Ali Zafar’s Latest Blog Entry: Pakistan movement – Move it Baby !

Pakistan movement . Move it baby !

I wrote this appx a year ago and found it in my word documents . Thought might be interesting to share . How relevant it gets by the time .
By Ali Zafar

I remember ,two years back , at a house get together ,where everyone seemed to be joyfully singing and laughing , a somber wise man , pointed out to me “ Young man ! few years down the lane , you will remember this time as the good times we once enjoyed once in Pakistan” I looked at him and chose to ignore as the possibility of his verdict seemed highly unlikely to me . I was young .

It had been a while since I’d wet my floor with turpentine dripping off my brushes , so i turned to paint the other day . The palette was all browns . I sat to write a song but the lyrics were dipped in grey. I was somebody known to myself for using bright vibrant colors . I am somebody famous for happy notes . So why the browns and greys? Is it just me or is it what’s around me . What the f### is happening is the question or is it “what has happened ?’

The transformation of the formal question to the later takes time as you go deeper into understanding yourself and what goes around , which in our case is very vibrant and colorful ; but the Red is the blood red and the green is wound green . An intriguing use of paint . “Did we paint this picture” is the question or “are we presented with this piece of art without a choice?”

An artistic analogy would suggest that there are buyers for this kind of Art too . It could be put under the genre of “expressionism” or more so , ‘impressionism” may be a hybrid form of “Dadaism” but I would rather call it a form of “Pop Art “ since it’s so everyday kind of thing .

Some of these pieces of Art can also be bought at auction but you might not be allowed inside unless in proper “Uniform” . There are two kinds of auctions though . At the other one you might not see the use of a female in the paintings . You may be able to enter that , but enter at your own risk. You might never exit . If you do you’d want to exit straight into heavens with some more with you . But the most interesting domain is “ The Seller “. That ought to be the most respected as he’s the introductory of this entire movement. The creative Genius !

We as Pakistanis should never under estimate ourselves .In Pakistan also , many intellectually profound art movements were given birth too by some fine “Pen-men” and some magnificent “Paint-men” too . But then a “Gunman” came accompanied by “Superman” and killed it all . Intellectual libertarianism is an evil form of conservative compliance !

If you’re a hardcore art lover you must not forget to visit the galleries. Sometimes you get to come across some interesting modern age surrealistic work too . A recent visit of mine brought me close to a visual jeopardy as I witnessed the most outrageously courageous piece of art by a 12 year old . He’d made the new map of the world in which he’d shown Pakistan shrunk down . I asked him what he was trying to say and on my rejection of his childish delusional belief he said “ Humein bacha na samjho ( don’t consider us as kids) mein nay sab dekh liya hai internet peh keh 2015 tak Pakistan toot jaye ga ( I have seen everything on the internet how Pakistan is going to be in pieces by 2015) Flabbergasted I replied “ Nahin bachay aisa kuch nahin ho ga ( Nothing like this is going to happen ) “ and the kid replied “ Pehlay bhee to yeh log yahee kehtay thay jab Pakistan toot gaya tha ( isn’t that what the people used to say when Pakistan was divided the first time )?” A bit too surreal ? If so, you always have the choice of picking up your own marker and scribble the image that speaks you . It may have to go through a very valid organization for check before release though , but not to worry , once it passes through you’re on ! You can also be the part of the “elite-force “. You get to have beemers and mercs and obviously the percs .

These are all indeed a new concepts of art movements , copyrights protected , to be found nowhere else in the world but prevailing here since decades . I would like to have the honor of recognizing this talent and movement and name it “ Pakistan movement . Move it baby !” A must buy for your art collection . To vote stamp on the sign of a poor kid crying for food or a woman being dragged by her hair on the street or a president dodging a shoe .You never know , you might be the next president and that too an elected one !

Attaching below a painting from my thesis in 2003 :

It’s called ” Voh aik Sajda ..”