colours.