New-age art

Here’s an advertising professional who uses technology not only to optimise his work, but also to conveniently pursue a hobby he thought he no longer had time for. Using Art Rage, an iPad application, KV Sridhar, national creative director of Leo Burnett, has created virtual paintings in the last three-four months.

Here’s an advertising professional who uses technology not only to optimise his work, but also to conveniently pursue a hobby he thought he no longer had time for. Using Art Rage, an iPad application, KV Sridhar, national creative director of Leo Burnett, has created virtual paintings in the last three-four months, and is displaying them in the city now.

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Says Sridhar, “I was an avid painter in the ’80s, but haven’t displayed my work since then. A full-time career doesn’t give me time to paint. But once I started using this application, I saw how much I could do with it. I can paint in whatever medium I like, and it looks realistic and beautiful.”

However, the adman insists that Art Rage can’t make an artist out of anyone. “I feel that it only gives trained artists more freedom and convenience. The touch-screen experience is virtually like putting hand to paper, so there’s not much of a difference.”

Taking only up to two-three hours per painting, Sridhar enthuses that he creates three works of art at a stretch sometimes, keeping him well occupied on long flights. “It’s great for artists who want to do a lot of work. One doesn’t have to clean brushes, wait for a coat to dry or even smell the turpentine and linseed oil.”

Sridhar hopes to sell some of these paintings, and donate the proceeds to the welfare of marginalised sections of society. And his next aim is to exhibit his works in Delhi.

Ask him if his agency’s office in Mumbai has displayed any of his works and he laughs, “No, but if they’d like to hang something up, I have no objections!”