IS THAT YOUR WIFE?


a painting by dr.v.s.gopalakrishnan ph.d., ias retd




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Painting titled "Relaxing" by v.s.gopalakrishnan - acrylic on canvas-2002

  The above painting done by me in 2002 was given by me the 
title “Bed-time”. Very soon, I changed the title to “Relaxing”. Often, a painter plays with the colours and forms and makes alterations here and there on the painted canvas if it were lying in his custody. However, change in title is rare. In fact, a title is only for being able to relate in some way to the painting, more for the observer than for the artist himself. Even abstract paintings are often given some title which can be entirely fanciful - like, whirling cosmos, melting universe, dissolving dreams etc! And these days, titles like “Untitled 1”, “Untitled 2” etc or “Composition 1”, “Composition 2” etc are common for abstract paintings.

     As I said, I later thought that “Bed time”, normally at night, was less 
suitable for this work than “Relaxing” . You can make your own judgement in this case!

      The thing about this painting was that I did it entirely from my mind. I had no picture or photo or whatever to follow. In realism, generally a painter would derive guidance from an available image.

       And when this was displayed at my solo-exhibition, the common query to me from my friends was “ Did you do this after your wife?” Or “Is that your wife?” I did not really think of my wife Revathy’s face at all when I did this but a resemblance seemed unavoidable! I put up a label “Not for sale”. So, the painting rests with me, as she is relaxing now at the feet of God.

(v.s.gopalakrishnan)



A related link:    
http://v-s-gopal.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/12/how-a-cancer-hospital-ended-my-wife-s-life-some-lessons.htm