Lady With Duck I 2002

Editor: Here we have Jahar Dasgupta's "Lady With Duck I" from 2002, painted with acrylics. The orange hues and curious subject matter give it such a fantastical and intimate feel. What stands out to you in this piece? Curator: Intimacy is the perfect word! It whispers of stolen moments, of secrets shared only with the rustling leaves and the gentle quacking of a cherished duck. Dasgupta, like a modern-day alchemist, blends reality and dream. The human form melts into earthy oranges and reds, suggesting perhaps a primal connection to nature. The duck, a cool blue, offers a contrasting sense of serenity. Do you notice how the lady isn’t looking *at* the duck, but almost *through* it? Editor: Yes, that’s so interesting! Almost as if she is looking at a reflection...or perhaps an extension of herself. What’s with that curving branch overhead? Curator: Ah, the arching branch! To me, it feels like a protective embrace, a symbolic shelter formed by the natural world. Maybe a nod to ancient myths, or simply a spontaneous gesture…it echoes the intimacy in her embrace of the blue duck. The ambiguity is what enchants. It invites *us* to complete the story. And really, isn't art a reflection of our own interpretations and desires? Editor: It definitely seems that way here! It makes you wonder if there's some sort of personal mythology being created within the work. I’ll never look at ducks the same way again! Curator: Precisely! Now you see why I say it whispers. Every colour, every line, every oddity sings a different verse. Art at its finest, wouldn’t you agree?