The decade of 1960’s defined Ram Kumar’s abstract artistic output,
considering it was during the start of that decade when he visited Varanasi
along with fellow artistMF Husain. The city of faith, which also gestated the
cyclic revolution of birth and death, had a jarring effect on the ponderous
Ram Kumar. This journey directed his pursuit towards inventing an abstract
motif, which could effectively replicate the intangible avenues of a
landscape. He strived to create a syntax that encompassed the emotions
exuded, while one is in the presence of the monuments of nature.
This work from the mid-60s showcases his cognitive perception adopted
during that point in time, opposed to the later works from this series, in this
work his colour composition comprises of murky golden and earthen hues,
while the etched blue patches resonate with an aura of aquatic sensibilities.
However holistically there is a presence of tumultuous and frigid static that
permeates throughout the surface. Melancholic in nature, Ram Kumar was
incessantly invested in his surrounding environment, and in this work he
deftly amalgamated visual metaphors of the human condition as well.