The Phantoms of Forsaken Foundries
By Neeraj Patel
An on-going series At Nature Morte by Neeraj Patel of paper-collage works picturing the obsolete infrastructures of India’s industrial past.
Factories and the towns which grew up around them were the modern monuments of industrial capitalism. They ushered in a utopic future fueled by manufacturing, organized labor, and massive infrastructures. But as the terrain of manufacturing shifted, its operations became globalized and newer technologies replaced the older machines, resulting in the abandonment of factories and warehouses throughout the country. Neeraj Patel’s art practice engages with these blueprints of forsaken infrastructures. The now-ghostly remains of the industrial behemoths, once flourishing and adorned with glory, are devoid of human life and accruing oxidized decay. Patel’s works survey the spaces of this degeneration, engaging with the politics of memory while moving away from realistic strategies and expanding into forms of abstraction to map the layers of infrastructural changes, while also unearthing invisible layers of power and the ruins of a futuristic idealism.
Patel will present wall works in a variety of sizes: 17”x12”, 60”x36” and 72”x48” (43x30, 152x91 and 183x122cms). These are constructed from a complex combination of painted papers and acrylic sheets, layered to create compositions which hover on the edge between representation and abstraction, employing both hand-made and computer techniques. The layering brings a sense of depth to the pictures, implying both the passage of time and the substantive experience of three-dimensional space. In addition to the wall pieces will be a single sculpture on the floor, referencing the architectural phantoms present in the pictures and providing a trompe l’oeil element to the installation.
Born in 1987 at Jodhpur, Rajasthan, Neeraj Patel completed his B.A. from JNV University, Jodhpur in 2008 and his M.A. in Drawing & Painting from Mohan Lal Sukhadiya University, Udaipur in 2010. He has also completed an M.F.A in Art Design & Performance from Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida. He has previously shown his work at ART 507 Gallery, Seoul; And.N Gallery, Seoul; EBC, Mexico City; Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai; Bikaner House, New Delhi; and Shrine Empire, New Delhi. This is his second solo show with Nature Morte.
Date 21.04.2025