Artists Directory >Anthony Doss C J

"There is no limit to mastering realism which is the basis of all painting. Academic painting needs a lot of experience and time. Without mastering the fundamentalists, it may not be possible to reproduce selected images due to an exceptional state of awareness which could be called idealism, romanticism or super-realism. One may take a lifetime to complete academic studies and yet not be fully satisfied. Even now when I am doing realistic work, I feel I am learning. The scope to learn the basics is unlimited... I have made a thorough academic study of Christ. I know about his life in such detail that I could paint him in a hundred dimensions. Yet, only his agony appeals to me again and again and remains my greatest source of inspiration. I have studied the paintings of the old masters but I am not exactly influenced by their images. When I paint Christ, it is my own creation - something different and original. I am a highly emotional person and have always been deeply moved by the beauty of woman. Whenever I have painted, I have found his subject fascinating. More attractive than anything else has been the flow of lines of the female form. When I have painted nudes, I have felt that I could live with them, for to me they have been so alive, the true test of creation. This sense is powerful in me and it has not diminished over the years or with age. I begin to think that if I am good enough I can make a painting of a person and the person in the painting will come alive."

Born in 1933, obtained Diploma in Advanced Painting and Design from the Government College of Arts & Crafts, Chennai, 1956.

In a long and noteworthy career, he has held innumerable shows both in India and abroad, and participated in the National Exhibition of Art, New Delhi, Paris Biennale International Art Exhibition in 1961, Sao Paulo International Art Exhibition, Brazil. Recipient of many awards, including those from the South India Society of Painters Governor's Gold Plaque 1958, the National Award in 1961, the Tamil Nadu Ovia Nunkalai Kuzhu in 1986 and the prestigious Kalai Chemmal title of the Tamil Nadu Lalit Kala Akademi in 1989-90 and many other distinctions too.

His creations are the product of inspired contemplative chastity, emotional intensity and deep yet spontaneous vision. The true strength of his work lies in this superb ability to create a perfect balance between Romanticism and Realism. It is not the penetration of the soul of the sitter but more importantly the sheer quality of his own technique and aesthetic outputs.

Address: 

Studio and Residence:
68, II Street,
A.K.Swamy Nagar,
Kilpauk,
Madras - 600 010.