Love

In this metal sculpture by Sudershan Shetty depicting the interaction of two bovine skeletons, one creature lying on his back appears to support a female alter-ego standing above. It appears as though their flesh has withered away while they were at play and hence, they have become fossilized for posterity – a monument of love, perhaps? Even though the creatures share minimal contact there is intimacy in the representation of love as the reflected self in ‘the other.’ Several of Shetty’s kinetic works are characterized by the use of the skeleton; the exposed framework of the being thus becomes an important signifier. The visual experience of this work is punctuated by a repetitive bell-like sound, giving it a ‘sacred’ undertone. This gesture could also be viewed as playing with the use of cow as religious icon. The artist’s use of modern materials works as commentary on the human condition and the commodification of love in a consumerist world. Shetty seems to juxtapose objects to create dichotomies – male and female, death and life, sacred and profane. He thus invites the viewer to create a third reality. His works surpass their identification as larger than life installations tailored to harness shock value. These are art objects that continue to engage.