Like most educational institutions, J J has gone through a cycle in which momentum has been alternately gained and lost over the decades -- but it has been kept alive by successive generations of committed students who renew the confrontation with academic dogma," says the catalogue essayed by Nancy Adjania, on `Legatee -- The J J School of Art'. A wonderfully varied collage of work by artists of different generations from the Sir JJ School of Art, Geetu Raheja of the Fine Arts Company and her team have put together an exhaustive show covering artists of different seniority from the school. And the end result is a rare opportunity to study the different ways in which the 26 artists, whose works have been brought together, have explored alternativeapproaches to express their art.

The J J School was founded in 1857 by India's first knight and baronet, Sir Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy. Over the years, this institute has produced several important artists and it is no coincidence that the gallery owner, Raheja, has studied there as well. She feels that though Mumbai in its entirety provides stimulus and vibrant inputs for the artist, the J J School is not to be underestimated in its catalytic role in the development of the artist. Says Reena Saini, "The J J School of Art has given us room to develop individually rather than have us imitate any archetypal model." Adds Atul Dodiya, "We (always) had the freedom in terms of doing our own work." This is probably the reason why every artist from this school of art and design, has developed his or her own idiom of expression, using their unique talents to frame a personal metaphor through their art.

The show is formulated around three generations from the school and boasts of a who's who of J J graduates. Fromsenior artists like Akbar Padamsee to Prabhakar Barve, Laxman Shreshtha, Sudarshan Shetty to young artists like Jitish Kallat, Reena Saini, Owais Husain, Justin and Shilpa Gupta, the show is careful to include alumnus like Atul and Anju Dodiya, Krisnamachari Bose, Sunil Gawde, Vilas Shinde, Girish Dahiwalla, Riyas Komu, Prabhakar Kolte, Hyoti Kolte, Monali Meher, Anant Joshi, Madhao Imartey, Sanjeev Sonpimpare, Shobha Ghare and Shakuntala Kulkarni.

"By virtue of being in Bombay the students have also been influenced by this city -- a city which is throbbing with so much life and character that it is important in the development of the artist," says Raheja.

Most art in India has been slotted into schools, and this show works to break this mould of thinking. The show is about the artistic choices that each person has made and how the artist has evolved since the classroom, experimenting with different media. For instance, Akbar Padamsee, at the age of 71, is in a renewed search for different media forexpression and is experimenting with computer graphics, exploring different software to create his art.

This show will be followed by one on the Baroda School of Art with artists like Vasudev Akkitham, Indrapromit Roy, and others from the school participating. Says Raheja, "The Baroda school exerts so much influence on its artists (in contrast to the individuality displayed by artists from J J). But the students and teachers from there are also very successful."

These shows held one after the other will not only cover two important institutes in India, but will also offer a unique opportunity to study the binding factor between the artists of Baroda, as compared to the individuality and variety in the artists of the J J School.

At Fine Art Company, Santacruz (W). Till July 31. Time: 11.00 am to 7.00 pm.