VII. India

“Estrangement art re-awakens us Shklovsky claims, it makes us see objects in their complexity rather than recognize symbols in their mundanity. Art exists to make the world strange again to us. To make a stone feel stony.” – Robert Powell

One of the many highlights from Rob’s paintings in Bengal includes his watercolour painting of the ancient Devi temple site of Tarapith, where Aghari tantric sadhus build shelters and meditation cells on cremation sites. To enhance their contemplation of the inevitability of death, they sometimes use human skulls as a construction material.  The example shown in this gallery was adapted from a much smaller piece completed in the early 1980s.

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Robert’s loving wife, Lieve Aerts Powell is managing his archive of art and will respond to you within 3-5 working days.