The packet weighs a ton; torn open, it reveals a glossy coffee-table book dedicated to SG Vasudev. Only a few days ago, another book — this one dedicated to the life and works of Bangalore painter, Yusuf Arakkal— had showed up in the mail. Yet another tribute to art and artists, these fine books indicate that despite the market slowdown, monographs and coffee-table books are here to stay.

Past Forward, on the Mysore-born Vasudev, is peppered with minimal yet informed text by writer and stage person Sadanand Menon. The rich glossy colour images have been photographed by Mallikaarjun Katakol and each page is a delight to the eye. Interestingly, it documents only the recent works, inspired by theatre, which the artist has rendered in rich hues. “I was looking through paintings and drawings I had done from the 1960s to the 90s and I wondered how it would be if I revisited those themes,” says the 68-year-old Vasudev. He decided to go ahead and the result was a travelling show, after which the book is named.

“The book brings together the works that were exhibited at the travelling show and puts them down for posterity to enjoy,” he says. Menon, in his text, lays down the unique mix of past and present in these works: “The sheer sensuousness of the manner in which it is rendered, with sinuous wrist movements over a thick later of paint using rolled up socks or other bunched textile, lends these canvases a feisty, carnival-esque feel, unseen in the early Vasudevs.”

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