Unknown Artist
175 x 132 cm; 69 x 52 in
?1959 marked a crucial turning point in the career of abstract artist Shanti Dave. It was then that the artist began to experiment with material and technique in an effort to build his canvases without compromising on material. ?He came to believe that whatever one intends to do on canvas should be done with sheer paint. Thus Shanti had to look for a substitute with which to build up the form of wax medium. Pigment mixed with wax still retained its pliability and at the same time it had the technical advantage of withstanding tendencies to crack or peel off, making it possible to treat the painting almost like a sculptural relief.? Dr. Ratan Parimoo, Recent Paintings by Shanti Dave (Homage to the Wall), Dhoomimal Gallery, New Delhi, 1965