Paintings with a difference on display

The Kathmandu Post [1997-12-23]
Razen Manandhar

Jaco’s 10 etchings are brought for the collection. Comparatively smaller in

size, his prints are of some that vary in nature from one another. Giving a

faint image of human figures, he has allowed the shapes to hypnotise the

audience with diversity of stretches and distractions-making us aware how

fragile human beings are.

Influenced by his artist mother, Jaco taught handicraft and then turned to

arts school in Rotterdam. He is a sculptor who does etching as well as

sculpturing side by side, and says both are strongly related and belong to

each other. The prints are made of sculptures but those are not replicas, but

just a kind of experiment as he says-bringing about forms, stretching on the

paper.

Generally artists do not prefer graphic designs for each copy varies in

colour and the audience cannot buy anything original. There is a big

possibility that the result may not be what the artist really wants to produce.

However, Jaco takes as minutely and says, “Everybody can buy it; though

paintings are basically for rich people”.

The 37 years old Jaco, who has resumed several exhibitions, aims at

making the people aware of things happening in the world through his work.

Living in a crowded city he made up his mind that the world cannot go on

like this-lots of aggression and violence. Furthermore, working for four

hours daily in a hospital, he has seen many people sick and dying which has

made him aware of vulnerability of human beings-anything can happen; life

is short. “I want to show that though people have never had as much money

as they desire, there is another world where people tend to help the needy”.

He considers himself to be quite pessimistic about the duties of an artist but

says that an artist should be creative "I want people to enjoy". You cannot

please everybody. Only a small group like my work and that is enough.