Spitting At the face of the enemy Is the poor man’s war. Weapons of blindness Always miss their target, The enemy who is not an enemy, But a burning pile of curses Of innocents and the powerless. One day you realize with a sinking heart, The land you are born Is someone else’s motherland. Those desolate homes still smell treachery. Treachery of blood stained propaganda. Smell of blood Makes you forget who is your brother. You build a relationship on Never ending cycles of revenge. Sometimes even the history is an excuse. For some, nostalgia is pain. For others, Hatred the barometer of patriotism. Even the kites don’t fly above indoctrination. Learning to live a life of a scapegoat For the value of life is less important Than borders and ill-fated temples. Brother, Was more beautiful this kingdom, When God too failed as mediator?

- T. V. Santhosh

Jack Shainman Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of Blood and Spit, T .V . Santhosh’s inaugural exhibition at the gallery mounted in collaboration with The Guild Art Gallery, Mumbai. The exhibition opens October 14th and will run through November 14th, 2009.

Here Santhosh presents five large-scale figurative paintings in vibrant hues, his limited palette including electric green, neon yellow and shocking orange. Eight watercolors in gray offer a subdued counterpoint to the bold paintings, their figures enveloped in an impressionistic wash. While the work is conceptually based, Santhosh’s use of deeply saturated color and fluid edges bring the viewer to an elevated state of mind and adds an unnerving quality to the paintings. The tightness of the frame and forcibly close vantage point harkens back to the film noir genre bringing the viewer to a reflective state. His images depict chaos and paranoia relating to current media coverage of contemporary events. His exploration demonstrates a reality on the verge of explosion as if time had been stopped. Simultaneously, the work is profoundly human and cerebral. Although his imagery is extremely current, they have become universal as we live with an oversaturation of imagery and rapid exchanges of ideas. People of all contexts and backgrounds can relate to their pictorial approach.

By entering the world of T. V. Santhosh, we become accomplices to the drama and violence we have just experienced. We are left with a snapshot of a greater story both immediate and timeless, a witness to his conscience.

Born in Kerala, T.V.Santhosh earned his B.F.A. from Kalabhavan, Santiniketan, West Bengal, and his M.F.A. in Sculpture, from M.S.U, Baroda. A major presence in the Indian and international art scenes over the last decade Santhosh has exhibited his work at numerous international art galleries and museums. Prominent museum shows include ‘India Xianzai’ Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai, China, 2009; ‘Passage to India, Parts I and II New Indian Art from the Frank Cohen Collection’, at Initial Access, Wolverhampton, UK, 2008 and 2009; ‘Aftershock, Sinsbury entre, Contemporary Art Norwich, England, 2007; and ’Continuity and Transformation’ promoted by Provincia di Milano, Italy, 2007.

A catalogue featuring works by T.V. Santhosh from 2007 – 2009 and essays by Shaheen Merali, Brigitte Ulmer, Alexander Keefe and Santhosh S. is available.