GARDEN
ART
It has gorgeously designed portraits for the laymen as well as abstract artefacts with
aesthetic appeal .It is the unique sculpture garden at Krishnagar, alongside the National
Highway No.34and the only one kind in India.
Situated at a distance of only 100 kms from Kolkata. Krishnagar Town in the Nadia
District
Of West Bengal has already earned fame from different quarters as the dwelling place of
the artists who carve dull lumps of clay .and now to add its fame , India's first and only
sculpture garden has been created here -and that by none other than a sculpture who
belongs to the town.
 Gautam
Pal , 52 ,and bearded ,is the able son of an able father
-also a renowned sculpture with a big name. After initial
lessons from his father Gautam admitted himself in the
Government Collage of Art and Craft in Kolkata and stood
1st Class 1st in the final diploma examination .He then
decided to go abroad to learn European sculpturing .In
1972, he went to the Accademia di Belle Art di Breara
at Milano in Italy and by 1974 he had his Studio di
Scultura at Ghurni, Krishnagar.
It was while he was in Italy that the idea of a sculpture garden struck him.In 1983, he
started to construct an open air sculpture garden at Vatjungla, near Krishnagar.
To enter the four bigha sprawling garden is to brust upon an exotic world of art. There
are together 27 figures in the garden, most of them created by Gautam and few by his
father. The statues include portraits of eminent persons like Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal
Nehru, Karl Marx so on. There are also captivating abstract figure for conniseurs of art
and craft.
The sculpture garden, says its creator, was promoted by an urge to do something of art
lovers. Added to this was thought of beautifying the place.The garden now acts as a
soothing sight to the tired passengers travelling along N.H>34, who can rest while
before moving on.
Gautam's inspiration comes from the world out side aswell as the world within. The
Circus of Life depicting the figures of a child with its parents who sculpted when the
artist's daughter Koel was born. That of loves engaged in a conversation show the artist's
innate skill in freezing a movement from life.
Thought the garden is an entirely new concept in India, it has not yet struck the
headlines, laments Gautam. "Maintenance is the biggest problem", says
he."as the funds are jacking". Nobody has yet come forward with any concrete
offer to help. Whatever happens, Gautam will always be remembered as the pioneer of a new
art form
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