Elusive Solutions/Need Sharp Scriptures

Elusive Solutions/ Need Sharp Scriptures is in T.V. Santhosh’s current style, where he paints heightened versions of the photographic colour negative, rather than positive, images. This diptych shows hands raised in prayer, where faces are almost hidden by the act of praying. Coloured in uniform green, the faces grow increasingly unrecognizable, from the left to the right, while the hands become increasingly conspicuous.

This canvas also is another example of Santhosh’s affinity towards religious imagery projected by popular media. Just like the image of naga sadhus was a comment on the stereotypical Hindu image, this image is a cliché of Islam. The distinctive stylistic treatment here illustrates three main elements of Santhosh’s imagery. Firstly, a photo-realistic representation; second, a near bi-chromatic color scheme and third, a mysterious combination of these elements to render something unobtrusively non-specific, which prevents his work from falling into genres.