Swaminathan : Ek Jeewani

Its been almost twenty-five years since the extraordinary man and painter Jagdish Swaminathan left this world, but the world hasnt abandoned him. It wont. His personality and work are such that whenever Indian art is discussed, especially the art of the twentieth century, he will be remembered. Swaminathan fought seriously and courageously on many fronts, demonstrating that, alongside art creation, artistic reflection and artistic discourse are of immense importance. Without questioning, reflection, and debate, we will be unable to create a creative environment that fosters excitement about the mere act of creation, a spirit of inquiry, and a vision that can evaluate many things appropriately. Writing the biography of an artist, an art connoisseur, and a person who was extremely lively, witty, sarcastic, humorous, and fun-loving, who went out with everyone, lived with everyone, and sought everyones company, was bound to present a significant challenge in balancing these two aspects of Swamibecause both are intertwined. And he had to be kept togetherboth aspects. So, both aspects have been arranged in due time and place. And along with the essential facts of his life, the story of the fruition of his ideas has also been told. This is not only Swamis first biography, but also the first book on him. The biography is not written in a sequential formatthat would have been impossible, given Swamis personality and lifestylehe probably would not have liked a biography written in that format. Thus, in a novelistic, storytelling style, many details of his life have been recorded, sometimes directly, sometimes in flashbacks, and sometimes in a style that accommodates whatever is appropriate. It is hoped that discerning readers will find this biography both interesting and useful. From the Preface: Jagadish Swaminathan, a Tamil-speaking native, was a prominent Indian painter raised in North India. He painted, wrote poetry in Hindi, and wrote art criticism in English. He was perhaps the most inquisitive art thinker of his time, raising fundamental and contemporary questions about art. He founded and curated the Rupankar Art Museum at Bharat Bhavan and radically redefined contemporaneity, recognizing not only urban artists but also folk and tribal artists as equally contemporary. Swaminathans life and art were so intertwined that one cannot be understood without the other. Poet and art lover Prayag Shukla has written this biography as part of a special project of the Raza Foundation, and we are pleased to present it. Ashok Vajpayee.