|
|
 |
Born
in Amristar in 1941, a tonga makers son, B.M. manage to climb
the ladder to fame. He made it to the Mayo School of Art (NCA).
Where he was one of the special favourites of the great Shakir
Ali. A product of the swinging sixties, he lived his life
on his own terms. His razzle dazzle art career and free spirited
persona did much to populorize art, for he propelled it out
into the open daring the public to see it and to think.
|
| He
never stayed for long with one theme or style, fluctuating between
realistic, abstract and non-objective styles. Strong emotion
and symbolism typefied his work. In the '65 'War Series' he
drew a number of 'Screams' directly onto the canvas pouring
out his patriotic fervour well as his inner turmoil and turbulence.
Though packing his work with explosive power he also exhibited
considerable control over his medium, earning media coverage
and stirring public interest. Another highlight of his artistic
career was "Portfolio of Pakistan" produced in '67.
Basically portraits of people of Pakistan from various provinces,
they were sketched in Pen and Ink in a single tone. The structural
strength and expressive quality of this work, it seems drew
strong inspiration from Sadequain's ink drawings or figurative
forms. Since it was not easy to survive on art alone in those
days, B.M. looked out for new ventures of earning a living.
He opened an art gallery (the first ever in Karachi) at Kutchery
Road in '65 but in '69 left town to go abroad. He also published
an Art Journal 'Artistic Pakistan' but in '68 sold it off. 'Atelier
BM' opened in the '70s. He was by then running an advertising
agency cum gallery and bounced back into art again in 1998. |
|
| He
exhibited his provocative "Lonely girl series"
in 1971 and it is reported "even the supposedly more urbane
art crowd of Karachi created a 'furore' over them, which prompted
the artist to write (the above poem). Dark sensual and tantalizing
with huge luminous eyes and pouting lips, these nudes or barely
draped creatures moved with a languorous rhythm and feline grace
of a cat. Their unmistakeable animal magnetism rendered poster
like in bold flat colours was titillating to say the least,
earning Bashir Mirza just the kind of accolades he craved. Brash,
impetuous and restless, this outspoken rebel of an artist was
one of the earliest, truly "bohemian" painters we
had along with Ahmed Pervaiz and Sadequain. The "shock
value" he imparted from is work was very much a part of
his own persona.
|
|
|
|
The 'Lonely Girl' series was shown and gifted to
the Seoul Museum when he was invited by the Seoul Olympic Committe. Once
again he was in the news. His exhibition DAWN OF DEMOCRACY was inaugrated
by Begum Nusrat Bhutto and sporadic highs and lows followed in his
chequered career. In '94 BM departed for Australia as Pakistan's cultural
attache. By then he was sick, his only late and brief marriage had
foundered and the decline had set in. On his return there were subsequent
lukewarm exhibitions, the latest being at Chawkandi in Aug '99. The
irrepresible B.M. continued to paint, to party, mingle and openings
inspite of the slur in his speech and the tremor in his hands and the
bottle in his pocket. |
|
He wanted to be rich, famous and powerful and
keep open house for his friends. He may not have had power but he did
become famous as B.M. and he was loved by a large number of friends and he
did also enjoy spells of financial comfort at certain stages of his
career.
Alas the sun has set on him who made us feel
its fiery power (He painted the black sun repeatedly in his famous 'War
Series' '65 and the red sun in his 'Australian Series', '90's) but it was
a life well spent for he confessed that "many of my dreams did come
true". (quote from the book BASHIR MIRZA: Acrylic Series. '89 —
'94).
|
Previous Reviews:
Amin
Gulgee, Mansur
Rahi, Jamil
Naqsh, Laila
Shahzad
|
-- Bashir Mirza