Journey of the Straight Line : An Exposition of Sahni's Drawings and Creativity/S.S. Bhatti. New Delhi, Harman Pub., 2005, 120 p., figs., ISBN 81-86622-64-0.

    Contents: 1. Preface. 2. Introduction. 3. Exposition of Sahni's work. 4. Interview with the artist. 5. Journey of my straight line. 6. My lines - a poem. 7. Op art. 8. Assessment. 9. What others say. 10. Profile of the artist.

    "Journey of the Straight Line is not a routine monograph on the work of S.K. Sahni, a former Keeper of the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi. Nor is it an ordinary write-up on drawings and creativity. It is an attempt at recovering India's most wonderful cultural endowment -- holism -- from the grime of a world gone haywire under the awesome impact of Mammon, the blind and rushed pursuit of all that glitters even when the metal repeatedly turns out to be not gold. It provides a comprehensive perspective in which to view modern art, in general, and Sahni's work, in particular, so as to make a well-reasoned judgement whereby it becomes possible to assign a convincing place to the artist's creations in the world of modern art. This perspective is made of metaphysical postulates, technical concerns, and artistic imperatives, and sets out a cogent line of argument which draws its sap from an illustrated analysis of relevant art-objects. The author has painstakingly explored the essential meanings of various modern art styles such as Op Art, Futurism, Constructivism, Suprematism, to which Sahni's work apparently has close resemblance. To complete the canvas, an interview with the artist, along with his credal statement, has been included. A similar purpose is sought to be fulfilled by the write-ups compiled under "What Others Say".

    To lay down clear-cut terms of reference, such genres of visual art as drawing, drafting, pictorial representation have been spelt out in detail. "Profile of the Artist" gives a chronological account of the development of his creativity, and "My lines -- A Poem" imparts to the exposition a palatable literary flavour.

    Although S.K. Sahni's works are in focus, this book meets a novel goal: it outlines a holistic approach to the viewing and valuation of works of modern art, by transcending personal preferences, professional prejudices, and stylistic hang-ups. It stresses the often-ignored truism that art comes alive only when passion is combined with study and determination--beyond the reproach of art critics and the condescension of patrons of art.

    This book should interest and enrich all those who have anything to do with art : artists, critics, art-lovers, patrons, students, teachers, and researchers. It may well be a landmark in the initiation and development of holistic writing on art." (jacket)

Return to Arts of India Catalogue