Phalguni Dasgupta’s Watercolors Nature with its vast mountains, unbounded oceans, flora, fauna and cosmic life, does not only play a vital role in life; Nature is the central force of our existence, providing us with all we need for physical well being and also solace for the bruised mind. Nature quite naturally has remained the constant focus of my art. This, I am certain, does not dilute the significance of my art. If anything it makes my art reach out to viewers across the boundaries of land and ocean, color and civilization. Nature is universal and so is its appeal. When I put up my art for public viewing I want to share my creativity with people. In all honesty, I want them to see my paintings, understand them, appreciate them and empathize with the emotions that lie behind them. If my themes are simple, so is my approach. I have no pretensions. The flow in my lines, the flow of colors, everything is meant for the common man whose love, to my mind, is the ultimate test of art. However, that does not mean that there is no experimentation in my work. I play around with pigment, with brush strokes, with the texture of the paper, the startling results of mixing colors and the amazing reaction of sprinkling salt on colors. I have done so for yours, nay decades, and I am still taken by surprise. I am in all honesty still learning. I have exclusively worked with watercolors since the beginning of my career in art. I would not sacrifice its transparency at any cost. Initially I was motivated by Turner, and I tried to follow the methods of the master watercolorist. However I soon charted an independent course. The process of applying colors changed. I started to experiment with various materials but my art always reflects a stylized realism. I have no quarrels with abstract expressionism or modern art. However I have learned from Abanindranath Tagore that to be able to destroy or distort, one should first master how to create. Stylization therefore comes later. My figures look Indian. They have evolved out of our traditions in Rajput and Mogul paintings, and yet the style is entirely mine. Arguments over style or schools of art do not ever touch me. I know that even the most nmodern of artists, cannot ignore the old masters who ruled the old world, embodying values that are regarded by the whole world. Leonardo Da Vinci, Michael Angelo, Rembrandt, Botticelli, Raphael… which of these masters have gone stale? Which of them are we bored of, even after repeated viewings? God created man in his own image and he created with an understanding of life. Is man an abstract concept? Is life an abstraction? So, how can we discard something simply because it is not abstract? Perhaps we need a child to come along and say “the emperor has no clothes!” This is my understanding of the world and it is this understanding that imbues my art. I see the world with my eyes and interpret it with insight. Whatever has thrilled me, whatever I have treasured in life, I try to share with my viewers. If it is not cerebral or intellectual, so be it. I am ruled by Emotions, Instincts and Beliefs and if my work evokes the same in my viewers, I am more than gratified. Phalguni Dasgupta