ONE LOOKING AT PICTURES IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE;
VARIOUS VIEWS OF CHUGHTAI ART IN LOCAL CONDITIONS.

In 1977 Basil Gray, Curator of British Museum was our guest here in Lahore. It was not only an entertaining visit but enlightening for me in various ways. Many discussions were held with him. An important aspect of any pictorial art is, who is viewing it, and in which circumstances. I never thought that would be important but I was in store for great revelations.

ART FOR RELIGIOUS SAKE

We could start from pictorial art in caves, anything from a few thousand to thousands of years back. Even twenty thousand years back. There are works on walls, or on ceilings, but who gets to view same? Why viewed at all? Obviously dark conditions,  camp fire lights, or hand held torches? Gifts to evoke gods to  be kind for hunt, or engender motivation in fellow hunters. Or to drive away evil spirits. But the idea never changed. Religious worship. Same applied to enhanced cave art on walls like Ajanta and Ellora. And even still for events. From Cave to Churches. In Churches artists like Michelangelo carried out his magic for delicately placed candles to pray to God for blessing. In all ways Art for religious sake. Never forget that all the West or Hindu traditions carried was Art for Religious sake.

ART FOR ART’S SAKE

On other hands, Muslims started things in different ways. A normal development for more than 200 years and then rigid Mullahs created fancy stories, which overshadowed Quranic convictions, and outlawed pictorial art itself. It was not the Quranic truth but engendered by obstinate Mullahs for centuries.  Once forbidden for them was having photographs taken, now delighted themselves on live TV all the time. The allergic Mullah fell in love with his own image, and even rickshaws on street roads carry a plethora of Mullah faces.

The story of Islam goes further. Umayyads sponsored paintings on walls but were meant for enjoyment of Kings and Queens. Ghaznavis had horse ridden warriors and ministers painted on walls and throne rooms. Even Sultan Masood Ghaznavi sponsored an erotic room works for sexual enjoyment. Threat from father made him destroy the room. But later on the terms led to miniatures for the Kings and the nobility to enjoy volumes on elephant back or on horseback or campfires. Meant for individual viewing. Or few gathered around albums. A new age was meant to come eventually.

Basil Gray told me the concept of paintings hanging on walls in frames is a new phenomena. It is not ages old. And for the first time the pictures were meant to be hung in a gallery or a museum, for view of many. He added Chughtai Art is essentially a development in hanging wall art. To be viewed at a minimum distance, under artificial light conditions. This determines a larger size for the painting and details which will match the exposition circumstances.

The Art of M.A. Rahman Chughtai can be divided as:

1. Watercolour paintings.
2. Pencil sketches.
3. Etchings and Aquatints.
4. Dust covers for books.
5. Insignias for organizations.

Looking at them requires different perspectives. We have talked of watercolor paintings as a framed hanging art in a museum gallery. Pencil sketches require lesser viewing distance because of the delicacy of the work. Etchings and Aquatints fall into hanging art but their viewing distance is lesser too. Dust covers are books distributed and are a one to one view of the reader. Insignias are spread over the Media like PTV, Radio Pakistan, Alhamra, Pakistan Flower Society, and even aspects of PIA. Art and designs used for cards of various types, are distributed on a much larger scale. An example is given of each. Enjoy them at all levels.

In looking at pictures the light is very important too. In a leading museum abroad, they had to remove Rembrandt for some reasons. They were surprised that each Rembrandt picture changed meaning in different lights. Daylight, artificial light, all mattered. Harry Norman Eccleston told me that they experimented with different bulbs, but the best bulb, least damaging and brilliant, was the simpler household bulb. Full credit to the old one.  We will talk of the materials used in Chughtai Art later. OfCourse that matters too.

Chughtai Art is best viewed in original at a distance of five to six feet. And so if it is framed. Plastic non reflective is not good for it. Glass is best, but genuine quality with no streaks in it. Once Belgium made, now China has caught up with quality. Looking at Chughtai Art is a unique experience, and inevitably the viewer falls in love with the Chughtai World.