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The not-so-common-side of RK Laxman

His unpublished works reflect the late cartoonist’s many moods — pensive, amused and even downright shrewd, feels Marisha Karwa

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Unless you happen to be in an artist's circle of family and friends (or friends of friends), it's rare to get an opportunity to view his/her unpublished works. These works, by virtue of being out of the reach of mass consumption, often provide a peep into the creator's mind. This is why the efforts of the Indian Institute of Cartoonists and the National Gallery of Modern Art, Bengaluru, are laudatory for their recent exhibition The Unpublished Works by RK Laxman.

As GS Krishnan, an expert on RK Laxman, who has an enviable 25,000 Laxman cartoons in his collection, said: "These unpublished works are not a direct reflection of his (Laxman's) published works. Published works are more consciously drawn. These unpublished ones are very free, drawn from his own world, for his own consumption and unmindful of what others might say about them."

Laxman came to sketch these cartoons in a scrap book given to him by his elder brother RK Srinivasan. He'd make the doodles and cartoons in the book while sitting with his family or friends. The oldest one dates back to 15 December 1975 and the latest is dated 5 September 1991. The exhibition of 95 of Laxman's unpublished works, said Krishnan, provide "an entry into the mind of the genius" helping the viewer "understand how his published works would've evolved".

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