Important Notice

Padamsee began painting his Metascape series in 1970 and coined the term "Metascape" to describe landscapes stripped of all geographic and chronologic specificity. "I'm not interested in location or landscape. My general theme is nature - mountains, trees, water, the elements, and obviously one is influenced by the environment, but I'm not interested in painting Rajasthan or the desert of whatever. When I paint a tree, a mountain, or a river, I... Padamsee began painting his Metascape series in 1970 and coined the term "Metascape" to describe landscapes stripped of all geographic and chronologic specificity. "I'm not interested in location or landscape. My general theme is nature - mountains, trees, water, the elements, and obviously one is influenced by the environment, but I'm not interested in painting Rajasthan or the desert of whatever. When I paint a tree, a mountain, or a river, I am really interested in 'the river', 'the mountain', 'the tree'. The paintings are neither abstract nor representational." (as quoted in Eunice D'Souza, "Akbar Padamsee's Metascapes", The Economic Times, 30 November 1975)

Transcending the limitations of 'conventional geography', the present lot challenges conventional notions of time and space. The abstract landscape is composed of "... brilliantly choreographed planes of light and dark made in thick impasto which evoke mountains, field, sky and water. The controlled cadence of the colors breaks into a throbbing intensity as the artist in his most masterly works, evokes infinite time and space." (Yashodhara Dalmia, Indian Contemporary Art Post Independence, New Delhi: Vadehra Art Gallery, 1997, p. 17)

Padamsee's Metascapes "... include both a truly detached and analytical approach and a fascination for tautological rules. In the paintings the image prods the exercise, form being distilled to reveal the core. Curiously the endeavour is as old as it is modern: the artistic pursuit of a philosophical intent." (Mala Marwah, Lalit Kala Contemporary 23, New Delhi: Lalit Kala Akademi, 1979, p. 36)

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