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Salman Toor may not even mention it now, but his initial claim to fame is associated with the fact that as a young student of art at Lahore’s Aitchison College, almost a decade ago, he had achieved a perfect score in his O Level art exam, and declared to be a ‘world topper’. Toor, the school art prodigy, has now come of age in more ways than one, having pursued his passion for art and acquiring a masters degree in fine art from the The Pratt Institute in New York. He straddles between Lahore and New York, and has been exhibiting his work both at home and abroad.
His most recent solo show at Lahore’s Rohtas Gallery is his second solo show in Pakistan. Its title, ‘I love Kitsch’ may be disconcerting because of the association of the word ‘kitsch’ with cheap or commercial art, but the work itself reaffirms his phenomenal talent as well as his continued interest in depicting the human form.
The set of seven oil paintings (six of which were sold soon after the exhibition), are an intriguing amalgam of modern sensibilities and ‘old master’ style expertise, reminiscent of Italian Renaissance portraits and still life.
Both humour and a haunting comment on society emerge in the varnished figure compositions that combine images from commercial sources and photographs. In ‘Recipe’ for example, we see a look alike of Pakistani actress Reema in an attire and setting that is both classical and exotic, but indeed the ‘reference material’ is an advertisement of cooking oil in which the actress had appeared.
In ‘Barbie bakri’, the black goat or kala bakra that is of special significance in local households as an object of sacred sacrifice assumes a model like status, but the shocking pink background and still life objects in the foreground make it a disturbing composition. The most enchanting but also haunting view is found in ‘Paradise villas’ where a gorgeous young couple is seen in an amorous posture in a typical upper class garden plot while servants stand in attendance in the background.
The viewer’s response to Toor’s work is initially one of awe for the painterly expertise it exhibits. Closer observation evokes mixed feelings, and one wonders what to make out of the compositions; is the artist simply indulging in a sensuous exploration of form and colour and his talent to depict images masterfully, or is he trying to weave a story that says something? It’s probably a bit of both. The title acknowledging a love for ‘kitsch’ is significant, and gives the artist the license to indulge in what suits him best, both in terms of what he enjoys doing and what most viewers may enjoy seeing. As always, his work has been sold swiftly and he will be sought after for his mostly delectable visuals.
In his current work what strikes one most is his ability to paint like an ‘old master’, and then to undo that by indulging in ‘kitsch’.
The varnished surfaces that at times spoil the painterly beauty and the occasional indulgence in garish colours may be suited to his theme but tends to make one a bit edgy. Somehow, one would love to see Toor ponder seriously over a theme and do it simply like an ‘old master’, for he has that rare ability to paint with perfection, and in a world already overflowing with disturbing hybrid images, a ‘beauty is truth, truth is beauty’ approach would be more than welcome.
