DO DAILY TIMES - PAKISTAN
* Exhibition consists of 22 pieces of Barto’s work Barto has done work depicting the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan * Barto’s works span the globe and are housed at art museums in New York, London and Paris
Staff Report
LAHORE: To honour and commemorate the life and works of one of the 20th century’s most influential printmakers, Bartolomeu Dos Santos, the Zahoorul Akhlaq Gallery at the National College of Arts (NCA) will host an exhibition of his prints on Tuesday (today).
The exhibition consists of 22 art pieces, which have been gathered by various art collectors in Pakistan. The prints displayed at the exhibition show a master artist at work, who has never hesitated to carry out bold experiments.
Seven Figures Waiting (one of the prints) shows seven people standing in the dark looking at the bright side of the moon. The print is quite eye-catching and gives a gesture of serenity and tranquillity. Triumph of Love Over War (another print) shows a fairy sitting on a cannon. It’s supposed to suggest that love has finally won over war. The work is quite profound and shows how a master can make extraordinary things using quite ordinary materials.
The NCA is exhibiting Bartolomeu’s work to commemorate his life and works, Zahoorul Akhlaq Gallery Curator Qudsia Rahim said, adding that Bartolomeu had visited Pakistan twice, once in 1986 and again in 1988. She said that both times he had held workshops at the NCA. Former NCA principal, and a collector of Bartolomeu’s works, Salima Hashmi said that Bartolomeu was a great friend of Pakistani art, adding that he had helped establish the Department of Printmaking at the NCA. She said that he was a great person and one of the greatest artists of the age. “He has contributed immensely to printmaking,” she said. She added that he had studied at the Slade School of Arts and helped several artists in obtaining admission to teaching institutes in the UK. Work: Universally known as Barto, the artist grew up under the Salazar dictatorship in Portugal before moving to England where he made his career as a great printmaker. His initial work had a clear political aspect to it, and his later work included subjects that implied a commentary on the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with the United States’ agenda in its engagements. Critics said that at such times, he reverted to painting and sculptures, demonstrating that he had the vigour to explore and revisit other mediums to express himself.
Train station: Barto is also the author of various works that range from an airline menu to a 1,000 square metre mural for an underground train station. His works have been exhibited widely and resides in the permanent collections of various prestigious institutions such as the British Museum, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Bibliotheque Nationale Paris. The exhibition will continue until September 26.
