Bhabesh Chandra Sanyal, known lovingly as Baba Sanyal, passed on in January this year. He was 101 and the senior-most contemporary artist of India who had been involved in the evolution of the Indian art scene from the early twentieth century to the present twenty first century. His contribution in the field of visual art and its promotion, nurturing and encouragement was phenomenal. His passionate involvement, spirit of search and perseverant thrust towards widening the outlook and attitude to the arts, his in depth understanding of the life and times of the century and his own self understanding was also immense.
Born in Assam at Dibrugarh on the 22nd April 1902, B.C. Sanyal was, and is still lovingly called Bhabeshda by his colleagues and Sanyal Saab by his students. Anyone who met him felt inadvertently drawn to his humane persona.
After studying under Percy Brown and J.P. Ganguly at the Government College of Arts, Calcuttta, he came out and went to various places in India looking, observing and absorbing the environment, trying to see where he would ultimately like to settle down.
In 1929, he happened to go to Lahore to do a statue of Lala Lajpat Rai at the AICC session and thought the place was interesting and decided to try and stay on. He offered to make a portrait of Lionel Heath, the then Principal of Mayo School of Arts, Lahore. Heath was impressed by his work, his sincerity and perseverance, and appointed him at the College. He taught at the school from 1929 to 1936. In 1936 Bhabesh Da, a handsome and jovial young man (at the time) left the school as the principal’s daughter fell in love with him and this was creating much complications. This is the time when he founded the Lahore School of Fine Arts, a studio-cum-teaching workshop for experiments in informal art education. The studio was set up initially at the premises of the former Christian College, at the invitation of its first Indian principal, Dr. S.K. Dutta. Later it was formally inaugurated in a basement at the Dayal Singh Mansions with an exhibition which included works from artists who were at Lahore during the period, like A.R. Chugtai, Alla Bux, Roop and Mary Krishna, Hall Bevan Petman, A. Hallet, Ram Lal, Siriniwas and B.P. Singlu, apart from his own.
Due to difficulties in keeping the venues because of tenancy problems, the School had to shift a number of times. For some time the School was at the premises of the Punjab Literary League’s club house. This became an extremely lively place with interactions between the creative fields of literature and fine arts. The school in 1938-39 shifted from the clubhouse to the BallRoom of the Regal Cinema building on the Mall. This was a big and central place and Sanyal’s studio bloomed here with a lot of interdisciplinary interactions of the creatives of the time. There were meetings of the progressive writers and discussions attended by A.S. Bukhari, Sajjad Zuheer and Khwaja Ahmed Abbas. There were talks by luminaries like O.C. Ganguly (on Indian miniatures), Rajani Palme Dutt (on Shakespeare), Uday Shankar, Ram Gopal and Hafeez Jallundhari among others who graced the studio. During the last few years at Lahore, Bhabesh Chandra Sanyal was elected as the Secretary of the Punjab Fine Arts Society.
About Art in India Headline Animator
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
The Art News Magazine of India
Title: Art India- The Art News Magazine of India Volume 12, Quarter 1, 2007 Edited by Abhay Sardesai
Price: Rs. 150/- ($10)
Clicking the Issues
Art India Magazine has always succeeded in capturing the current trends in Indian contemporary art. It is like a weathercock, looking at the turn it takes, one can make out where our art scene is heading for. Suddenly the Indian art market seems to have recognized one mode of artistic expression; photography. From Rotigraphy to Digital imaging, from landscapes, nudes to environmentally inclined experimental photography, from performance documents to quotidian wayside images captured by the artists armed and eyed with the camera now fascinate the Indian galleries. It shows a change in the trend. Some big players, whether they are national or international players, have now started investing in Photography. So photography as a genre of art seems to be getting its due finally.
Heralding the mature phase of Indian photography (was it not matured before?) the latest issue of Art India Magazine concentrates on Photography as a genre of art. Essays, interviews, reviews and features mainly concentrate on photography not only as a form of art, but as a theme of debate. Shukla Sawant’s lead essay titled ‘Outside the Dark Room’ delineates photography as an art form as well as a source for other forms of art. Perhaps, she is the first one to point out that even Raja Ravi Varma was a mediatic realist who used photography as a point of reference. The live model use and the romantic and emotional entanglements of Ravi Varma suddenly fall into the realm of fiction as she brings in the historical evidence for his mediatic references through the Diary of Raja Raja Varma, brother of Raja Ravi Varma, who accompanied the master wherever he went.
Shukla, by defining photography as a means to ‘inscribe with light’ disputes the commonly held belief that it is a medium to bounce off light to copy the reflected image. This, for her, gives a new way to understand photography in a new light. Referring to the works of Rameshwar Broota, Pushpamala N, Probir Gupta, P.Sainath, Dayanita Singh and so on, she moves away from the traditional ways of referring to the ‘pure’ photographers. However, she seems to be pitching her arguments on the social uses by accentuating on the works of Sainath, rather than debating photography as an aesthetic ploy.
‘A Heap of Broken Images’, a panel discussion led by Abhay Sardesai and Zehra Jumabhoy with the panelists Niyatee Shinde, Matthieu Foss, Ader Gandhi, David De Souza and Shahid Datawala brings out various perspectives on contemporary photography practice in India. Abhay problematizes the secondary role always given to photography in other practices. Niyatee Shinde raises a pertinent question, ‘if there were not such boom in the art market, would photography really be getting this much attention? Is the attention because photographers are suddenly doing great work?’ Foss and Gandhi brings out the historical evolution of Photography in India. Datawala talks about his engagement with documentary and art photography. David De Souza is quite realistic in his approach when he says that he does not exactly comprehend the use of photography in installation and other art forms. Niyatee Shinde raises the issue of nostalgia in photography, though it is not debated further.
David De Souza in his article Candid Camera observes the contemporary uses photography and also the challenges faced by a photographer. He observes that the field of photography needs ‘a Bose Krishnamachari’ who could produce as well as promote photography. Sandhya Bordewekar writes on Baroda’s contributions to photography. But one would wonder why suddenly she refers to Shibu Natesan at the end of her article. The interviews with Sunil Gupta, Raghu Rai, Dayanita Singh are good they try to bring forth intentions of the artists in first person narratives.
Apart from the photography related essays, features and profiles, there are two articles on Liverpool Biennale and Asia Pacific Triennale. Though they have become less glamorous in due course of time, these articles give feasible profiles of these art expositions. Julien Nenault’s tongue in cheek report on Lille 3000 is interesting and he packages the Indian artists in Lille quite well. The report closes with the following comment, “The displays brought into focus a packaged world from elsewhere. Was its projection driven more by commerce than by concept? For Mr.Lille 3000 it was probably difficult to tell the difference.”
I would like to point out two things. David De Souza’s article says that Bollywood actors do not allow anybody to photograph them in casual appearances. In the Tenth Indian Triennale, Katherine Yass had photographed many luminaries of Bollywood in their off screen selves. These pictures were presented as a project titled, ‘Stars’. Perhaps, Bollywood stars allow only the foreign photographers to do that. In Suresh Jayaram’s small article on the works of Anup Mathew Thomas, he observes that Thomas made a project in which he allowed his ‘sitters’ to choose their location, dress, attitude etc. In the late 90’s Parthiv Shah, a Charles Wallace scholar then had done a similar project and it was exhibited in Queen’s Gallery, British Council, New Delhi.
This issue of Art India Magazine is a collectible item though some of the reviews do not hold the attention of the reader for long. Gitanjali Dang’s ‘Tea for Two’ on Paula Sengupta and Adip Dutta is precise and gripping. Zehra Jumbhoy’s take on Krishnaraj Chonat is valid. Girish Shahane’s skepticism on the works of A.Balasubramanium is interesting. Zehra’s ‘Toy Trouble’ is myopic. Rest one could forget or forgive.
Price: Rs. 150/- ($10)
Clicking the Issues
Art India Magazine has always succeeded in capturing the current trends in Indian contemporary art. It is like a weathercock, looking at the turn it takes, one can make out where our art scene is heading for. Suddenly the Indian art market seems to have recognized one mode of artistic expression; photography. From Rotigraphy to Digital imaging, from landscapes, nudes to environmentally inclined experimental photography, from performance documents to quotidian wayside images captured by the artists armed and eyed with the camera now fascinate the Indian galleries. It shows a change in the trend. Some big players, whether they are national or international players, have now started investing in Photography. So photography as a genre of art seems to be getting its due finally.
Heralding the mature phase of Indian photography (was it not matured before?) the latest issue of Art India Magazine concentrates on Photography as a genre of art. Essays, interviews, reviews and features mainly concentrate on photography not only as a form of art, but as a theme of debate. Shukla Sawant’s lead essay titled ‘Outside the Dark Room’ delineates photography as an art form as well as a source for other forms of art. Perhaps, she is the first one to point out that even Raja Ravi Varma was a mediatic realist who used photography as a point of reference. The live model use and the romantic and emotional entanglements of Ravi Varma suddenly fall into the realm of fiction as she brings in the historical evidence for his mediatic references through the Diary of Raja Raja Varma, brother of Raja Ravi Varma, who accompanied the master wherever he went.
Shukla, by defining photography as a means to ‘inscribe with light’ disputes the commonly held belief that it is a medium to bounce off light to copy the reflected image. This, for her, gives a new way to understand photography in a new light. Referring to the works of Rameshwar Broota, Pushpamala N, Probir Gupta, P.Sainath, Dayanita Singh and so on, she moves away from the traditional ways of referring to the ‘pure’ photographers. However, she seems to be pitching her arguments on the social uses by accentuating on the works of Sainath, rather than debating photography as an aesthetic ploy.
‘A Heap of Broken Images’, a panel discussion led by Abhay Sardesai and Zehra Jumabhoy with the panelists Niyatee Shinde, Matthieu Foss, Ader Gandhi, David De Souza and Shahid Datawala brings out various perspectives on contemporary photography practice in India. Abhay problematizes the secondary role always given to photography in other practices. Niyatee Shinde raises a pertinent question, ‘if there were not such boom in the art market, would photography really be getting this much attention? Is the attention because photographers are suddenly doing great work?’ Foss and Gandhi brings out the historical evolution of Photography in India. Datawala talks about his engagement with documentary and art photography. David De Souza is quite realistic in his approach when he says that he does not exactly comprehend the use of photography in installation and other art forms. Niyatee Shinde raises the issue of nostalgia in photography, though it is not debated further.
David De Souza in his article Candid Camera observes the contemporary uses photography and also the challenges faced by a photographer. He observes that the field of photography needs ‘a Bose Krishnamachari’ who could produce as well as promote photography. Sandhya Bordewekar writes on Baroda’s contributions to photography. But one would wonder why suddenly she refers to Shibu Natesan at the end of her article. The interviews with Sunil Gupta, Raghu Rai, Dayanita Singh are good they try to bring forth intentions of the artists in first person narratives.
Apart from the photography related essays, features and profiles, there are two articles on Liverpool Biennale and Asia Pacific Triennale. Though they have become less glamorous in due course of time, these articles give feasible profiles of these art expositions. Julien Nenault’s tongue in cheek report on Lille 3000 is interesting and he packages the Indian artists in Lille quite well. The report closes with the following comment, “The displays brought into focus a packaged world from elsewhere. Was its projection driven more by commerce than by concept? For Mr.Lille 3000 it was probably difficult to tell the difference.”
I would like to point out two things. David De Souza’s article says that Bollywood actors do not allow anybody to photograph them in casual appearances. In the Tenth Indian Triennale, Katherine Yass had photographed many luminaries of Bollywood in their off screen selves. These pictures were presented as a project titled, ‘Stars’. Perhaps, Bollywood stars allow only the foreign photographers to do that. In Suresh Jayaram’s small article on the works of Anup Mathew Thomas, he observes that Thomas made a project in which he allowed his ‘sitters’ to choose their location, dress, attitude etc. In the late 90’s Parthiv Shah, a Charles Wallace scholar then had done a similar project and it was exhibited in Queen’s Gallery, British Council, New Delhi.
This issue of Art India Magazine is a collectible item though some of the reviews do not hold the attention of the reader for long. Gitanjali Dang’s ‘Tea for Two’ on Paula Sengupta and Adip Dutta is precise and gripping. Zehra Jumbhoy’s take on Krishnaraj Chonat is valid. Girish Shahane’s skepticism on the works of A.Balasubramanium is interesting. Zehra’s ‘Toy Trouble’ is myopic. Rest one could forget or forgive.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Philosophical content of Indian Art
Unlike the Western religions, which have little philosophical content and belief in the "One God" is mandatory, many of India's ancient religions were not religions in the narrow sense in which religion is construed today. India's early Buddhists were predominantly atheists, the early Jains were agnostic, and within the broad umbrella of Hinduism, there was space for considerable philosophical variety. In the Upanishads, god is described in an extremely abstract and metaphysical way. The philosophical content is essentially secular and spiritual ideas emerge from debate and speculation - not immortal revelations that cannot be challenged or modified with time. In the Nyaya-Sutras, the overwhelming focus is on rational and scientific thinking and analysis, on human understanding of natural phenomenon and physical processes occurring in nature.
This rich tradition of philosophy - both rational and spiritual - found it's way into Indian art and architecture as well. Stupas and temples incorporated a profound symbolic language based on visual representations of all the important philosophical concepts. These included the Chakra - the revolving wheel of time which symbolized the cyclical rhythms of the cosmos; the Padma - or the lotus symbol which embodied the prime symbol of creation - of the universal creative force that springs from the bosom of the earth; the Ananta (represented as a snake) symbolized water - the most important life-giving force and the infinite ocean from which all life emerged, got differentiated and then got re-merged and redissolved; the Swastika - representing the four-fold aspects of creation and motion; the Purnakalasa - or the overflowing flower pot - a symbol of creativity and prosperity; the Kalpalata and Kalpavriksha - the wish-fulfillment creeper or tree that were also symbols of imagination and creativity; Gavaska - sometimes understood to be the third eye; Mriga - or deer - symbolic of erotic desire and beauty; and lingam and yoni - the male and female fertility symbols.
Rules were also evolved to provide additional symbolic content through hand gestures(mudra) of sculptured deities. Deities were sometimes given multiple arms to signify energy or power or to suggest movement and as symbolic of the celestial dance. Different arm positions embodied different virtues such as wisdom, strength, generosity, kindness and caring. Multiple arms could thus be used to signify multiple virtues.
Western analysts have often had difficulty understanding the complex cultural and philosophical systems that gave birth to India's artistic tradition. For many, Indian sculptural panels appeared to be nothing more than a random collection of strange or arbitrary juxtapositions of primitive beliefs and superstitions. This is not to say that Indian spirituality was always free from superstition or arbitrary constructs, but in the best of the sculptural panels, there was a conscious and knowledgeable attempt to convey powerful philosophical ideas.
This rich tradition of philosophy - both rational and spiritual - found it's way into Indian art and architecture as well. Stupas and temples incorporated a profound symbolic language based on visual representations of all the important philosophical concepts. These included the Chakra - the revolving wheel of time which symbolized the cyclical rhythms of the cosmos; the Padma - or the lotus symbol which embodied the prime symbol of creation - of the universal creative force that springs from the bosom of the earth; the Ananta (represented as a snake) symbolized water - the most important life-giving force and the infinite ocean from which all life emerged, got differentiated and then got re-merged and redissolved; the Swastika - representing the four-fold aspects of creation and motion; the Purnakalasa - or the overflowing flower pot - a symbol of creativity and prosperity; the Kalpalata and Kalpavriksha - the wish-fulfillment creeper or tree that were also symbols of imagination and creativity; Gavaska - sometimes understood to be the third eye; Mriga - or deer - symbolic of erotic desire and beauty; and lingam and yoni - the male and female fertility symbols.
Rules were also evolved to provide additional symbolic content through hand gestures(mudra) of sculptured deities. Deities were sometimes given multiple arms to signify energy or power or to suggest movement and as symbolic of the celestial dance. Different arm positions embodied different virtues such as wisdom, strength, generosity, kindness and caring. Multiple arms could thus be used to signify multiple virtues.
Western analysts have often had difficulty understanding the complex cultural and philosophical systems that gave birth to India's artistic tradition. For many, Indian sculptural panels appeared to be nothing more than a random collection of strange or arbitrary juxtapositions of primitive beliefs and superstitions. This is not to say that Indian spirituality was always free from superstition or arbitrary constructs, but in the best of the sculptural panels, there was a conscious and knowledgeable attempt to convey powerful philosophical ideas.
India’s Art, Booming and Shaking
FOR an uninitiated Westerner, making your way to one of this city’s new art galleries can be a disorienting study in contrasts. In the crowded streets behind the Taj Mahal Hotel Palace and Tower, where the air is heavy with the smell of gasoline and flowers, you are approached by women begging for money and food. Men shout invitations to enter their carpet shops or purchase wares like watches, magazines, leather jackets and cigarettes.
Then, from a narrow thoroughfare, you enter a courtyard where an old man sits wearing a black security uniform. He speaks no English but, when asked for directions, points toward a flight of wood stairs so worn they are bowed in the middle. At the top, a door is opened by a barefoot woman in a scarlet sari. Behind her is an art gallery as white and sleek as any space in Chelsea.
These contradictions do not arise from any calculated exoticism. This is simply the new India.
“It isn’t as if we are not aware of what is happening in New York or Berlin or in China,” the dealer Usha Mirchandani said in an interview at the gallery. “It is just that we find ourselves in a new position, and we must find our own way.
“We are an old civilization. We have untold treasures. But what has happened here in the last year and a half has changed things, with the economy booming and so much art being sold and the prices just going off the graph.”
The Indian art world has more than changed. It has exploded. Prices have increased tenfold since 2002. In the last two years alone, they have nearly doubled. Works by India’s top-selling contemporary artists — Atul Dodiya and Subodh Gupta are the names most often cited — can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars. The auction price of paintings by the older generation of great Indian modernists, like M. F. Husain or F. N. Souza, can easily pass a million dollars — hardly uncommon for leading Western artists but staggering in a country where the average income among the 1.1 billion residents is about $820 a year.
Although the usual metaphors are marched out to describe the new art scene — a Wild West, a gold rush — there are signs that speculators have begun to pull back since the government imposed new capital gains taxes on art sales. Still, the global art world is enthralled. The abiding fascination with China’s modish new art has now spread to its southwestern neighbor, with international dealers and curators flocking in to discover talent.
In the next few weeks alone, at least seven large-scale exhibitions of contemporary Indian art will open in Italy, Switzerland and the United States.
Given the attention and fistfuls of money being thrown at Indian art, more and more galleries are opening or refashioning themselves. Some spaces are being retrofitted or built from scratch to accommodate bigger art and the more complex video or multimedia installations that are fresh additions to artistic practice in India.
In New Delhi, Gallery Espace, Vadehra Art Gallery and Talwar Gallery are three elegant examples. A fourth is Nature Morte, considered by many to be the pre-eminent gallery of contemporary art in India. It recently opened a second space in Delhi to house artists’ projects and a third space in Kolkata with its New York partner, the gallery Bose Pacia.
Similar energy is gathering in Mumbai, where Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke, Bodhi Art (which has other spaces in New York, Delhi and Singapore), Sakshi Gallery, Project 88 and Chatterjee & Lal have all opened or moved and expanded during the market’s rise.
Shilpa Gupta, a 31-year-old artist based in New Delhi whose videos and installations are exhibited in Asia, Europe and the United States, echoes the breathlessness of the moment. “It doesn’t matter who’s a star now,” she said. “It’s so beautiful. You can hang out, chill out. We all know each other, and everyone is doing very well, and it’s fantastic.”
Yet paradoxes surface in even the briefest conversations with artists, dealers, collectors and writers here.
Money pouring into the art world from nonresident Indians who have made their fortunes in the United States and Europe, along with the racing engine of India’s $4 trillion economy, has enabled artists to travel abroad far more often than they did before. But with this change has come the slow unraveling of the tightknit community that Ms. Gupta idealizes and that now gathers mostly at far-flung exhibition openings — hardly the forum for intense discussions of issues and artwork. And for all its recent plenty, as the art consultant Jai Danani pointed out, the money has yet to bring its Midas touch to the Indian art world as a whole — that is, to generate the largess needed to create art schools, studios and museums for contemporary art.
Alongside the auctions, art openings and dinners at fashionable restaurants like Indigo in Mumbai, another reality sits on an unpaved street in Khirki village in southern New Delhi. There in a plain two-story building stands KHOJ workshops, the only residency program for contemporary artists in the entire country. Across the way, a man sleeps on bare ground near a family surrounded by a cloud of flies. Inside are five small studios on two floors for visiting artists. In the “reference room,” exhibition catalogs teeter in stacks on the floor, organized by subject categories jotted on sheets of paper taped to the walls.
Pooja Sood, KHOJ’s ebullient founding director, has struggled to keep the center alive the last 10 years, creating partnerships with similar vanguard institutions in South Asia. The government has “given up on contemporary art,” she said; only the private sector supports fledgling institutions like hers and new art in general.
The frustration is widespread.
Nikhil Chopra, a young performance artist in Mumbai, said: “I can’t believe we’re a country of a billion people that doesn’t have more than a couple of decent art schools, no contemporary art museum, no real funding, no group of trained curators fluent in contemporary art, no art criticism in the newspapers, just one serious art magazine, Art India, and only a few major collectors of contemporary work. In other words, no real infrastructure at all.”
But there are signs that the situation is improving. A modern art museum is being planned for Kolkata. A leading collector, Anupam Poddar, will soon open the Devi Art Foundation’s new headquarters in New Delhi to house his collection, organize exhibitions and hold lectures and talks. Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi now has a School of Arts and Aesthetics, a fairly sophisticated program of art history and cultural studies. Web sites have sprouted up that cover Indian art: www.mattersofart.com, www.artconcerns.com, www.indianartnews.com, along with the online auction site, www.saffronart.com.
Yet there is no doubt, as Peter Nagy, the owner of Nature Morte, put it, that the Indian art scene is in its “pimply, adolescent phase.” It is an art community in upheaval, straining to reinvent itself for the 21st century.
The artists themselves, exposed firsthand to European and American art and artists as never before, with the Internet allowing them to sample whatever they care to see, find themselves in a fluid global arena of influence and identity. Their art is no longer confined to Indianness in subject or style, and the topic comes up without prompting in every conversation.
Sipping lassi, a drink of yogurt and water, in his New Delhi studio on a recent afternoon, Subodh Gupta (no relation to Shilpa) said he had steadily resisted the encroachment of global tastes. As he spoke, two assistants nearby quietly polished the surfaces of “Miter,” a large, multipart sculpture of cascading stainless steel pots.
“We are traveling, getting much more informed, and the information gives us useful knowledge,” he said. “But my work with these stainless steel pots and utensils comes from my lower-middle-class childhood, of memories of family and the rituals around food. This is my own language, my strength. If I make art just for the market, I am nothing.”
Not everyone sees the work made today as so earnestly conceived. The editor of Art India, Abhay Sardesai, said that many artists were trying either to overlocalize or to overglobalize themselves, depending on how one views it, exploiting common symbols of Indian culture so that the “local is flogged to create a spectacle for international consumption.”
Yet it is the local, of course, that makes Indian work interesting as it climbs into the firmament of high-profile contemporary art. There is an almost infinite sense of locality here, with 22 languages, a sprawling literature dating back 3,500 years and a caldron of Hindu and Muslim conflict and coexistence in the largest democracy on the planet.
Gayatri Sinha, a critic and curator in New Delhi, suggests that more than any other source of influence, it is the politics of the subcontinent that mold the context in which Indian art is created today. Mr. Husain, generally considered the country’s most distinguished painter, just spent his 92nd birthday in exile, forced out by threats from Hindu groups enraged by his paintings of nude gods and goddesses.
The filmmaker Amar Kanwar, who recently showed “The Lightning Testimonies,” his video installation about sexual violence to Indian women, at Documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany, said that artists in India are “challenged ideologically every step of the way.”
“And yet this friction can be a source of great creativity,” he added.
“This is an extremely intolerant society, an extremely racist society,” he said in an interview at his office in a middle-class neighborhood in New Delhi. “You will run into censorship, but you can make a place to work here.”
“Indian artists are showing all over the world,” he said, “and each day they have to decide how they will confront their society and themselves. They will be critical, or they will just make work for the market.”
A note of defiance entered his voice, a note often heard in reply to questions on this issue: Why do Westerners assume that globalization only runs one way — from West to East?
The dealer Deepak Talwar, with galleries in New York and New Delhi, said: “The real history of modernism hasn’t been written yet. It is all about Europe and New York. But that’s hardly the whole of modernism. A hundred years from now, people will laugh at these narrow histories.”
But in the meantime, the Indian art world is writing the latest chapter of its history at a frenetic pace. One night, Atul Dodiya and his wife, Anju, two of the most prominent contemporary artists, surveyed the crowd at a closing party at Chemould Gallery in Mumbai, one of the longest-running and most respected spaces for new art since its meager beginnings in the 1970s. The gallery’s owners were bidding goodbye to their shoebox space of 800 square feet.
It was a moment of symbolic weight, the end of the old Indian art scene and the beginning of the new. Their polished new gallery, Chemould Prescott Road, is four times the size of the old.
“I have so many memories in this space,” Mr. Dodiya said. “It was almost a different world. We are happy for this boom, but I have to make art that means something to me, not just for the international market.
“The West may be with us, but India, India is very deep in the mind.”
Then, from a narrow thoroughfare, you enter a courtyard where an old man sits wearing a black security uniform. He speaks no English but, when asked for directions, points toward a flight of wood stairs so worn they are bowed in the middle. At the top, a door is opened by a barefoot woman in a scarlet sari. Behind her is an art gallery as white and sleek as any space in Chelsea.
These contradictions do not arise from any calculated exoticism. This is simply the new India.
“It isn’t as if we are not aware of what is happening in New York or Berlin or in China,” the dealer Usha Mirchandani said in an interview at the gallery. “It is just that we find ourselves in a new position, and we must find our own way.
“We are an old civilization. We have untold treasures. But what has happened here in the last year and a half has changed things, with the economy booming and so much art being sold and the prices just going off the graph.”
The Indian art world has more than changed. It has exploded. Prices have increased tenfold since 2002. In the last two years alone, they have nearly doubled. Works by India’s top-selling contemporary artists — Atul Dodiya and Subodh Gupta are the names most often cited — can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars. The auction price of paintings by the older generation of great Indian modernists, like M. F. Husain or F. N. Souza, can easily pass a million dollars — hardly uncommon for leading Western artists but staggering in a country where the average income among the 1.1 billion residents is about $820 a year.
Although the usual metaphors are marched out to describe the new art scene — a Wild West, a gold rush — there are signs that speculators have begun to pull back since the government imposed new capital gains taxes on art sales. Still, the global art world is enthralled. The abiding fascination with China’s modish new art has now spread to its southwestern neighbor, with international dealers and curators flocking in to discover talent.
In the next few weeks alone, at least seven large-scale exhibitions of contemporary Indian art will open in Italy, Switzerland and the United States.
Given the attention and fistfuls of money being thrown at Indian art, more and more galleries are opening or refashioning themselves. Some spaces are being retrofitted or built from scratch to accommodate bigger art and the more complex video or multimedia installations that are fresh additions to artistic practice in India.
In New Delhi, Gallery Espace, Vadehra Art Gallery and Talwar Gallery are three elegant examples. A fourth is Nature Morte, considered by many to be the pre-eminent gallery of contemporary art in India. It recently opened a second space in Delhi to house artists’ projects and a third space in Kolkata with its New York partner, the gallery Bose Pacia.
Similar energy is gathering in Mumbai, where Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke, Bodhi Art (which has other spaces in New York, Delhi and Singapore), Sakshi Gallery, Project 88 and Chatterjee & Lal have all opened or moved and expanded during the market’s rise.
Shilpa Gupta, a 31-year-old artist based in New Delhi whose videos and installations are exhibited in Asia, Europe and the United States, echoes the breathlessness of the moment. “It doesn’t matter who’s a star now,” she said. “It’s so beautiful. You can hang out, chill out. We all know each other, and everyone is doing very well, and it’s fantastic.”
Yet paradoxes surface in even the briefest conversations with artists, dealers, collectors and writers here.
Money pouring into the art world from nonresident Indians who have made their fortunes in the United States and Europe, along with the racing engine of India’s $4 trillion economy, has enabled artists to travel abroad far more often than they did before. But with this change has come the slow unraveling of the tightknit community that Ms. Gupta idealizes and that now gathers mostly at far-flung exhibition openings — hardly the forum for intense discussions of issues and artwork. And for all its recent plenty, as the art consultant Jai Danani pointed out, the money has yet to bring its Midas touch to the Indian art world as a whole — that is, to generate the largess needed to create art schools, studios and museums for contemporary art.
Alongside the auctions, art openings and dinners at fashionable restaurants like Indigo in Mumbai, another reality sits on an unpaved street in Khirki village in southern New Delhi. There in a plain two-story building stands KHOJ workshops, the only residency program for contemporary artists in the entire country. Across the way, a man sleeps on bare ground near a family surrounded by a cloud of flies. Inside are five small studios on two floors for visiting artists. In the “reference room,” exhibition catalogs teeter in stacks on the floor, organized by subject categories jotted on sheets of paper taped to the walls.
Pooja Sood, KHOJ’s ebullient founding director, has struggled to keep the center alive the last 10 years, creating partnerships with similar vanguard institutions in South Asia. The government has “given up on contemporary art,” she said; only the private sector supports fledgling institutions like hers and new art in general.
The frustration is widespread.
Nikhil Chopra, a young performance artist in Mumbai, said: “I can’t believe we’re a country of a billion people that doesn’t have more than a couple of decent art schools, no contemporary art museum, no real funding, no group of trained curators fluent in contemporary art, no art criticism in the newspapers, just one serious art magazine, Art India, and only a few major collectors of contemporary work. In other words, no real infrastructure at all.”
But there are signs that the situation is improving. A modern art museum is being planned for Kolkata. A leading collector, Anupam Poddar, will soon open the Devi Art Foundation’s new headquarters in New Delhi to house his collection, organize exhibitions and hold lectures and talks. Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi now has a School of Arts and Aesthetics, a fairly sophisticated program of art history and cultural studies. Web sites have sprouted up that cover Indian art: www.mattersofart.com, www.artconcerns.com, www.indianartnews.com, along with the online auction site, www.saffronart.com.
Yet there is no doubt, as Peter Nagy, the owner of Nature Morte, put it, that the Indian art scene is in its “pimply, adolescent phase.” It is an art community in upheaval, straining to reinvent itself for the 21st century.
The artists themselves, exposed firsthand to European and American art and artists as never before, with the Internet allowing them to sample whatever they care to see, find themselves in a fluid global arena of influence and identity. Their art is no longer confined to Indianness in subject or style, and the topic comes up without prompting in every conversation.
Sipping lassi, a drink of yogurt and water, in his New Delhi studio on a recent afternoon, Subodh Gupta (no relation to Shilpa) said he had steadily resisted the encroachment of global tastes. As he spoke, two assistants nearby quietly polished the surfaces of “Miter,” a large, multipart sculpture of cascading stainless steel pots.
“We are traveling, getting much more informed, and the information gives us useful knowledge,” he said. “But my work with these stainless steel pots and utensils comes from my lower-middle-class childhood, of memories of family and the rituals around food. This is my own language, my strength. If I make art just for the market, I am nothing.”
Not everyone sees the work made today as so earnestly conceived. The editor of Art India, Abhay Sardesai, said that many artists were trying either to overlocalize or to overglobalize themselves, depending on how one views it, exploiting common symbols of Indian culture so that the “local is flogged to create a spectacle for international consumption.”
Yet it is the local, of course, that makes Indian work interesting as it climbs into the firmament of high-profile contemporary art. There is an almost infinite sense of locality here, with 22 languages, a sprawling literature dating back 3,500 years and a caldron of Hindu and Muslim conflict and coexistence in the largest democracy on the planet.
Gayatri Sinha, a critic and curator in New Delhi, suggests that more than any other source of influence, it is the politics of the subcontinent that mold the context in which Indian art is created today. Mr. Husain, generally considered the country’s most distinguished painter, just spent his 92nd birthday in exile, forced out by threats from Hindu groups enraged by his paintings of nude gods and goddesses.
The filmmaker Amar Kanwar, who recently showed “The Lightning Testimonies,” his video installation about sexual violence to Indian women, at Documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany, said that artists in India are “challenged ideologically every step of the way.”
“And yet this friction can be a source of great creativity,” he added.
“This is an extremely intolerant society, an extremely racist society,” he said in an interview at his office in a middle-class neighborhood in New Delhi. “You will run into censorship, but you can make a place to work here.”
“Indian artists are showing all over the world,” he said, “and each day they have to decide how they will confront their society and themselves. They will be critical, or they will just make work for the market.”
A note of defiance entered his voice, a note often heard in reply to questions on this issue: Why do Westerners assume that globalization only runs one way — from West to East?
The dealer Deepak Talwar, with galleries in New York and New Delhi, said: “The real history of modernism hasn’t been written yet. It is all about Europe and New York. But that’s hardly the whole of modernism. A hundred years from now, people will laugh at these narrow histories.”
But in the meantime, the Indian art world is writing the latest chapter of its history at a frenetic pace. One night, Atul Dodiya and his wife, Anju, two of the most prominent contemporary artists, surveyed the crowd at a closing party at Chemould Gallery in Mumbai, one of the longest-running and most respected spaces for new art since its meager beginnings in the 1970s. The gallery’s owners were bidding goodbye to their shoebox space of 800 square feet.
It was a moment of symbolic weight, the end of the old Indian art scene and the beginning of the new. Their polished new gallery, Chemould Prescott Road, is four times the size of the old.
“I have so many memories in this space,” Mr. Dodiya said. “It was almost a different world. We are happy for this boom, but I have to make art that means something to me, not just for the international market.
“The West may be with us, but India, India is very deep in the mind.”
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Tyeb Mehta
One of the internationally recognized artists of India, Tyeb Mehta is a multitalented individual. Apart from being an exceptionally good painter, he is also a brilliant filmmaker. Known more about Tyeb Mehta with this biography cum life history:
Tyeb Mehta was born on 26th July 1925 in the Kapadvanj city of Gujarat. In the initial years of his career, he worked as a film editor in a cinema laboratory. However, soon, his interest in painting led him to leave that line of career. He came to Mumbai and joined the Sir J.J. School of Art. He studied at the school for five years, from 1947 to 1952. There, he came into contact with Akbar Padamsee and joined the Progressive Artist's Group. In the year 1954, Tyeb Mehta went to London and Paris for four months and then returned to India.
Thereafter, he started participating in group-exhibitions on a regular basis. His first solo exhibition of drawings, paintings and sculptures was organized at the Jehangir Art Gallery of Bombay (now Mumbai), in 1959. Tyeb Mehta moved to London in 1959 and worked there till 1965. In 1965, he came back to his home country and started living in Delhi. Tyeb received Rockefeller Fellowship in 1968 and went to U.S.A for a few years. Thereafter, he started experimenting in films also. In the 1980s, he worked as 'Artist in Residence' in Shantiniketan.
International Shows
Tyeb Mehta participated in a number of international exhibitions, including 'Ten Contemporary Indian Painters' at Trenton in U.S.A.; 'Deuxieme Biennial Internationale de Menton', 'Festival Intemationale de la Peinture' and Cagnes-Sur-Mer in France; 'Modem Indian Paintings' at Hirschhom Museum of Washington and 'Seven Indian Painters' at Gallerie Le Monde de U art of Paris.
Achievements
One of the paintings of Tyeb Mehta holds the record for being the highest priced Indian painting. In December 2005, his painting 'Gesture' was sold for 31 million Indian rupees at the Osian's auction. His film 'Koodal' won the Filmfare Critic's Award in 1970. Tyeb Mehta was awarded the 'Kalidas Samman' by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 1988.
Tyeb Mehta was born on 26th July 1925 in the Kapadvanj city of Gujarat. In the initial years of his career, he worked as a film editor in a cinema laboratory. However, soon, his interest in painting led him to leave that line of career. He came to Mumbai and joined the Sir J.J. School of Art. He studied at the school for five years, from 1947 to 1952. There, he came into contact with Akbar Padamsee and joined the Progressive Artist's Group. In the year 1954, Tyeb Mehta went to London and Paris for four months and then returned to India.
Thereafter, he started participating in group-exhibitions on a regular basis. His first solo exhibition of drawings, paintings and sculptures was organized at the Jehangir Art Gallery of Bombay (now Mumbai), in 1959. Tyeb Mehta moved to London in 1959 and worked there till 1965. In 1965, he came back to his home country and started living in Delhi. Tyeb received Rockefeller Fellowship in 1968 and went to U.S.A for a few years. Thereafter, he started experimenting in films also. In the 1980s, he worked as 'Artist in Residence' in Shantiniketan.
International Shows
Tyeb Mehta participated in a number of international exhibitions, including 'Ten Contemporary Indian Painters' at Trenton in U.S.A.; 'Deuxieme Biennial Internationale de Menton', 'Festival Intemationale de la Peinture' and Cagnes-Sur-Mer in France; 'Modem Indian Paintings' at Hirschhom Museum of Washington and 'Seven Indian Painters' at Gallerie Le Monde de U art of Paris.
Achievements
One of the paintings of Tyeb Mehta holds the record for being the highest priced Indian painting. In December 2005, his painting 'Gesture' was sold for 31 million Indian rupees at the Osian's auction. His film 'Koodal' won the Filmfare Critic's Award in 1970. Tyeb Mehta was awarded the 'Kalidas Samman' by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 1988.
Kolam
Kolam is the name given to the art of Rangoli in southern parts of the country, mainly the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Hindus residing in these parts make use of this art form on a large scale. The female members of the house usually draw Kolam designs in front of their homes, with the help of rice powder. Limestone and red brick powder are also used on special occasions. Kolam is regarded as a sort of painted prayer in South India. The design usually comprises of a symmetric line drawing, which comprises of curved loops, drawn around a crisscross pattern of dots.
In a South-Indian home, it is believed Kolam design bestows prosperity and success. Though the design is generally drawn with the help of dry rice flour, diluted rice paste is also made use of, especially when one intends to signify longevity. At times, paints and chalks are also used to draw the design. In case of special occasions, such as marriages, ritual Kolam patterns can stretch all the way from the courtyard to the street. The patterns are often passed on from generation to generation, like from a mother to her daughter. Though less ostentatious than Rangoli, Kolam art of Tamil Nadu and Kerala is considered as outstanding in its beauty.
Everyday Kolam Ritual
In South India, making Kolam designs is an everyday ritual. Since the one drawn on the previous day gets walked on or rained out or blown away, new ones are made on a daily basis. The womenfolk of the household get up every morning before sunrise and clean the floor with water. Thereafter, the design is made on the damp surface, where it holds better. It is said that in a Kolam design, the lines must be completed. Unbroken lines prevent evil spirits from entering inside the design, and along with it, inside the home.
Traditional Significance of Kolam
Apart from being used for decoration, Kolam serves other purposes also. One of the uses of Kolam is to provide food to the ants. Since the designs are made with the help of coarse rice flour, they provide an easy as well as readily available source of food supply for the ants. At the same time, it is said that rice powder attracts birds and other small critters. Thus, the design is a sort of invitation to all, especially Goddess Lakshmi - the Goddess of prosperity, into one's home and everyday life.
Then, there are health benefits of Kolam. Since one has to bend down to make the pattern, it brings about an improvement in the digestive system and reproductive organs and also serves as an overall stretching exercise for the body. The ability to draw large complicated patterns without lifting the hand off the floor or unbending to stand up is believed to be a matter of pride for the South Indians.
In a South-Indian home, it is believed Kolam design bestows prosperity and success. Though the design is generally drawn with the help of dry rice flour, diluted rice paste is also made use of, especially when one intends to signify longevity. At times, paints and chalks are also used to draw the design. In case of special occasions, such as marriages, ritual Kolam patterns can stretch all the way from the courtyard to the street. The patterns are often passed on from generation to generation, like from a mother to her daughter. Though less ostentatious than Rangoli, Kolam art of Tamil Nadu and Kerala is considered as outstanding in its beauty.
Everyday Kolam Ritual
In South India, making Kolam designs is an everyday ritual. Since the one drawn on the previous day gets walked on or rained out or blown away, new ones are made on a daily basis. The womenfolk of the household get up every morning before sunrise and clean the floor with water. Thereafter, the design is made on the damp surface, where it holds better. It is said that in a Kolam design, the lines must be completed. Unbroken lines prevent evil spirits from entering inside the design, and along with it, inside the home.
Traditional Significance of Kolam
Apart from being used for decoration, Kolam serves other purposes also. One of the uses of Kolam is to provide food to the ants. Since the designs are made with the help of coarse rice flour, they provide an easy as well as readily available source of food supply for the ants. At the same time, it is said that rice powder attracts birds and other small critters. Thus, the design is a sort of invitation to all, especially Goddess Lakshmi - the Goddess of prosperity, into one's home and everyday life.
Then, there are health benefits of Kolam. Since one has to bend down to make the pattern, it brings about an improvement in the digestive system and reproductive organs and also serves as an overall stretching exercise for the body. The ability to draw large complicated patterns without lifting the hand off the floor or unbending to stand up is believed to be a matter of pride for the South Indians.
Mysore Paintings
Mysore Painting is a form of classical South Indian painting, which evolved in the Mysore city of Karnataka. During that time, Mysore was under the reign of the Wodeyars and it was under their patronage that this school of painting reached its zenith. Quite similar to the Tanjore Paintings, Mysore Paintings of India make use of thinner gold leaves and require much more hard work. The most popular themes of these paintings include Hindu Gods and Goddesses and scenes from Hindu mythology. The grace, beauty and intricacy of Indian Mysore Paintings leave the onlookers mesmerized.
History of Mysore Paintings
It was under the rule of Raja Krishna Raja Wodeyar that the popularity of the Mysore School of painting reached its highest point. However, after the Raja expired in 1868, the artists started scattering and the school reached the point of total extinction. The year 1875 saw the establishment of Jagan Mohan Palace and Chitrakala School and along with it, the revival of the Mysore Painting of India. Late Sri Siddalingeswara Swamiji and late Sri Y. Subramanya Raju also contributed to this exquisite art form.
Centers of Mysore Paintings
Indian Mysore School of paintings exists in Mysore, Bangalore, Narasipura, Tumkur, Sravanabelagola and Nanjangud.
Making Mysore Paintings
A number of steps are involved in the process of producing a Mysore painting. The first step requires the artist to make a preliminary sketch of the image on the base, which comprises of a cartridge paper pasted on a wooden base. Thereafter, he makes a paste of zinc oxide and Arabic gum, known as 'gesso paste'. This paste is used to give a slightly raised effect of carving to those parts of the painting that require embellishments and is allowed to dry. Then, gold foil is pasted onto the surface. The rest of the painting is prepared with the help of watercolors. After the painting is fully dried, it is covered with a thin paper and rubbed lightly with a smooth soft stone.
In the traditional Mysore paintings, all the inputs were made by the artists, including brushes, paints, board, gold foil, etc. Instead of the poster colors and watercolors of today, vegetable and mineral colors were used. Even the base was formed of paper, wood, wall and cloth, rather than the sole cartridge paper base used now. The sketches were made with the help of charcoal, which was prepared by burning tamarind twigs in an iron tube. The brushes were made of different materials, like squirrel hair, camel hair, goat hair, etc.
History of Mysore Paintings
It was under the rule of Raja Krishna Raja Wodeyar that the popularity of the Mysore School of painting reached its highest point. However, after the Raja expired in 1868, the artists started scattering and the school reached the point of total extinction. The year 1875 saw the establishment of Jagan Mohan Palace and Chitrakala School and along with it, the revival of the Mysore Painting of India. Late Sri Siddalingeswara Swamiji and late Sri Y. Subramanya Raju also contributed to this exquisite art form.
Centers of Mysore Paintings
Indian Mysore School of paintings exists in Mysore, Bangalore, Narasipura, Tumkur, Sravanabelagola and Nanjangud.
Making Mysore Paintings
A number of steps are involved in the process of producing a Mysore painting. The first step requires the artist to make a preliminary sketch of the image on the base, which comprises of a cartridge paper pasted on a wooden base. Thereafter, he makes a paste of zinc oxide and Arabic gum, known as 'gesso paste'. This paste is used to give a slightly raised effect of carving to those parts of the painting that require embellishments and is allowed to dry. Then, gold foil is pasted onto the surface. The rest of the painting is prepared with the help of watercolors. After the painting is fully dried, it is covered with a thin paper and rubbed lightly with a smooth soft stone.
In the traditional Mysore paintings, all the inputs were made by the artists, including brushes, paints, board, gold foil, etc. Instead of the poster colors and watercolors of today, vegetable and mineral colors were used. Even the base was formed of paper, wood, wall and cloth, rather than the sole cartridge paper base used now. The sketches were made with the help of charcoal, which was prepared by burning tamarind twigs in an iron tube. The brushes were made of different materials, like squirrel hair, camel hair, goat hair, etc.
Miniature Painting
Miniatures paintings are beautiful handmade paintings, which are quite colorful but small in size. The highlight of these paintings is the intricate and delicate brushwork, which lends them a unique identity. The colors are handmade, from minerals, vegetables, precious stones, indigo, conch shells, pure gold and silver. The most common theme of the Miniature painting of India comprises of the Ragas i.e., the musical codes of Indian classical music. There were a number of miniature schools in the country, including those of Mughals, Rajputs and the Deccan.
History of Miniature Painting in India
The evolution of Indian Miniatures paintings started in the Western Himalayas, around the 17th century. These paintings were highly influenced by the mural paintings that originated during the later half of the 18th century. During the time of the Mughals, Muslim kings of the Deccan and Malwa as well as the Hindu Rajas of Rajasthan, this art flourished to quite an extent. Infact, the Mughals were responsible for introducing Persian tradition in the Miniature paintings of India. The credit for western influence can be ascribed to the Muslim kings.
Schools of Miniature Painting
The different schools of the Miniature paintings of India include:
* Pala School
* Orissa School
* Jain School
* Mughal School
* Rajasthani School
* Nepali School
These schools were the products of hothouse cultivation that was practiced over generations. The earliest instances of the Indian Miniature painting are those related to the Pala School and date back to the 11th century. This school emphasized on the symbolic use of color in the paintings, which was taken from tantric ritual. The other characteristics of the Pala School include the use of a skillful and graceful line, modeling forms by delicate and expressive variation of pressure, use of natural color for painting human skin, etc
The Jain School of Miniature paintings laid great emphasis on style. The unique features of this school include strong pure colors, stylish figures of ladies, heavy gold outlines, diminution of dress to angular segments, enlarged eyes and square-shaped hands. One can see the influence of Jain miniature paintings on Rajasthani and Mughal paintings also.
History of Miniature Painting in India
The evolution of Indian Miniatures paintings started in the Western Himalayas, around the 17th century. These paintings were highly influenced by the mural paintings that originated during the later half of the 18th century. During the time of the Mughals, Muslim kings of the Deccan and Malwa as well as the Hindu Rajas of Rajasthan, this art flourished to quite an extent. Infact, the Mughals were responsible for introducing Persian tradition in the Miniature paintings of India. The credit for western influence can be ascribed to the Muslim kings.
Schools of Miniature Painting
The different schools of the Miniature paintings of India include:
* Pala School
* Orissa School
* Jain School
* Mughal School
* Rajasthani School
* Nepali School
These schools were the products of hothouse cultivation that was practiced over generations. The earliest instances of the Indian Miniature painting are those related to the Pala School and date back to the 11th century. This school emphasized on the symbolic use of color in the paintings, which was taken from tantric ritual. The other characteristics of the Pala School include the use of a skillful and graceful line, modeling forms by delicate and expressive variation of pressure, use of natural color for painting human skin, etc
The Jain School of Miniature paintings laid great emphasis on style. The unique features of this school include strong pure colors, stylish figures of ladies, heavy gold outlines, diminution of dress to angular segments, enlarged eyes and square-shaped hands. One can see the influence of Jain miniature paintings on Rajasthani and Mughal paintings also.
Amrita Shergill
Amrita Shergill, one of the most famous painters of India, was born on 30th January 1913 in Budapest city of Hungary. Her father, Umrao Singh Shergill Majithia was a Sikh aristocrat, who was a scholar in Sanskrit. Her mother was a Hungarian singer, Marie Antoinette Gottesmann. Amrita Shergil was the eldest of the two daughters born to her parents, her younger sister being Indira Sundaram, now the mother of the modern artist Vivan Sundaram. The beauty and depth of Amrita Sher Gil's paintings has led to her being popularly called as 'India's Frida Kahlo'.
As Amrita Shergill's biography and life history unfolds, we get to know that the painter spent her early childhood in the Dunaharasti village of Hungary. In the year 1921, her family shifted from Hungary to the beautiful hill station of Shimla. It was during her stay in Shimla that Amrita developed an interest in the art of painting and she started receiving tuitions from an Italian sculptor living there. When the painter moved back to Italy in 1924, Amrita and her mother also followed him. After reaching Italy, she joined Santa Anunciata, a Roman Catholic institution.
In Santa Anunciata, Amrita Shergil received exposure to the works of the Italian artists, which furthered her interest in painting. She also received formal training in painting at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, under Lucien Simon. During that time, she was greatly influenced by the European painters, like Paul Cézanne and Paul Gauguin. Her paintings reflect a strong influence of the Western modes of painting, especially the ones practiced in the Bohemian circles of Paris in the early 1930s.
Amrita Sher Gil returned to India in the year 1934 and from then onwards, began her never-ending journey in the field of the traditions of Indian art. In the country, she was influenced by the Mughal miniatures schools as well as the Ajanta paintings. Her journey of the southern parts of the Indian subcontinent resulted in her painting the famous South-Indian trilogy paintings.
Amrita married her Hungarian first cousin, Dr. Victor Egan, in 1938. Thereafter, she moved with her husband to her paternal family's home in Gorakhpur city of Uttar Pradesh. Later, the couple shifted to Lahore city of, the then, undivided India. Amrita Shergil left this world in the year 1941.
Her Works & Achievements
Amrita Shergill was one of the most impressive as well as the most gifted Indian artists belonging to the pre-colonial era. She was also the youngest as well as the only Asian artist to be elected as an Associate of the Grand Salon in Paris. The paintings of Amrita Shergil show a significant influence of the Western modes of painting. Her works also reflect her deep passion and sense for colors. Her deep understanding of the Indian subjects also comes across through her paintings.
Recognition
The works of Amrita Shergill have been declared as National Art Treasures by the Government of India. Most of her paintings adorn the 'National Gallery of Modern Art' in New Delhi. There is also a road named after the painter in Lutyen's Delhi, known as the Amrita Shergill Marg.
As Amrita Shergill's biography and life history unfolds, we get to know that the painter spent her early childhood in the Dunaharasti village of Hungary. In the year 1921, her family shifted from Hungary to the beautiful hill station of Shimla. It was during her stay in Shimla that Amrita developed an interest in the art of painting and she started receiving tuitions from an Italian sculptor living there. When the painter moved back to Italy in 1924, Amrita and her mother also followed him. After reaching Italy, she joined Santa Anunciata, a Roman Catholic institution.
In Santa Anunciata, Amrita Shergil received exposure to the works of the Italian artists, which furthered her interest in painting. She also received formal training in painting at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, under Lucien Simon. During that time, she was greatly influenced by the European painters, like Paul Cézanne and Paul Gauguin. Her paintings reflect a strong influence of the Western modes of painting, especially the ones practiced in the Bohemian circles of Paris in the early 1930s.
Amrita Sher Gil returned to India in the year 1934 and from then onwards, began her never-ending journey in the field of the traditions of Indian art. In the country, she was influenced by the Mughal miniatures schools as well as the Ajanta paintings. Her journey of the southern parts of the Indian subcontinent resulted in her painting the famous South-Indian trilogy paintings.
Amrita married her Hungarian first cousin, Dr. Victor Egan, in 1938. Thereafter, she moved with her husband to her paternal family's home in Gorakhpur city of Uttar Pradesh. Later, the couple shifted to Lahore city of, the then, undivided India. Amrita Shergil left this world in the year 1941.
Her Works & Achievements
Amrita Shergill was one of the most impressive as well as the most gifted Indian artists belonging to the pre-colonial era. She was also the youngest as well as the only Asian artist to be elected as an Associate of the Grand Salon in Paris. The paintings of Amrita Shergil show a significant influence of the Western modes of painting. Her works also reflect her deep passion and sense for colors. Her deep understanding of the Indian subjects also comes across through her paintings.
Recognition
The works of Amrita Shergill have been declared as National Art Treasures by the Government of India. Most of her paintings adorn the 'National Gallery of Modern Art' in New Delhi. There is also a road named after the painter in Lutyen's Delhi, known as the Amrita Shergill Marg.
Tanjore Paintings
Tanjore Painting is one of the most popular forms of classical South Indian painting. It is the native art form of Thanjavur (also known as Tanjore) city of Tamil Nadu. The dense composition, surface richness and vibrant colors of Indian Thanjavur Paintings distinguish them from the other types of paintings. Then, there are embellishments of semi-precious stones, pearls and glass pieces that further add to their appeal. The relief work gives them a three dimensional effect. Tanjore Painting of India originated during the 16th century, under the reign of the Cholas.
Maratha princes, Nayakas, Rajus communities of Tanjore and Trichi and Naidus of Madurai also patronized Indian Thanjavur Paintings from 16th to 18th century. Most of these paintings revolve around the theme of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, along with saints. The main figure is always painted at the center of the painting. Since Tanjore paintings are mainly done on solid wood planks, they are locally known as 'Palagai Padam' (palagai meaning wooden plank and padam meaning picture).
Making of Tanjore Painting
Of the numerous steps involved in the making of a Tanjore Painting, the first involves drawing of the preliminary sketch of the image on the base. The base is made up of a cloth, which is pasted over a wooden base. The second step consists of mixing chalk powder or zinc oxide with water-soluble adhesive and applying it on the base. Thereafter, the drawing is made and ornamented with cut glass, pearls and even semi-precious stones. Laces or threads may also be used to decorate the painting. To further augment the effect, wafer thin sheets of gold are pasted in relief on some parts of the painting, while the other parts are painted in bright colors.
Maratha princes, Nayakas, Rajus communities of Tanjore and Trichi and Naidus of Madurai also patronized Indian Thanjavur Paintings from 16th to 18th century. Most of these paintings revolve around the theme of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, along with saints. The main figure is always painted at the center of the painting. Since Tanjore paintings are mainly done on solid wood planks, they are locally known as 'Palagai Padam' (palagai meaning wooden plank and padam meaning picture).
Making of Tanjore Painting
Of the numerous steps involved in the making of a Tanjore Painting, the first involves drawing of the preliminary sketch of the image on the base. The base is made up of a cloth, which is pasted over a wooden base. The second step consists of mixing chalk powder or zinc oxide with water-soluble adhesive and applying it on the base. Thereafter, the drawing is made and ornamented with cut glass, pearls and even semi-precious stones. Laces or threads may also be used to decorate the painting. To further augment the effect, wafer thin sheets of gold are pasted in relief on some parts of the painting, while the other parts are painted in bright colors.
Alpana
Alpana, the form of Rangoli practiced in Bengal, is a natural representation of the artistic sensibility of the people. Practiced usually by the womenfolk of the state, the art form represents an amalgamation of the past experience as well as the contemporary designs. Even though the basic designs are more or less same, new forms and new colors are being tried on a large scale. The changing moods of the seasons are also very much reflected in the Alpana designs of India. The patterns are made with the help of a small piece of cloth drenched in a blend of powdered rice.
Making of Alpana patterns is a part of the rituals in the numerous vratas (fasts) kept by the Hindu women of Bengal. They beautify the whole house and paint the floor with Alpana art, drawing designs passed on from one generation to the other. Bengalis also make use of the Circular Alpana as a holy pedestal while worshipping a deity, especially at the time of Lakshmi Puja. The basis of the word 'Alpana' has two different versions. As per one version, it originated from the Sanskrit word 'Alimpana', meaning 'to plaster with' or 'to coat with'. The other version traces its roots to the word 'Alipana', meaning the art of making ails or embankments.
Origin
The origin of the Alpana art form is very difficult to trace. Some authorities believe that the vratas with which Alpana is associated can be traced to pre-Aryan times. The ascetics living in the country before the Aryans are said to have passed on this art form to the future generations. One can also find detailed mention of Alpana paintings in the later works like Kajalrekha. All the ritualistic and traditional folk arts of Bengal, including Alpana, are believed to have been used by the agricultural communities of the region for driving out evil spirits. The art form of Alpana has been used since ages for religious and ceremonial purposes and is usually done on the floor.
Making of Alpana
Alpana designs are drawn with the help of rice-powder, diluted rice paste, powdered colors (produced from dried leaves), charcoal, burnt earth, etc. Materials like colored chalk, vermilion, flower petals, grains, etc, are also used to decorate the designs. The motifs usually comprise of sun, ladder, leg of goddess Lakshmi, owl, fish, betel, rice stem, lotus, plough, sindur box, etc. Presently, Alpana patterns seem to be influenced by Santiniketani style of art.
Making of Alpana patterns is a part of the rituals in the numerous vratas (fasts) kept by the Hindu women of Bengal. They beautify the whole house and paint the floor with Alpana art, drawing designs passed on from one generation to the other. Bengalis also make use of the Circular Alpana as a holy pedestal while worshipping a deity, especially at the time of Lakshmi Puja. The basis of the word 'Alpana' has two different versions. As per one version, it originated from the Sanskrit word 'Alimpana', meaning 'to plaster with' or 'to coat with'. The other version traces its roots to the word 'Alipana', meaning the art of making ails or embankments.
Origin
The origin of the Alpana art form is very difficult to trace. Some authorities believe that the vratas with which Alpana is associated can be traced to pre-Aryan times. The ascetics living in the country before the Aryans are said to have passed on this art form to the future generations. One can also find detailed mention of Alpana paintings in the later works like Kajalrekha. All the ritualistic and traditional folk arts of Bengal, including Alpana, are believed to have been used by the agricultural communities of the region for driving out evil spirits. The art form of Alpana has been used since ages for religious and ceremonial purposes and is usually done on the floor.
Making of Alpana
Alpana designs are drawn with the help of rice-powder, diluted rice paste, powdered colors (produced from dried leaves), charcoal, burnt earth, etc. Materials like colored chalk, vermilion, flower petals, grains, etc, are also used to decorate the designs. The motifs usually comprise of sun, ladder, leg of goddess Lakshmi, owl, fish, betel, rice stem, lotus, plough, sindur box, etc. Presently, Alpana patterns seem to be influenced by Santiniketani style of art.
Mughal Painting
Mughal painting reflects an exclusive combination of Indian, Persian and Islamic styles. As the name suggests, these paintings evolved as well as developed during the rule of Mughal Emperors in India, between 16th to 19th century. The Mughal paintings of India revolved around themes, like battles, court scenes, receptions, legendary stories, hunting scenes, wildlife, portraits, etc. The Victoria and Albert Museums of London house a large and impressive collection of Mughal paintings.
Indian Mughal paintings originated during the rule of Mughal Emperor, Humayun (1530-1540). When he came back to India from the exile, he also brought along two excellent Persian artists, Mir-Sayyid Ali and Abd-us-samad. With time, their art got influenced by the local styles and gradually; it gave rise to the Mughal painting of India. The earliest example of the Mughal style is the Tutinama ('Tales of a Parrot') Painting, now in the Cleveland Museum of Art. Then, there is the 'Princess of the House of Timur', a painting redone numerous times.
Growth of Mughal Painting
Mughal paintings of India developed as well as prospered under the rule of Mughal Emperors, Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan.
Under Akbar
Mughal painting experienced large-scale growth under the reign of Emperor Akbar. During that time, hundreds of artists used to paint under the direction of the two Persian artists. Since the Emperor was fond of tales, one can see the paintings mainly being based on the Mahabharata, Ramayana and Persian epics. Mughal paintings also started illustrating an enhanced naturalism, with animal tales, landscape, portraits, etc.
Under Jahangir
Emperor Jahangir reigned from 1605 to 1627 and extended great support to various art forms, especially paintings. This period saw more and more refinement in brushwork, along with the use of much lighter and subdued colors. The main themes of the Mughal paintings revolved around the events from Jahangir's own life, along with portraits, birds, flowers, animals, etc. One of the most popular examples of Mughal paintings of this time include the pictorial illustrations of the Jehangir-nama, the biography of Emperor Jahangir.
Under Shah Jahan
The grace and refinement of the Jahangir period was seen at the time of Emperor Shah Jahan (1628-1658). However, the sensitivity of the paintings was replaced by coldness and rigidity. The themes of that time revolved around musical parties, lovers on terraces and gardens, ascetics gathered around a fire, etc.
Decline of Mughal Painting
The trend that was seen during the time of Shah Jahan was also found under the rule of Aurangzeb (1658-1707). However, the emperor did not pay too much attention on the growth of the Mughal paintings. Still, the art form continued to survive with the support received from its other patrons. However, gradually, because of diminishing support, a declining trend set in. The time of Muhammad Shah, (1719-1748), did experience a brief revival of the Mughal paintings. Nonetheless, with the arrival of Shah Alam II (1759-1806), the art almost became extinct and another school of painting, known as Rajput paintings, started evolving.
Indian Mughal paintings originated during the rule of Mughal Emperor, Humayun (1530-1540). When he came back to India from the exile, he also brought along two excellent Persian artists, Mir-Sayyid Ali and Abd-us-samad. With time, their art got influenced by the local styles and gradually; it gave rise to the Mughal painting of India. The earliest example of the Mughal style is the Tutinama ('Tales of a Parrot') Painting, now in the Cleveland Museum of Art. Then, there is the 'Princess of the House of Timur', a painting redone numerous times.
Growth of Mughal Painting
Mughal paintings of India developed as well as prospered under the rule of Mughal Emperors, Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan.
Under Akbar
Mughal painting experienced large-scale growth under the reign of Emperor Akbar. During that time, hundreds of artists used to paint under the direction of the two Persian artists. Since the Emperor was fond of tales, one can see the paintings mainly being based on the Mahabharata, Ramayana and Persian epics. Mughal paintings also started illustrating an enhanced naturalism, with animal tales, landscape, portraits, etc.
Under Jahangir
Emperor Jahangir reigned from 1605 to 1627 and extended great support to various art forms, especially paintings. This period saw more and more refinement in brushwork, along with the use of much lighter and subdued colors. The main themes of the Mughal paintings revolved around the events from Jahangir's own life, along with portraits, birds, flowers, animals, etc. One of the most popular examples of Mughal paintings of this time include the pictorial illustrations of the Jehangir-nama, the biography of Emperor Jahangir.
Under Shah Jahan
The grace and refinement of the Jahangir period was seen at the time of Emperor Shah Jahan (1628-1658). However, the sensitivity of the paintings was replaced by coldness and rigidity. The themes of that time revolved around musical parties, lovers on terraces and gardens, ascetics gathered around a fire, etc.
Decline of Mughal Painting
The trend that was seen during the time of Shah Jahan was also found under the rule of Aurangzeb (1658-1707). However, the emperor did not pay too much attention on the growth of the Mughal paintings. Still, the art form continued to survive with the support received from its other patrons. However, gradually, because of diminishing support, a declining trend set in. The time of Muhammad Shah, (1719-1748), did experience a brief revival of the Mughal paintings. Nonetheless, with the arrival of Shah Alam II (1759-1806), the art almost became extinct and another school of painting, known as Rajput paintings, started evolving.
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore was a multitalented personality. He was a Bengali poet, a Brahmo Samaj philosopher, a visual artist, a playwright, a novelist, a painter and a composer, all combined into one. Rabindranath Tagore started composing art works at a very tender age. He was also a cultural reformer who modified Bengali art by rebuffing the strictures that bound it into classical Indian forms. Given below is a complete biography cum life history of Rabindranath Tagore:
Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7th May 1861, to Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi. He was the youngest child of his parents and grew up in a household of fourteen children. Rabindranath wrote poems for the first time when he was only eight years old. He left his hometown, Calcutta, with his father in February 1873, on a tour of the Indian subcontinent. It was in the Himalayan hill station of Dalhousie that Rabindranath Tagore came across biographies and started studying history, astronomy, modern science and Sanskrit.
During that time, he also started reading the classical poetry of Kalidasa. In the year 1877, Rabindranath published his first substantial poetry, under the pseudonym Bhanushingho. He also wrote the short story, Bhikharini, in 1877 and the poem collection, Sandhya Sangit, in 1882. Tagore went to England in 1878 to become a Barrister and enrolled himself at a public school in Brighton. Later, he studied at University College London. However, he came back to Bengal in 1880 and in 1883, he married Mrinalini Devi.
In 1901, Tagore founded an ashram at Santiniketan (West Bengal), where he lost his wife and two of his four children. In the meantime, his works started growing more and more popular amongst the Bengali as well as the foreign readers. In 1913, Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming Asia's first Nobel laureate. In 1915, he received knighthood from the British Crown. Tagore founded the Institute for Rural Reconstruction in 1921, along with Leonard Elmhirst, an agricultural economist.
Rabindranath Tagore took up drawing and painting when he was around sixty years old. His paintings were displayed in exhibitions organized throughout Europe. The style of Tagore had certain peculiarities in aesthetics and coloring schemes, which distinguished it from those of the other artists. He was also influenced by the craftwork of the Malanggan people belonging to the northern New Ireland, Haida carvings from the west coast of Canada and woodcuts by Max Pechstein.
Rabindranath Tagore spent the last four years of his life in constant pain and was bogged down by two long bouts of illness. In 1937, he went into a comatose condition, which relapsed after a period of three years. However, the works composed by Rabindranath Tagore during this time period comprise of his finest ones. After an extended period of suffering, Tagore died on 7th August 1941 in the same Jorasanko mansion in which he was brought up.
Rabindranath Tagore was born on 7th May 1861, to Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi. He was the youngest child of his parents and grew up in a household of fourteen children. Rabindranath wrote poems for the first time when he was only eight years old. He left his hometown, Calcutta, with his father in February 1873, on a tour of the Indian subcontinent. It was in the Himalayan hill station of Dalhousie that Rabindranath Tagore came across biographies and started studying history, astronomy, modern science and Sanskrit.
During that time, he also started reading the classical poetry of Kalidasa. In the year 1877, Rabindranath published his first substantial poetry, under the pseudonym Bhanushingho. He also wrote the short story, Bhikharini, in 1877 and the poem collection, Sandhya Sangit, in 1882. Tagore went to England in 1878 to become a Barrister and enrolled himself at a public school in Brighton. Later, he studied at University College London. However, he came back to Bengal in 1880 and in 1883, he married Mrinalini Devi.
In 1901, Tagore founded an ashram at Santiniketan (West Bengal), where he lost his wife and two of his four children. In the meantime, his works started growing more and more popular amongst the Bengali as well as the foreign readers. In 1913, Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming Asia's first Nobel laureate. In 1915, he received knighthood from the British Crown. Tagore founded the Institute for Rural Reconstruction in 1921, along with Leonard Elmhirst, an agricultural economist.
Rabindranath Tagore took up drawing and painting when he was around sixty years old. His paintings were displayed in exhibitions organized throughout Europe. The style of Tagore had certain peculiarities in aesthetics and coloring schemes, which distinguished it from those of the other artists. He was also influenced by the craftwork of the Malanggan people belonging to the northern New Ireland, Haida carvings from the west coast of Canada and woodcuts by Max Pechstein.
Rabindranath Tagore spent the last four years of his life in constant pain and was bogged down by two long bouts of illness. In 1937, he went into a comatose condition, which relapsed after a period of three years. However, the works composed by Rabindranath Tagore during this time period comprise of his finest ones. After an extended period of suffering, Tagore died on 7th August 1941 in the same Jorasanko mansion in which he was brought up.
Abanindranath Tagore
Abanindranath Tagore, the nephew of Rabindranath Tagore, was born on 7th August 1871. He was one of the most prominent artists of the Bengal school of painting, along with being the first major supporter of swadeshi values in the Indian art. Abanindranath is also regarded as a proficient and accomplished writer. The painter tried to modernize Moghul and Rajput traditions as an answer to the growing influence of Western art under the British Raj. With this biography, we are trying to throw light on the life history of Abanindranath Tagore:
Abanindranath Tagore was born in the Jorasanko town of West Bengal. The younger bother of Gaganendranath Tagore, an eminent artist, Abanindranath was introduced to art in the 1880s, when he was studying at the Sanskrit College. In the year 1889, he married Srimati Suhasini Devi, the daughter of Bhujagendra Bhusan Chatterjee. It was around this time that he left the Sanskrit College and joined St. Xavier's College as a special student for one and a half years.
In 1897, the Vice-Principal of 'Calcutta Government School of Art' started teaching the traditional European academic manner to Abanindranath Tagore. During that time, Tagore developed an interest in watercolors and also came under the influence of Mughal art. He made some beautiful paintings based on the life of Lord Krishna, reflecting a strong influence of the Mughal style. A meeting with E.B. Havell convinced Abanindranath Tagore to work with him in the process of the renewal of the style of teaching at the Calcutta School of Art.
His Style
Abanindranath Tagore believed in the traditional Indian techniques of painting. His philosophy existed in rejecting the materialistic art of the west and coming back to the Indian traditional art forms. He was very much influenced by the Mughal School of painting as well as Whistler's Aestheticism. In his later works, Abanindranath started integrating Chinese and Japanese calligraphic traditions into his style. The intention behind this move was to construct an amalgamation of the modern pan-Asian artistic tradition and the common aspects of Eastern spiritual and artistic culture.
Abanindranath Tagore was born in the Jorasanko town of West Bengal. The younger bother of Gaganendranath Tagore, an eminent artist, Abanindranath was introduced to art in the 1880s, when he was studying at the Sanskrit College. In the year 1889, he married Srimati Suhasini Devi, the daughter of Bhujagendra Bhusan Chatterjee. It was around this time that he left the Sanskrit College and joined St. Xavier's College as a special student for one and a half years.
In 1897, the Vice-Principal of 'Calcutta Government School of Art' started teaching the traditional European academic manner to Abanindranath Tagore. During that time, Tagore developed an interest in watercolors and also came under the influence of Mughal art. He made some beautiful paintings based on the life of Lord Krishna, reflecting a strong influence of the Mughal style. A meeting with E.B. Havell convinced Abanindranath Tagore to work with him in the process of the renewal of the style of teaching at the Calcutta School of Art.
His Style
Abanindranath Tagore believed in the traditional Indian techniques of painting. His philosophy existed in rejecting the materialistic art of the west and coming back to the Indian traditional art forms. He was very much influenced by the Mughal School of painting as well as Whistler's Aestheticism. In his later works, Abanindranath started integrating Chinese and Japanese calligraphic traditions into his style. The intention behind this move was to construct an amalgamation of the modern pan-Asian artistic tradition and the common aspects of Eastern spiritual and artistic culture.
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