The eye is drawn through a triangular one side of which is set aflame as well as through the firmament creating a surrealistic effect, looking at which might make any viewer undergo a process of introspection.
‘Geometry and Realism’ (oil on canvas) is an intelligent take on how mechanically sometimes art is judged and how it should be analysed. It is a picture of an old structure whose plaster is coming off with sparse patches of grass in the foreground. Triangles and circles are drawn on top of it as if the picture is being examined (the some of Renaissance paintings were examined by critics). Insightful stuff!
By the way, not all of the works are dealt with in a roundabout way. One amazing piece is titled ‘Anarkali-lization’ (oil on canvas). A woman’s feet on the edge of a building with a block of an apartment building in the background is an image that will stay with you for a long, long time. This is followed by Mr Salim’s tribute (or homage) to colonial buildings in Sindh. It is done in an impressive realistic style.
With ‘Gravity Shield, My Yellow Foxy’ (oil on canvas) the artist combines nostalgia, realism and hallucination to come up with a weirdly enduring picture. The levitated Volkswagen is a sight to behold.
Pakistani ‘Avant-Garde’ (oil on canvas) is a commentary on how artists use, sometimes exploit and occasionally take advantage of various folklores, spiritual movements and oriental theories. ‘Spiritual Flight’ can be likened to a scene out of a film that can either be admired or be alarmed about.
The exhibition will be open till Oct 9.