Vasudev S. Gaitonde was regarded as one of the most
finest and cloistered abstract painter of India.
Vasudev Gaitonde was born in 1924 and had received
his diploma from the J. J. School of Art in Mumbai
in 1948. Impressed by his work, Vasudev was invited
to join the Progressive Artists Group of Bombay. He
actively participated in the activities of the
group. He had several exhibitions held in India as
well as in foreign countries.
In 1956, he participated in the Indian art
exhibition which was held in east European
countries. He also participated in other group
exhibitions held at the Graham art gallery, New York
in 1959 and 1963. Gaitonde's abstract works are
produced in many Indian and overseas collections
including the Museum of Modern Art, New York. In
1957, he was awarded the first prize at the Young
Asian Artists Exhibition, Tokyo and the Rockefeller
Fellowship followed in 1964. In 1971, he was awarded
the Padma Shri i.e. the highest award for creative
excellence given by the Government of India.
Gaitonde experimented hugely with form and shape in
his works. Vasudev’s wraithlike and multifarious
paintings invoke a concealed and obscure description
of the real world, however Gaitonde highly
disregarded the title of ‘abstractionist’ labeled on
him. Vasudev had a profound influence of Zen
philosophy and ancients calligraphy on him. In the
midst of his art work, one could notice the control
and the conglomerated structure finely depicted.
Gaitonde preferred to enjoy a slow and a meticulous
painting process unlike his contemporaries that is
why he produced only a few finished works.
Gaitonde’s use of symbolic element and very few
ground lines made his work appear like a flowing
river. Gaitonde’s work reminds us of artists like
Paul Klee and Joan Miro whom he had studied during
his college days.
Gaitonde makes the on-looker simply gaze at his
paintings as they represent a marvelous illusion of
form, color and painting. He has the power to make
simple objects to turn into spiritual elements. The
artist had tremendous talent and skill in shading
which makes his work look like a never ending abyss.
Gaitonde uses a roller and a palette knife, to
throughly influence and mix different mediums on the
canvas. His art work appers to sublime with each
element evaporating in some other form. His abstract
paintings with their lucid beams of light evoke
concealed depths. Gaitonde’s work appears to radiate
a meditative charm with large planar surfaces and
subtle layers of paint on the canvas. His paintings
have an attribute of light that seems to be complete
in it. His work builds up pigments and later they
are carefully removed for the desired effect that
Gaitonde creates.
V.S. Gaitonde was the first Indian contemporary
painter whose work was sold for Rs. 92 lakhs at the
Osians art auction. Gaitonde passed away in 2002. VS
Gaitonde is still considered as one of India's
foremost abstractionists and an ethereal painter.
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