A Look Back at 2007

The past year was another remarkable one for Indian contemporary art on the global scene—the market remained strong as several auctions attested, and Indian artists made headlines internationally. Here is a monthly review of some of the news and events that were generated during the last twelve months. Let’s hope 2008 will continue to be great for everything Indian!

January:
The auction market for Indian art alone was worth $150 million in 2006, up from $52 million the year before, according to Sonal Singh, director of Bodhi Art, which is based in New Delhi and also has galleries in Mumbai, New York, and Singapore.
21st – Three legendary Indian artists teamed up for a three-day show, their masterstrokes a call for world peace. S.H. Raza, M.F. Husain and Satish Gujral showcased the power of art to the world when their works were unveiled at UNESCO's global forum on the power of peace in Bali.
31st – Osian’s held their “Masterpieces and Museum-Quality Series” auction at the Taj Palace and Towers in Mumbai, with a VS Gaitonde oil selling for $1,307,900 and Amrita Sher-Gil’s “Girls in Conversation” going for $790,190. The sale kicked off the year with a total tally of over $9,000,000 USD.

February:
1st- The “International Modern & Contemporary Art” sale in Dubai continued the hot trend for Indian art with total sales at $9,417,560. PAG masters sold well as did the country’s “second tier” artists.
2nd - India and Russia signed a two-year cultural exchange program during Vladimir Putin’s visit of to India. The two countries will work towards development of cooperation in the field of fine arts, exchange of art exhibitions and works of folk art, as well as delegations of painters, handicraftsmen, art critics, and experts in traditional folk art.
15th - As a part of the several initiatives taken to raise funds for conserving nature and wildlife, the Bombay Natural History Society organized a Charity Auction of Contemporary Indian Art called Mission Greenscape. The collection was open to the public at the Jehangir Nicholson Gallery of Modern Art. The collection included works by artists such as Lalitha Lajmi, Manjit Bawa, Sunil Das, Vasudev Gaitonde, Akbar Padamsee, S H Raza, Paritosh Sen and many more.
22nd - Legendary Indian artist S. H. Raza returned to India from Paris to celebrate his 85th birthday. Weeklong celebrations were organized by the Raza Foundation, National Gallery of Modern Art, Art Alive Gallery and Alliance Francaise.

March:
21st - Christie’s held their spring New York auction, and although no works broke the million-dollar mark, prices remained solid for PAG oils on canvas—and did particularly well for their works on paper. Among the highlights at this auction, M. F. Husain’s Woman with Veena went for $132,000 with the money donated to Pratham UK and NGO charities aimed at eradicating illiteracy in India. Total sales were $8,593,080.
21st – New York City gallery TamarindArt and their invited guests marked their one-year anniversary as a full-time gallery with Pinnacle-Progressives, a rare exhibition from the private collection of owners Kent and Marguerite Charugundla featured works from the Progressive Artists Group.
22nd - At Sotheby’s NY, everything was coming up green—as in $15,007, 880 for the 172 lots up for bid. A majority of the works, which included miniatures and illustrations, sold at or over their pre-sale estimates, seemingly regardless of the artist or the medium.
24th - Christie's achieved total sales of $8.6 million in its New York auction of modern and contemporary Indian art. A V.S. Gaitonde Untitled work garnered the highest price at $768,000.

April:
An Artprice survey estimated that contemporary Indian art had made a progression of 480% over the past decade. Not surprisingly, works by F.N. Souza have appreciated the most dramatically over that period of time.19th – Bonham’s auction house announced it will open its first Middle East office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, following Christies and Sotheby's, on growing demand for Arab and India art.
19th – TamarindArt, in cooperation with the Museum of Modern Art in New York, presented a unique exhibition featuring vintage Bollywood posters from a bygone era. The show, which ran until May 5th, was also in cooperation with India Now, which featured a film series of Indian cinema at MoMA.

May:
21st - The first of three May London Indian contemporary art auctions was held at Bonham’s, with bidders holding tightly to their wallets. Of the 152 lots up for the sale titled Modern and Contemporary Indian and Pakistani Paintings, one-third (51 total) were passed, with few others surpassing their pre-sale estimates.
21st - S. H. Raza’s oil on canvas La Terre sold for $1,418,539 USD, quickly followed by F.N. Newton’s Landscape with Planet, which went for $613,128, and his Untitled (Man with Collar) for $212,867 at Christie’s London sale, which raked in a very solid total of $8,808,205.
24th - Indian art sales hit a snag at Sotheby's where more than 38 works were withdrawn in the 166 lots. Works passed included those by V.S.Gaitonde, Tyeb Mehta, Raza, Husain, Anjolie Ela Menon, and other big names. “Second tier” artists, however, did well. Total sales figures topped out at $5.6 USD.

June:
24th - TamarindArt held an opening reception for one of their artists who had a solo exhibition at P.S.1 MoMA. Fuzzy Logic by Prema Murthy was organized by P.S.1 MoMA Director, Alanna Heiss
27-30 - Fifty-two watercolor paintings done by children from Sri Lanka who survived the Southeast Asia Tsunami of 2004 were offered for sale at the “AmeriCares Tsunami Art Benefit” at TamarindArt. All proceeds from the sale of these works went to benefit these children.

July:
10th – M. F. Husain was the guest of honor at the opening of Images and Illusions, an art exhibition at TamarindArt Gallery.
11th - Sotheby’s held a special auction was held to raise awareness and funding for the construction of The Kolkata Museum of Modern Art. The mega-project is designated as the first national art museum in India, and whose mission will to collect, preserve and exhibit national and international works of fine art from the 18th century to contemporary art. The auction raised over $1.5 million.

August:
17th – “Gateway Bombay”, an exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum opened to introduce uninitiated viewers to some of India's most celebrated modern and contemporary artists. Organized by the museum’s curator of South Asian and Korean art and a Bombay-based art historian, the show aimed to address the impact of one of India's biggest and busiest cities on artists who have lived, studied, and worked in the Indian city now known as Mumbai.

September:
19th - New York fall Indian art sales kicked off at Sotheby’s with no great surprises, as most pieces that were sold came in at their pre-estimated prices. The final total was $6,311,738, just under the estimated low end. Twenty-eight of the available 114 lots (25%) were not passed, including big-ticket works by VS Gaitonde, Ram Kumar, FN Souza, and Jogen Chowdhury.
19th - A major exhibition of photography and video art depicting contemporary India opened at Newark Museum in New Jersey. The show, titled “Public Places, Private Spaces: Contemporary Photography and Video Art”, comprised over 100 works by 28 photographers and video artists, reflecting the interior and exterior realities of today's India. The show will run until Jan 6, 2008.
20th - Buyers threw all caution to the wind during Christie’s NY auction, which brought in a total of $10,115,050. Of the 110 lots sold, 70% went down the hammer above their pre-sale estimates.
21st - Indian contemporary art auction at Sotheby’s wrapped up the week with mixed results of the 58 lots (featuring mostly the younger generation of Indian artists) up for sale. Just over half the offerings fell into pre-sale estimates or slightly above, with the final take today of $1,818,780.
23rd - New York City was brimming with free Indian music, folk dances and art exhibitions when the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Ministry of Tourism organized India@60. The events, coinciding with the United Nations General Assembly, sought to attract the world’s attention to India by portraying its strengths — democracy, diversity and demographics — which have powered the sub-continent’s development.
24th – TamarindArt hosted an illustrated lecture and exhibition by renowned photographer Benoy K. Behl as part of Incredible India@60. The Ministry of Tourism & Ministry of Culture, Government of India, organized the celebration.

October:
11th – 14th - The Khoj Artists Association based in Delhi rubbed shoulders with 151 art galleries from across the world to showcase contemporary Indian art at the well-known Frieze Art Fair, an annual affair that takes place every October at the Regent Park, London. The fair offered a palette of works of over 1,000 artists from across the globe for visitors to see and buy.
26th - The top draw of the day at Bonham’s London Indian sale was a historic 19th century painting by Raja Ravi Varma that sold for nearly one million dollars. Contemporary works that also sold well were Amrita Sher Gil’s “Seated Girl”, along with paintings by Ganesh Haloi, F. N. Souza, and M.F. Husain.

November:
2nd – 3rd - Bypassing traditional art galleries and museums, the two-day All India Art Trade Fair in Delhi brought together 40 artists from across the country to showcase their work as well as sell them to collectors directly. The art fair gave a platform to emerging as well as veteran artists to display their work, as well as give customers an opportunity to interact with the artists.
15th - Artists from India and abroad converged at Delhi to raise awareness about rising social inequality in urban Indian cities. The group called Creative Conscience has been holding workshops and exhibitions on social themes since 2004.
27th – The BBC announced that noted English poet and writer Rudyard Kipling's birthplace in Mumbai is being converted into an art museum. The 100-year-old timber and stone two-story cottage, built more than 100 years ago, sits on the campus of the famed JJ School of Art in that city.

December:
1st – 2nd - Sixty pieces of art and handicraft went into an unusual exhibition at Gallery Art and Soul, Madhuli, in Worli -- half of the works were created by mentally challenged adults from the sheltered workshop Anchorage. Prominent JJ School of Art-trained artist Bhavana Shah's pieces were also showcased.
3rd – 102 paintings by contemporary Indian artists went under the hammer at Artcurial, one of Paris’ most prestigious auction houses. This was the first ever sale of contemporary Indian art to be held in that city, with final figures coming in just under $2 million.
5th – 6th -Even as S.H. Raza's “Maha Bindu” fetched $652,000 beating Tyeb Mehta's “Untitled” that sold at $602,500, Saffronart's two-day online auction of Indian art realized a total sale value of about $8 million from 110 lots representing 36 artists.
12th – A year-end analysis by the Economic/Indian Times suggests that the modern masters in Indian art have maintained a steady level on the price front, are still attracting healthy demand, and seemed to have stabilized in price, while some second-rung contemporary artists have set new benchmarks in these areas.

And so we shall see what the New Year brings.
If we take care of the moments, the years will take care of themselves. Maria Edgeworth

Superlative Works Get their Due at Sotheby’s

The third and final New York City fall Indian art auction took place on 21st September with Sotheby’s Contemporary Art South Asia sale, and ended the week with quite a buzz. The morning session had 80 lots up for sale; of these, 35 (60%) surpassed their pre-estimated range, with some selling well—very, very well.

Buyers seemed to be in a discriminating mood, more discerning in their tastes, as 21 lots (26%) were passed in favor of break-through artists who are generating prices the PAG did not too long ago. For starters, Zarina Hashmi’s cast paper piece Phool, estimated at $15,000 - $20,000 finished at $73,000*, a Shobha Broota untitled oil on canvas for $61,000 (est. $8,000 - $12,000), and G. Ravinder Reddy’s pigment and gold leaf on terracotta bust for $70,600. Other names making their mark were Jyothi Basu (untitled oil on canvas, $82,600), Jayashree Chakravarty (her large-scale 'scroll' painting Space Within, $61,000), and Rashid Rana (The World is Not Enough, $91,000).

Midway through, bidding skyrocketed for exceptional works by exceptional artists. The final hammer fell for Subodh Gupta’s mixed media life-size sculpture of a family on a Vespa at $277,000, Chintan Upadhyay’s installation with thirty-three sculptures titled New Indians at $529,000, a TV Santhosh oil on canvas for $205,000 (est. $20,000- $30,000), and the show-stopper, Atul Dodiya’s Father, an enamel paint on metal roller shutters, acrylic and marble dust on canvas piece that came in at an eye-popping $601,000 (est. $230,000 - $280,000). Another work by Dodiya, Man From Kabul sold later on for $313,000.

Other artists who may be making a name for themselves, as this sale suggests, are Ashim Purkayastha, Abir Karmakar, Jitish Kallat, Justin Ponmany, Sonia Khurana, Shibu Natesan, GR Iranna, and Farhad Hussain.

Collectors and dealers of Indian contemporary art might be driven by demand for strong artworks with an outstanding provenance, created by talented artists; whatever the case, total sales for this day were a very nice $3,202,300. Include Sotheby’s and Christie’s auctions earlier in the week, and that figure rises just shy of $20,000,000. A very good three-day tally for artwork of this still-growing and dynamic art market.

* All prices include Buyer's Premium

Christie’s NY Brings Out the Buyers

For those who thought that prices might have reached their peak and may be starting on a downward trend, a paraphrased quote from American humorist Mark Twain might be in order: “The report of my (insert ‘the Indian art market’) demise has been greatly exaggerated”—at least at Christie’s September 20th South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art auction. Buyers threw all caution to the wind during the morning session, which brought in a total of $10,115,050*.

Consider that of the 110 lots sold, 70% went down the hammer above their pre-sale estimates. Consider that Arpita Singh’s free-floating composition The Eternal Repose sold for $253,000, TV Santhosh’s Across an Unresolved Story went for $217,000 and his Rats and Man Made Famine III for $91,000 (both estimated at $30,000 - $40,000), and that Atul Dodiya’s oil and acrylic on canvas Three Painters topped out at a whopping $541,000 (est. $150,000 - $200,000). And that’s not counting other “secondary artists” as well as works by the Progressives. It was a great day for the genre.

The morning session began with three Jamini Roy gouaches doubling their estimates, with prices extending early on with MF Husain’s Indian village life-themed Birds-in-Tree that sold for $361,000 and an untitled work for $301,000. Other PAG artists fared as strongly with FN Newton’s sublime depiction of the female form entitled Nude with Fruit surpassing the half million-dollar estimate, selling for $657,000, another untitled nude for $457,000, while his Townscape went for $265,000. Later, three Ram Kumar’s sold for $181,000. $193,000 and $337,000; an SH Raza Bindu for $217,000 and his La Terre for $421,000. Top draw of this sale was Tyeb Mehta’s Mahishasura, which closed at $1,105,000.

Prices sustained throughout, with Chintan Upadhyay’s Sorry Does Not Make Any Difference I falling at $91,000, KCS Paniker’s Words and Symbols for $43,000 (est. $3,000 - $5,000), an Anish Kapoor watercolor for $51,400, Biren De’s April ’73 for $85,000, Bikash Bhattacharjee’s A Social Gathering for $181,000, a Ravinder Reddy polyester, resin, and fiberglass bust for $187,000. The buying surge carried through to the end with an untitled watercolor on paper laid down on cloth by Avinash Chandra selling for $145,000, Shibu Natesan’s Montage I for $157,000, and Rameshwar Broota’s A Chance Encounter for $265,000.

Perhaps the one nadir at Christie’s was that 33 (23%) lots were passed including works by Husain, Souza, Akbar Padamsee, Pabhakar Kolte among some less familiar names; nonetheless, the day’s results suggests that the Indian contemporary art market remains a strong and vibrant one, with no adjustment in values yet.

*All prices quoted include the buyer's premium and are rounded to the nearest dollar

Status Quo at Sotheby’s

New York fall Indian art sales kicked off September 19th at Sotheby’s with no great surprises, as most pieces that were sold came in at their pre-estimated prices. The final total was $6,311,738*, just under the estimated low end, but this would have certainly pushed much higher if 28 of the available 114 lots (25%) were not passed, including big-ticket works by VS Gaitonde, Ram Kumar, FN Souza, and Jogen Chowdhury. Keeping with recent trends, non-Progressive artists continue to perform well and nearly half the lots (45%) were of mediums other than oil on canvas.

Early on, it looked like buyers might be in a no-holds barred spending mood with a Rabindranath Tagore untitled tempera on handmade paper selling for $55,000 (est. $15,000 - $20,000 USD), three Jamini Roy tempera on card doubling their estimates, and an SH Raza watercolor and pencil on paper selling at $37,000, but then the tempo slowed somewhat. Six MF Husains’ sold well—3 over the estimates, 3 reaching them, including his Pagan Mother, an exquisite work painted mostly in blue, with the figure delineated by thick black lines, and highlighted with flashes of white and terracotta that went for $657, 000 (est. $500,000 - $700,000). An Akbar Padamsee emotive untitled nude fell for $181,000, a watercolor by the same artist was passed, and a bronze sculptured head went for $20,000.

After a Gaitonde oil went unsold (est. $500,000 – $700,000), prices rebounded nicely with four SH Razas’ that finished well, including an untitled acrylic on canvas going for $409,000; two Kumars’ going for $181,000 and $145,000 respectively, and most Souza works of various mediums going in their pre-sale range (although four were passed including Still Life with Three Fish, est. at a half millions dollars, high end). Rameshwar Broota’s monochromatic work The Other Space, created by the artist’s unusual and painstaking technique of scraping paint from the canvas, sold well at $601,000. A Jagdish Swaminathan untitled oil fell at $241,000.

Keeping with the latest trend, prices for India’s “second-tier” artists continue to inch upward. Four Shanti Dave oil and encaustic painting sold on average of just under $14,000, an untitled Sohan Qadri for $27,400 (quadrupling estimates), two Prabhakar Barwe enamels for $55,000 and $73,000, a Mohan Samant for $39,400, Abdul-Rahiman Appabhai Almelkar’s Two Women for $23,750, two Badri Narayan works for $22,500 each, and a Bikash Bhattacharjee untitled oil on canvas going down very well at $121,000.

Other names that garnered attention—and good numbers—in this sale included Satish Gujral, Gulam Rasool Santosh, B. Vithal, Reddeppa M. Naidu, Krishnaji Shamrao Kulkarni, Manjit Bawa, Balraj Khanna, Rabin Mondal, and Arpana Caur.

The morning session concluded with ten lots painted pre-20th century, with Herman Linde’s Girl Standing in a Veranda Wearing a Pochampalli Sari the highlight, selling at $133,000.

Overall, interest—and buying—remains high for this genre, although no records were broken on this cool, sunny day in mid-town Manhattan.

* All prices quoted include buyer’s premium

Whetting the Appetite

The Indian art market will soon be in full swing with three auctions coming up in New York City next month. Buyers, sellers, and those simply interested in where prices might go next, will be watching sales results closely to see if such works will continue their torrid climb. A preview follows for those who have been anticipating some sales action after a long summer layoff.

On September 19, Sotheby’s will hold its auction of Indian art, including miniatures and modern paintings, featuring M. F. Husain's Pagan Mother (estimated between $500,000 and $700,000), as well as an Untitled (Horse), oil on canvas (est. $200,000-250,000). Also being offered is The Other Space, an important painting by R. Broota estimated at $600,000-800,000, an untitled work by V.S. Gaitonde estimated at $500,000-700,000, and a untitled work by S.H. Raza (est. $280,000-380,000). The offering of approximately 118 lots is expected to bring in between $6.4 million and $9.4 million.

Paintings, sculptures, photographs and video art by Subodh Gupta and Mrinalini Mukherjee are among the highlights of the September 21st sale of Contemporary Art South Asia: India and Pakistan. One, an untitled life-sized sculpture depicting an Indian family on a motorcycle created by Gupta, is set to go for $200,000-250,000. This sale is estimated to bring in between $1.9 million and $2.6 million total.

Christie’s will hold their South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art sale on the morning of September 20th with their usual proliferation of exceptional works from the Progressive Artists’ Group masters. Included among them, Husain’s Iguanic (estimated to sell at $220,000 – 280,000), F. N. Souza’s Nude with Fruit (est. $300,000 – 500,000), and a Raza Bindu (est. $180,000 – 220,000).

Also set for bidding include works by Jamini Roy, Manjit Bawa, Aripa Signh, T. V. Santosh, Ram Kumar, B. Prabha, among many others. Christie’s catalogue of the approximately 145 lots can be viewed at their website.

It should be exciting to see how Indian contemporary and modern art prices fare as we move into the latter half of 2007.

Kamal Mitra Breaks Out

Progressive Artists Group painters, legendary. Second-generation Indian artists making their mark. And there are others standing in the wings, waiting to join them.

44-year old Kamal Mitra, born in Kolkata, a 1989 graduate in painting from Govt. College of Art & Craft, Calcutta and a 1993 Post Graduate in Graphic Art from Kala Bhavan, Viswabharati, Santiniketan, is one of these. With many exhibitions in India and New York already under his belt and an armful of distinguished awards bestowed upon him, including one for Graphic Art from Karnataka Lalit Kala Academy in 1993, he is certainly posed to become a respected name in that genre.

The dexterity with which Mitra handles his medium is remarkable. His compositions and palette have a dark undertone that lends a mysterious and tense quality to his paintings. His works use liminal spaces that float between the real and the fantasy, taking the viewer through a journey that blurs the boundaries of reality, like the untitled acrylic on canvas pictured here.

“His works are totally on the cutting edge,” one eminent Indian art collector said of Mitra, who is just starting to get noticed in the United States for his portentous acrylic paintings. “You might not have seen him at the auctions yet, but you will definitely see him in the near future.”

The time may be here when Kamal Mitra breaks out into the big time.

Images courtesy of TamarindArt Gallery ©2007

Change of Seasons

Summer 2007 is quickly slip-sliding away. Before we know it, verdant trees of green will be flaunting their red, yellow, and orange leaves of autumn, heat and humidity will give way to cooler, more bearable temperatures, children will be trading swimsuits for school books. And so it goes—September will be upon us soon.

The Indian contemporary art scene will likewise be shaking off the summer doldrums, returning to form with several auctions and exhibits in the works. The first, Saffronart’s Autumn Online Auction will kick things off September 5 –6. For those who want to get an early jump on the action, their catalogue will become available online on Aug 14.

Also beginning on the 6th of next month, TamarindArt, a popular midtown Manhattan gallery, will present a solo exhibition of paintings by Kamal Mitra featuring exquisite paintings that were showcased at their sold out show last November. On Wednesday, the 19th, they will host a cocktail reception for the special and ongoing show.

A major exhibition of photography and video art depicting contemporary India will be presented at Newark Museum in New Jersey beginning 19 September. The show, titled Public Places, Private Spaces: Contemporary Photography and Video Art, comprises over 100 works by 28 photographers and video artists, reflecting the interior and exterior realities of today's India. Photographers and artists represented include Raghu Rai, the late Raghubir Singh, Pablo Bartholomew, Vivan Sundaram, Ram Rahman and emerging talents such as Tejal Shah and Shilpa Gupta. According to the curators, this exhibition demonstrates India's "artistic vitality arising from extreme economic shifts, the pervasive influence of the media and cultural traditions competing with globalization".

And of course, fall Indian art auctions will be revving up at Christie’s and Sotheby’s in New York the third week of September. It should be interesting to see if prices pick up where they left off last spring.

These art events are just a few that will be occurring as the seasons change. Just enough to begin thinking about putting away the beach balls for another year and grabbing a rake.

A Unique Week in New York

The dog days of summer are generally uneventful ones in the Indian contemporary art world--major spring auctions have passed, upcoming fall sales remain in the planning stages. It is a usually a time for relaxation, vacations, and beating the heat.

Not so in New York, as two exceptional events unfolded in the week just ended. The first occurred on the evening of July 10, when TamarindArt Gallery, 142 East 39th Street in Manhattan, held a reception kicking off their show Of Images and Illusions. Of course, exhibition openings are commonplace; not so, however, when an artist of legendary stature makes a guest appearance. On this night, 92-year old M. F. Husain was present, mingling with those fortunate enough to have been in attendance for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Mr. Husain, still remarkably lively, his trademark flowing white hair and beard neatly cropped short, offered appreciation of the paintings showcasing the work of five of India’s most talented young artists of this generation: Pappu Bardhan, Pratul Dash, Chhatrapati Dutta, Chandrima Bhattacharyya, and Mahjabin Majumdar, the latter two who were also present. In an interview with The Indian Star reporter Lalit K. Jha, he also mentioned that although he is currently living in Dubai, he can return to India anytime he wants, and is not living in self-imposed exile due to his controversial paintings that have inflamed Hindu fundamentalists there. (Click here to read entire article.)

The summer show Of Images and Illusions—which brings together human imagery in greatly different styles and execution—will be on display at TamarindArt until August 11.

A second significant event occurred yesterday morning at Sotheby’s, where a special auction was held to raise awareness and funding for the construction of The Kolkata Museum of Modern Art. The mega project is designated as the first national art museum in India, and whose mission will to collect, preserve and exhibit national and international works of fine art from the 18th century to contemporary art.

Lots that were part of the benefit sale included paintings, sculptures and photographs by Tyeb Mehta, Jehangir Sabavala, Somnath Hore, Sakti Burman, Ram Kumar, F.N Souza, Akbar Padamsee, Jogen Chowdhury, Ganesh Pyne, Arpita Singh, Rameshwar Broota, Paresh Maity, Subodh Gupta, Chintan Upadhyay, Baiju Parthan and Dayanita Singh among others.

When the final hammer came down, over $1.5 million USD were raised for the sprawling complex that will encompass 10 acres and will have four major sections: National Galleries, Western Galleries, Far Eastern Galleries and a large academic wing to promote research, conservation and curatorial practices. This was the first time that over 70 artists, various galleries, private individuals, and an international auction house have come together to support a national art museum in India.

Despite a week of sweltering mid-July temperatures, New York City seemed the cool place to be in regards to Indian art, artists, galleries, and museums.

The Rise of Modernism in Indian Art

Art is most relevant when it is created as a mirror held up to reflect a society’s culture, history, and/or politics. This is never more true that in the contemporary art movement of India, which over the course of the past century or so has used themes indigenous to that subcontinent to produce images that combines emotions with expression.

The modern art era in India has its genesis in the Revivalists movement during the last decades of the 19th century. At a time when European painters like Cézanne, Renoir, and Van Gogh were experimenting with Impressionism, the Revivalists were regressing into India’s past by incorporating Hindu and Buddhist themes into their work. Representative of this group were Ravi Verma (1848 – 1906) known for his Indian mythological subject matter, Abanindranath Tagore (1861 – 1941) who revisited India’s spiritual past, and Ananda Coomaraswamy (1877 – 1947) who interpreted Indian culture to the West. Revivalist art was deeply influenced by the glorious past and heritage of India, by its great epics and transcendental philosophy.

The next important movement occurred at the nexus of Indian history in the late 1940’s when the country was experiencing tremendous national upheaval after gaining its independence from the British Empire. F. N. Souza formed the Progressive Artist Group, who with other founding members included M. F. Husain, K. H. Ara, H. A. Gade, S. K. Bakre, and S. H. Raza. The group declared that they intended to go forward, and being “progressive”, summarily denouncing the influence of past Indian artists as too sentimental and old-fashioned. With an intentional, unabashed homage to European contemporaries, the artists created pieces that drew parallels of the tension between the local and the global by creating art within the framework of international modernism.

By the late 1970’s, the movement had faded out, with Raza, Souza, and Husain emerging as distinguished, respected artists, each developing their own unique methodology. Raza found his fame in Paris, Souza in London, where he continued to produce shocking, compelling, and challenging artwork. Husain remained in India where he continues to paint the essence of India, its countryside and mythology.

After the bold and undeniable success of the Progressive Artists Group, new talent with new ideas again transformed the Indian art scene. Liberated from archetypal themes by those who preceded them, painters like Tyeb Mehta, Ram Kumar, Akbar Padamesee, and a host of others began a quest for their own styles. The atmosphere came alive with national art events, news and discussions, and galleries and museums opening up everywhere, especially in the cultural centers of Dehli, Mumbai, and Calcutta.

In the last decade, geography and history have shed their boundaries and Indian artists have come in contact with styles and techniques from all the corners of the world. But amid the tangled scene of contemporary culture and global economies, there is again a struggle for self-expression. Looking at the work of a number of modern Indian artists, there seems little to differentiate their imagery from art made in other parts of the world; yet their cultural heritage does affect their work, even if it is not apparent. The current Indian painting scene is very dynamic and eclectic, with young talented Indian artists (see New Generation of Artists Making their Mark blog below) making innovative contributions to world art on their own terms while garnering international attention.

NY Auction to Benefit National Art Museum

If you are interested in helping support a national art museum—the first of its kind in India—then circle your calendar for Tuesday, July 17th. That’s the day Sotheby’s New York will be holding an auction of approximately 95 lots to raise money for the Kolkata Museum of Modern Art (KMOMA). The sale will be the first time that over 70 artists, various galleries, private individuals and an international auction house have come together to support such a project.

The objectives of KMOMA are to collect, preserve and exhibit national and international works from the 18th century to contemporary art, and is a joint venture between the government of West Bengal and the private sector. Spread over 10 acres in Rajarhat, Kolkata, the national museum will have four major sections: National Galleries, Western Galleries, Far Eastern Galleries and a large academic wing to promote research, conservation and curatorial practices. It will primarily house works of visual art, along with photography, cinema, design and architecture.

Important works up for bid at the July sale include paintings, sculptures and photographs by Indian art notables as Tyeb Mehta, Jehangir Sabavala, Somnath Hore, Sakti Burman, Ram Kumar, F.N Souza, Akbar Padamsee, Jogen Chowdhury, Ganesh Pyne, Arpita Singh, Rameshwar Broota, Paresh Maity, Subodh Gupta, Chintan Upadhyay, Baiju Parthan and Dayanita Singh, among others.

Go to Sotheby’s website to browse the auction catalogue and become a part of this historical event.

New Generation of Artists Making their Mark

Indian contemporary art—as with all art, culture, and life itself—is a perpetual continuation from one generation to the next. Inspired by those who went before, yet imbuing their canvases with subject matter and style within the context of their own generation, Indian artists born in the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s are getting their due. Although techniques, mediums, and interpretations may change, the indispensable truths of human emotions coping in a world of upheaval and change do not. Brief biographies of artists who are currently making their mark in this time and place are listed below.

Jayshree Chakravarty was educated at Santiniketan, graduated in Fine Arts from the Viswa Bharati University, Santiniketan, in 1978, and obtained a post-graduate diploma from M.S.University, Baroda, in 1980. Her works, most of which have a dreamlike quality to them, are comprised of fluid, superimposed forms that mirror the present mood of the world, which is flexible in itself. At a conventional and figurative level, her works also reflect the unity of man with nature.

Anju Dodiya was born in Mumbai in 1964, and received her diploma from the Sir J.J. School of Art in 1986. The wife of artist Atul Dodiya, her focus of attention is placed in infinite, sometimes theatrical situations, that explore both internal and external realities. The technical competence of her paintings is matched by calm, almost detached, observations.

Atul Dodiya was born in 1959 in Mumbai and received his diploma from the Sir J.J. School of Art in 1982. Dodiya's strongly realistic works subtlety represent middle class homes, family life, as well as his own background. Thin layers of deftly painted strokes mirror suggestive situations. In his latest works he freely quotes his artistic peers like Hockney and Bhupen Khakhar to reflect on the act of painting itself.

Sheela Gowda was born in Bhadravati, Karnataka in 1957, earned a diploma in painting from the Ken School of Art, Bangalore in 1979, and studied briefly at M.S. University, Baroda. Her works are abstract and expressive, capturing life’s raw intricacies with empathy and involvement. Her female viewpoint of reality deals with the oppressive, fantastic—yet poetic—physical and emotional individuality of people in their drab surroundings. Her figures and objects often merge into a complex, flexible and permeable unity with the background, simultaneously bringing everything to the surface.

Jitish Kallat was born in Mumbai in 1974 and received his BFA in painting from the Sir J. J. School of Art in Mumbai in 1996. Kallat's works are often of great size—his largest is 8 x 20 feet—and the close relationship between words, images, tradition and contemporary symbols are his essential themes. His art technique often involves aqpplying numerous layers of paint and collage over photographs which are then allowed to dry. He then peels away portions of the paint layers to create the imagery of his painting, which gives them a commercial appearance that resembles popular advertisements on one hand, yet at the same time, the rough, chipped, and graffiti-scrawled surfaces are reminiscent of many of the older walls and buildings in Mumbai.

Born in Kerala, India in 1974, but now living and working in Mumbai, Justin Ponmany graduated from the Sir J.J. School of Art. His works are inspired by this city whose landscape is constantly in flux. His preferred choices of materials include epoxy, resins, hologram foil, and printer’s ink—modern materials that reflect a state of mind that is also plastic—what he describes as "Plastic Memory". His works contain an array of emotions: life, love, and loss, as well of self, place, decay, and survival in the gritty environment of modern everyday living. He is one of the most highly regarded Indian artists of his generation.

T. V. Santosh was born in 1968 and is another rising star of the contemporary Indian art scene. He received his B.F.A in Sculpture, Kalabhavan, Santiniketan, West Bengal in 1994 and his Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture, M.S.U, Baroda in 1997. Santhosh’s work tackles the relentless presence of violence and injustice in history. His canvases confront the hard-hitting subjects of war and terrorism, seeking to question the influence of politics and media on these global issues, most notably their representation and manipulation of the events. He appropriates references from such sources as magazines, newspapers and television and often infuses common, ordinary objects into his works. The influence of print media is reflected in the photographic quality of his works, both in their clarity and composition.

One day in the not too distant future, others who are just now learning their craft will supplant these gifted artists. And so the world goes.

Parallel Lives and Art

Perhaps no two artists mirrored and epitomized the tumultuous 20th century in all its brilliance and in all its brutality than Pablo Picasso, the Spaniard, and Francis Newton Souza, the Indian. Throughout their lives, both men seemed at war within themselves, with family and friends, and with social and religious mores.

Picasso and Souza were analogous from the start. Both nearly died in early childhood, Picasso at birth, Souza at age four from smallpox. Both were raised by doting, protective mothers in a strict Roman Catholic household. (Although each painter later rejected the Church and its many doctrines and dogmas, each used religious motifs and narratives often in their paintings throughout their lifetimes.) Their artistic skills and passions were realized at a very young age; both were sent off to art schools due to their dislike and boredom of public schools and because of their penchant for getting into trouble. (Picasso adorned one of his textbooks with pornographic drawings; Souza was expelled for allegedly doing the same on the school’s restroom walls.) However, neither graduated from their respective art schools because of their already developing disdain towards authority.

This contempt for tradition also began to manifest in their paintings. Picasso’s credo was a rejection of life and creation; his art was a weapon against man, against human nature, against the God who created it all. It was a denunciation of the bourgeois society, outdated sexual and political mores and conventions, of the horrors of war, and of traditional art styles. In response to baffled critics attempting to explain his work, he replied, “The world today doesn't make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?” Souza, who started the Progressive Artist Group in Bombay, proclaimed, “Today we paint with absolute freedom for content and technique, almost anarchic”.

In their works, both placed emphasis on a definitive line to trace the twist and movement of the human body; the ritual treatment of the erotic by applying three-dimensional qualities to the canvas’ flat surface. Both painted to shock society with a pointed, brusque expressionism—reflecting their own, as well as the whole of mankind’s essentially rebellious nature. The countless nudes that each painted during their long careers reflected the beauty, uninhibited sexuality—and often the grotesqueness—of the female form; they conveyed the disillusion and despair that accompanied their violent delights and sexual pleasures. Works like Picasso’s “Christ Blessing the Devil” and Souza’s “Crucifixion” reflected their antagonism towards organized religion and homage to a God of suffering and vengeance, not of a gentle compassion. Both artists straddled the duality of sin and sensuality.

They were comparable, likewise, in the ways they lived. Both disavowed politics and became members of the Communist party. Neither seemed quite capable of loving; between the two, they were entrenched in five failed marriages—Picasso was married twice and had several mistresses, some much younger than himself. Souza was married three times, the third, a British teenager while he was 40. In either case, alienated family members, including children, did not attend the funerals of these artistic geniuses after living long, intense, bitter, and complex lives. (It is quoted that after Picasso’s death at 90 years old, Souza proclaimed with conviction “now that Picasso is dead, I am the greatest!”). Both artists were intense egoists—amicable one moment; their loathing, jealousy, and distrust of people, apparent in another. Both were bohemian rebels who lived in luxury.

Picasso and Souza were products—reflections, really—of the 20th century. Both were creators and destroyers. One cannot view their work without at once being forced to participate in certain passions and fears, which make their violent distortions of the visual world comprehensible and sympathetic. Frequently these passions were chaotic and destructive, as though each painting liberated the artists from personal and international turmoil. Their art and lives were a legacy of perversities, conflicts, anguish, rage, and contradictions, very much like the era in which they had lived.

So Far, So (Really) Good

2007 is nearly at its midpoint, and Indian contemporary art continues to garner great international attention as well as mounting prices. Collectors’ appetite for works by the Progressive Artists’ Group, whether in oils or in other mediums, as well as the current crop of Indian painters seems insatiable, as this recap of major auctions so far this year illustrates.

Osian’s kicked off the year with their Masterpieces and Museum-Quality Series auction January 31 in Mumbai. Not surprisingly, as of late, are paintings surpassing the one-million-dollar mark, as an untitled V. S. Gaitonde did here, going for $1,307,900 USD. Perhaps the most stunning results were the record closing bids for works by Rameshwar Broota, Manjit Bawa, Satish Gujral, Rabindranath Tagore, A. R. Chughtai, G. R. Santosh, Jyoti Bhatt, among others. The final tally brought in just over $9,000,000 for some of the best National Art Treasures and rarest works available for sale.

Christie’s held a sale on February 1, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where most of the pieces sold at or above their pre-sale estimates. The highest closing bid was for an M. F. Husain, whose popularity seems not to have waned—his Untitled (Woman and Horses) went for $441,600, his Untitled (Saraswati) for $180,000; also selling above their estimates were S. H. Raza’s Rajput House for $307,200, an untitled Jagdish Swaminathan for $240,000, Rameshwar Broota’s That Common Story for $156,000 and an F. N. Souza landscape for $114,000.

B. Prabha’s 2 Girls commanded a respectable $66,000, an untitled painting for $60,000, her Fishergirl $45,600. Others who sold very well include artist Avinash Chandra, whose two untitled watercolors sold for double their estimates, Velu Vishwanadhan, whose untitled casein on canvas went for $26,400—triple the estimate, Ganesh Pyne’s tempera on canvas The Gate, which sold for $72,000, and an untitled self-portrait by Anju Dodiya for $33,600. Also “hot” were works by Jayashree Chakravarty and Justin Ponmany. The 193 lots up for bid brought in a final tally of $9,417,560.

The March 21st morning session of Christie’s Modern and Contemporary Indian Art auction may have witnessed a bit of a new trend as 2007 sales began full-force at Rockefeller Center in New York. Although some Progressive artists’ works sold as well as anticipated, others did not—none failed to reach the million-dollar mark, while many others were passed. What seemed to shift was the impressive numbers garnered by the Masters’ work created from various mediums and pieces by other artists.

A tempera on paper by K. K. Hebbar, estimated at $8,000 to $12,000 went for $28,800; an oil on canvas by the same artist for $78,000, while three works by Satish Gujral sold for $31,200, $50,400, and $60,000, respectively, far surpassing expectations. This wind of change continued throughout the remainder of the sale, with works selling very, very well by B. Prabha ($38,400), Biren De ($54,000), Sakti Burman ($31,200), Anjolie Ela Menon ($90,000), Rameshwar Broota ($186,000), two Bhupen Khakhars’ ($18,000) and ($156,000), Manjit Bawa ($216,000),Ravinder Reddy ($312,000), Anju Dodiya ($72,000), Baiju Parthan ($54,000), Jitish Kallat ($57,600), and T. V. Santhosh ($45,600).

M. F. Husain’s Woman with Veena went for $132,000 with the money donated to Pratham UK and NGO charities aimed at eradicating illiteracy in India. Total sales for the 119 lots available were $8,593,080.

Collectors caught the buying bug Sotheby’s March 22 Indian Art Including Miniatures and Modern Paintings New York auction, snatching up works by Progressive Artists’ Group masters, second and third generation artists, miniatures, and 19th century illustrations. Final tally for the 172 lots up for sale totaled a spectacular $15,007,880 USD.

Two Ram Kumars’ sold in the quarter-million dollar range. Vasudeo S. Gaitonde, whose works have been fetching great prices recently, continued the trend with an untitled oil on canvas selling for $779,200. One piece, an untitled Tyeb Mehta, did break the million-dollar mark on this day, with a final bid of $1,160,000. Also finishing well was Rameshwar Broota’s Captives that sold for $779,200, Arpita Singh’s The Ritual, for $336,000, and works on paper, especially by those of the PAG.

Recent auctions in London showed more of the same (See London Calling: Prices Escalate for Secondary Artists blog below). Indications from these sales seem to suggest that there will be no letup in Indian contemporary art prices as the year rolls on.

London Calling: Prices Escalate for Secondary Artists

During the past few years it has become rather commonplace for the PAG Masters to steal the show at auctions, generating heavy bidding and hefty prices. This might be changing. Last week’s sales held at Christie’s, Bonham’s, and Sotheby’s in London may have signaled a new trend in Indian contemporary art, as works by secondary artists lit up the sales boards.

While continuing to sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars, even more—a Raza went for $1.4 million—many of the works by Souza, Husain, and other legendary painters were passed, seemingly in favor of India’s “second-tier” artists. Names like George Keyt, B. Prabha, Jamil Naqsh, Rameshwar Broota, Jayashree Chakravarty, and Subodh Gupta far surpassed their estimates at Christie’s; at Bonham’s add the names Sakti Burman and Bhupen Khakhar to that list. Paintings by Mukul Chandra Dey, K. C. S. Paniker, Badri Narayan, Sohan Qadri, Satish Gujral, Sheela Gowda, and Justin Ponmany did exceptionally well at Sotheby’s.

Perhaps the average collector is being squeezed out of the market for PAG paintings because of their prices—half of the Souzas’ up for sale at Bonham’s, which included works of various mediums—did not sell. Maybe the torrid love affair for “anything Indian” is driving the secondary market for other less-legendary artists, with speculators betting money that they, too, will become the next hot trend. Whatever the case may be, it can definitely be stated that this genre shows no sign of cooling off.

Time will tell how high prices will climb in auctions during the latter half of 2007. Hopefully, the artists mentioned above, among others, will continue to bask in the art world’s spotlight.

Panchaloha - Sculptures

TamarindArt’s openness to innovative curatorial initiatives resulted in an engaging exhibition “Panchaloha” (on display from May 22nd to June 23rd), which is curated by
Dr. Deepak Kannal (dean of faculty of fine Arts, Baroda, India), representing appealing works by eleven prominent sculptors from Baroda. These works explored interesting modes of expressions, and provided distinct metal and mixed media sculptures from several generations of artists creating delightful spectacle.

Dr. Kannal, himself a sculptor and art historian finds his curatorial venture challenging as
Baroda artists have successfully evaded confinement to a single perception, agenda or ideology. Today Baroda has become a cauldron for contemporary experimentation in visual arts or a meeting ground for various ideas and idioms that are emerging in different part of the country.

Amongst the best of this well presented show are Nagendra Rajbhandari’s “You will have to die too” (Yama), is dark yet visually evocative piece unfolding ephemera nature of human life. Ganesh Gohain’s “Chair of a Thinker” refers to intensely fragile nature of process and currents that shape human thought. K P Soman’s brass sculpture titled “Ethnic Geometry of Measure of absence” shows purity and “lightness” of abstract concept in clear diagrams etched on a shiny, smooth copper surface on which scientific measuring tools and found objects are assembled without loosing their ethnic content, acquiring a subtle aesthetic quality. Last but not least, Soumitra Gouri’s interactive sculptures are absolute delight.

Collecting Bollywood Movie Posters

Few countries are as endeared to their movies as India, whose film output over the decades have rivaled their American counterpart in any given year. The Indian moviemaking industry that began in Bombay in the 1930s has seen several classic genres emerge since then, with the historical epic, the curry western, the courtesan film, and the mythological movie accounting for most box-office successes. Standard features of Bollywood films typically include formulaic story lines, expertly choreographed fight scenes, spectacular song-and-dance routines, and emotion-charged melodrama, replete with larger-than-life heroes, love triangles, comedy, and daredevil thrills.

The posters that represented these films were designed to provide the viewer with its basic overall sense through representative images; thus, most had four to five various posters, each depicting a different thematic interpretation of the film. Because of the unique demographics of Indian moviegoers, the poster art was communicative with a distinctive style and were usually printed in English, Hindi, and Urdu. Generally, they relied on as little text as possible, focusing instead on dynamic images utilizing dynamic color.

Over time, techniques in designs have changed—in the 1970’s, Diwakar Karkare, perhaps India’s greatest contemporary poster designer, painted over photographic stills with a knife, creating the rough “fake oil paintings” look that has become synonymous with posters of this era. This was followed by a period when the movie industry adopted what they popularly referred to as the “cut and paste” method where photographic images of the film were cut out and compositionally arranged to create the final poster. The color scheme for the background and other embellishments were added with the paintbrush. Since many of the designers now joining the film industry have with a background in corporate advertising, the posters are reflective of the new commercialization and consumption that is emerging parallel with the country’s rapid globalization.

Initially overlooked as an art form because of its direct relationship to commercial networks of publicity, today the gradual disappearance of the traditional poster from the streets and public places where it had traditionally found a home has made it a more respectable item to be collected. Unfortunately, because of their vulnerability due to India's high humidity and the often-poor quality of the paper used, many posters begin to deteriorate after only 10 or 15 years; after sixty or seventy years, they can crumble into dust when touched. Today, many older original posters are cleaned, deacidified, treated with an alkaline buffer, and backed with a more resilient paper before being put up for sale.

For nostalgic Indian film buffs and art collectors, the hand-painted posters are increasingly being purchased and enjoyed as highly coveted folk art; in fact, they have been the subject of art exhibits in New Delhi, London, and, most recently, in Milan. On average, most Bollywood posters are selling in the $20 - $100 USD range, although collectors are paying many more times that for a hand-painted poster of Mother India and other classic Bollywood films. Those designed by D. R. Bhosle for the popular 1965 Hindi film Guide can fetch nearly $2,000.

Regardless if paying a few dollars or a few thousand for vintage Bollywood movie posters, when matted and framed they can provide a colorful, nostalgic, and inexpensive décor to the cinema fan’s home or office.

TamarindArt.com Gets a New Look

If you enjoy Indian contemporary art, chances are you browse several gallery web sites to learn of upcoming exhibitions, read artist profiles, and view works by these great painters. Each site, like snowflakes, is different—reflecting the gallery’s own unique style and personality.

A particularly educational one, TamarindArt.com, has recently undergone a major design change and is at the same time sleek, modern, and easy to navigate. Divided neatly into convenient sections, all the information one needs—whether current, past, or future shows held there; information about other museums/galleries around the world, artist profiles (all listed A – Z for quick lookup), informative articles and publications, or useful tips regarding art care and conservation for various mediums—is only a click or two away.

Feel as though you are were part of the actual events in person as TamarindArt.com includes many photos from the many gatherings (particularly interesting on the home page slide show is a picture of a relaxed M. F. Husain taking a break from painting his largest mural “Lightning”) and read about the recent auctions that take place worldwide. TamarindArt Gallery’s new website also reflects ongoing trends and reports on all the latest happenings.

Check it out for yourself at http://www.tamarindart.com. You may want to link a shortcut to your desktop so that you can visit the site often.

One to Watch

The recent auctions in New York showed that, without a doubt, the market for Indian contemporary art remains strong and prices are most certainly on an upward climb. It was no surprise that works by the Progressive Artists Group grabbed the most attention or that younger artists like B. Phabha and Atul Dodiya also continue to sell well as they have done in recent years. The final sales results posted on Christie’s and Sotheby’s websites suggests that another artist seems to have made the leap into the big time--his name is K. K Hebbar.

A tempera on paper by Hebbar, estimated at $8,000 to $12,000 went for $28,800 at Christie’s; at Sotheby’s the next day, three of his works sold for $42,000, $66,000, and $216,000. It seems collectors of his works may have known a good thing when they saw it—for others, the name may have not yet achieved the status among his contemporaries of Souza, Raza, Gaitonde, and Husain. A brief biography of the man as artist may help to explain his sudden rise in popularity and in value.

Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar was born in 1911 in the Udupi district of Karnataka. His father, also an artist, sculpted clay idols of Lord Ganesha during festivals, which convinced his son to also pursue a career in that field. He received his diploma from the Sir J J School of Art in 1938, and taught art at the School from 1940 to 1945. A visit to Europe in 1949 exposed him to some of the best works in western art and he finally settled down to study at the Academy Julian in Paris. Despite training in the Western tradition, and influenced by such artists as Paul Gaugin, Hebbar remained rooted to the folk tradition of his upbringing.

Hebbar held that an artist's role was to tell the truth about his feelings without bringing in other ideas. His opposition to politicizing art was the reason why he never joined the Progressive Artists' Group. Nevertheless, he played an active part in the organization of artists in Bombay. His concern with the human condition made him focus on themes like poverty, hunger and the destruction wrought by war. Hebbar never ceased to experiment; combined with forceful strokes, his style is both impressionistic and expressionistic.

Although K. K. Hebbar died at the age of 85 in 1996, he will be best remembered for his humanistic paintings that draw from Indian colors and forms.

That he remained true to himself, his art, and his cultural roots, may be one reason for his surging popularity. Whatever the reason, Hebbar’s paintings and the prices paid for them are sure to be watched in coming months.

NYC Auction Results – Buyers in a Sunny Mood

Sales have concluded at Christie’s and Sotheby’s New York, and like a spring typhoon, have left quite an impact in their wake. The final combined take for the two events was over $23,000,000--a very large pot of gold at the end of the Indian contemporary art rainbow.

Wednesday, March 21 was the day of the Christie’s auction, and although no works broke the million-dollar mark (Tyeb Mehta’s Diagonal XV was passed), prices remained solid for PAG oils on canvas—and did particularly well for their works on paper. The story on this day, though, was demand for pieces for painters not affiliated with this influential movement. If a sign of things to come, watch out for such names as K. K. Hebbar, Biren De, B. Phabha, Sakti Burman, Bhupen Khakhar, Manjit Bawa, Santish Gujral, and Jitsh Kallat. They and others on the “second tier” may be the next big thing for this genre.

Among other highlights at this auction, M. F. Husain’s Woman with Veena went for $132,000 with the money donated to Pratham UK and NGO charities aimed at eradicating illiteracy in India. Total sales for the 119 lots available were $8,593,080.

At Sotheby’s the next day, everything was coming up green—as in $15,007, 880 for the 172 lots up for bid. A majority of the works, which included miniatures and illustrations, sold at or over their pre-sale estimates, seemingly regardless of the artist or the medium. Whether a Tagore watercolor, a Mehta oil, a Shandi Dave work in mixed media, or a page from an early 19th century Bhagavata Purana, collectors snapped up pieces throughout the entirety of the morning session in a thunderous display of enthusiasm.

As the sales floors cleared, it seems the forecast for Indian contemporary art market will remain sunny and hot, hopefully for the full year ahead. At present, there seems to be no downturn in prices from 2006.

(To browse catalogues of these auctions or to review complete results by lot, click on the auctions houses link to the right of this blog).

TamarindArt To Celebrate 1 Year Anniversary with Progressive Artists Group Show

If you are planning to be in New York for the upcoming Christie’s and Sotheby’s auctions (see “Spring Sales Speculations” below) or live in that city, be sure to include a visit to TamarindArt for their exhibition “Pinnacle-Progressives”, a celebration of their first anniversary. Located at 142 East 39th Street between 3rd and Lexington, the show will feature works by the PAG’s most legendary and important artists selected exclusively from the private collection of gallery owners Marguerite and Kent Charugundla.

Originally opened as a museum in April 2003, TamarindArt housed "Lightning", a mammoth 12-panel, 10 ft x 60 ft mural by MF Husain, the legendary artist’s largest painting. “Lightning” will be included in this exhibition, as well as masterpieces by Bal Chhabda, VS Gaitonde, Krishen Khanna, Ram Kumar, Tyeb Mehta, Akbar Padamesee, SH Raza, and FN Souza. (See “The PAG Revolution” below for a brief history of the movement and its members).

From the start, TamarindArt’s vision was to curate exhibitions that reflect a healthy balance between established senior artists and younger talents working with experimental forms of conceptual installations, and as part of an on-going effort, to support other art museums and cultural communities around the world. In addition to developing a reputation as the place to be for many art organizations, other events are hosted there as well, including book readings and signings.

Year One was very impressive, as "50 Years of Bal Chhabda: Paintings in New York," was their inaugural show as a full-time gallery. The extraordinary showcase of over half a century of never-before-seen works was the first in the United States for the reclusive artist and only the third solo show of his prolific career.

TamarindArt also held a summer show in 2006 presenting the works of a group of talented younger artists from India, and exhibitions that highlighted the career of Akbar Padamsee of over six decades, a show entitled “Edge of Reality, which portrayed the liminal spaces that a select group of artists has explored through various forms of representation, “Reverse Depth” that brought together one of the most dynamic group of abstract and conceptual artists, and “Parallel Facets” a unique exhibition that incorporated sculptures by Niranjan Pradhan and paintings by Samir Aich.

Although the March 21st opening reception for this special occasion will be by invitation only (RSVP required), “Pinnacle-Progressives” will be open to the public by appointment only for its limited run from March 22 until April 7. For more information call 212-990-9000 or visit their website at http://www.tamarindart.com/. The Charugundlas and their expert staff have many reasons to celebrate and you should make a point to join them!

Spring Sales Speculations

Next week, New York City will be the place to be for Indian contemporary art, as both Christies and Sotheby’s will be holding their first auctions of the year for this genre. Six months and a long winter have passed since their last—and by perusing the online catalogues posted on their websites, a few casual observations can be noted that indicate some trends since 2006.

One, breaking the million-dollar mark has become passé. It wasn’t too long ago when this barrier was celebrated; now, the question seems to be how many more will join the club. Several works by PAG masters have reached the seven-figure record recently—it will be interesting to see how many more will this year.

Speaking of the million-dollar mark, this is the first auction that has set a pre-sale high-end estimate for that figure. Christie’s will offer up Tyeb Mehta’s oil on canvas entitled Diagonal XV, set at $750,000 to $1,000,000. With the market shooting upward the past few years, it will no doubt surpass the asking price. Which brings us to observation number two—pre-sale estimates in general seems to have escalated since last year. Of course, this is mere conjecture and is based solely on a very general comparison of last fall vs. current catalogues. With that obviously, are other factors including quality of the work, name value, market factors, and media used.

That leads into observation number three—a rundown of the works for sale seem to show an increase in watercolors, sketches, and sculptures. Perhaps this is not surprising since PAG oils and acrylics on canvas are out of financial reach for most of us. To own a Souza or Husain, one may have to settle for a pencil drawing that will sell for a fraction of their masterworks. These pieces, some estimated in the lower four-figures, may satisfy the average collector’s pocketbook and may likewise prove to be a wise choice of investment in the future.

Before exiting out of the online catalogues, one last observation should be noted, and this centers on the offerings of second and third generation Indian artists who have also been selling very well recently. It will be most interesting to see if this trend continues and if they will become the “next hot thing” beyond the Progressives. With bounding international appeal unabated, will they also continue their dazzling upward performances?

It will be only a very short time until these speculations are answered—Christie’s “Modern and Contemporary Indian Art” auction will take place on March 21st; Sotheby’s “Indian Art including Miniatures and Modern Paintings”, the following day. It’s probably not much of a prognostication to suggest that prices will keep climbing higher.

The PAG Revolution

In 1947, after gaining its independence from the British Empire, India experienced tremendous national historical, social, and cultural changes. Riding on the crest of this wave of transformation was the Progressive Artists' Group, formed to consciously seek new visual imagery which could describe the new Indian reality during and after this tumultous era.

Founding members declared that they intended to go forward, and being “progressive”, summarily denouncing the influence of past Indian artists as too sentimental and old-fashioned. With an intentional, unabashed homage to European contemporaries, the artists created pieces that drew parallels of the tension between the local and the global by creating art within the framework of international modernism. Each worked in dramatically different styles, from Expressionism to abstraction, as well as the creation of imagery and landscapes unmistakenly Indian. PAG artists included:

K. H. Ara was the first contemporary Indian artist to paint the female nude as a subject realistically, not in the abstract as did many of his colleagues. The influences of European artists Cézanne and Matisse are evident in his still life pieces painted in the 1940's and 50s. His favored media initially were watercolors and gouaches, which would at times resemble oils in the impasto effect; although he later painted successfully in oils.

Bal Chhabda, a self taught Mumbai-based artist who began paining in oils in the late 1950s. His works seem abstract, although one can see traces of shapes and forms that produces faintly discernible boundaries of the form in lyric dispositions.

VS Gaitonde is considered one of India’s foremost abstractionists. Gaitonde's works are known for evoking subliminal depths. Plain, large surfaces with paint layered subtly characterize his work. His paintings have a quality of light that seems to be complete in its self.

MF Husain is a self-taught artist who began his career painting film billboards. Husain is a uniquely celebrated and honored figure in contemporary India. His work is figurative using a visual language that blends folk, tribal and mythological imagery and a modernist aesthetic that draws equally from music, dance, sculpture and cinema.

Krishen Khanna, learned to paint at evening classes conducted at the Mayo School of Art, Lahore. In the wake of India's partition he moved to Simla and thereafter to Delhi where he currently lives and works. Khanna is known for his gestural style and thick impasto surfaces.

Ram Kumar took classes at the Sarada Ukil School of Art, and then went to Paris and studied further there under Andre Lhote and Fernand Léger. He was befriended by S.H. Raza who was living in Paris at the time. Ram Kumar paints abstract landscapes, usually in oil or acrylic.

Akbar Padamsee’s painting style is difficult to articulate, for his work ranges from the figurative to the non-objective. Regardless, the reverberating expressions of form, volume, space, time, and color in many of his works are both cerebral and sensual. Padmasee is best known for his Metascapes.

S.H. Raza’s works are mainly abstracts in oil or acrylic, with a very rich use of color. They often feature the "Bindu" (the dot or the epicenter of Hindu philosophy).

FN Souza was the first avant-garde artist from India to achieve widespread recognition in the West. Souza is best known for his inventive human forms--particularly his expressionist heads--and impious Christian themes (see blog below).

Though the Progressive Artists’ Group dissolved in 1956, it was profoundly revolutionary in changing the idiom of Indian art forever.

Souza's Brush as Sword

" I want to do everything: to make others suffer, to make myself suffer. I have no desire to redeem myself or anybody else because Man is by his very nature unredeemable.” This is Francis Newton Souza, the enfant terrible and father of Indian contemporary art. Few flew in the face of traditionalism, punctured conventions, or thumbed their nose at the establishment, as did he.

His rebel spirit was developed at an early age--Souza was expelled from school as the Jesuit teachers did not appreciate his suggestive drawings on the bathroom walls; in 1947, he started the Progressive Artist's Group (PAG) together with other upcoming painters like Husain, Raza, Ara, Gade and Bakre. With the formation of this group, Souza set the stage for contemporary Indian art with the anarchic rallying cry of “Today we paint with absolute freedom for content and technique.” In 1964, at age 40, he met a 16-year-old whom he married the following year.

His most enduring themes though, revolved around his Roman Catholic background and his antagonism towards it. Some of the most moving of Souza's paintings are those which convey a spirit of awe in the presence of a divine power--a God, who is not a God of gentleness and love, but rather of suffering, vengeance. With rhetorical brush and pen, he ridiculed church dogmas, beliefs, and rituals.

Souza held on to his wry humor and a healthy skepticism of the establishment in any form. He excelled at disparaging friends, relatives, foes, art dealers and anything else that stood between him and cynicism. His life ended in several failed marriages and alienated children from the unions.

For Souza, reality was merely an infrastructure to be demolished. Although he was a figurative painter, nothing about his art is descriptive; there is no celebration of nature, no beauty in his nudes, in actuality, there is nothing romantic about his paintings. In looking at Souza's work the most important thing is not that we understand what the painting shows us, but what he shows us forces us in turn to see visions within ourselves, visions of our shared humanity. "I often try to paint a bad picture, and I bloody well succeed," he boasted.
Perhaps his worldwide popularity lies in that fact that he did what he wanted, when he wanted without social mores weighing him down. Perhaps, subconsciously, it is an attitude we would all like to have at some point in our lives, if we had the guts to take that long leap to non-conformity.

Commodities on Canvas

Back in the days not very long ago, Indian contemporary art was collected because of the love for the genre, and not particularly for financial gain. Those given works directly from the artists or purchased with a minimal outlay of cash before the recent price escalations were at the right place at the right time as far as prices went.

An example of this most fortunate happenstance is Harold Leventhal, an American political activist, filmmaker, music manager and art lover. Stationed in India during World War II, Leventhal’s experiences there left a profound and deep imprint on him. His relationship with art and India continued over the following 60 years in his friendships with notable Indian artists including M. F. Husain and Satish Gujral. His estate collection will be included in Christie’s auction coming up March 21 in New York; and some of these painting will fetch prices well within 6-figures.

Most of us are not so lucky. Investing in art, like playing the stock market or putting money in other commodities, is a matter of timing. The rub is deciding when to buy, hold, or sell. 2007 could prove to be a pivotal year for prices, and there are many questions for the investor to ask.

Should one forgo the works of the Progressive Artist’s Group--which may have become out of fiscal reach for many by now anyway--and focus on second and third generation painters? Which ones? How about Souza, Husain, Raza drawings, sketches, and watercolors? Will they skyrocket in price, as have the oils on canvas within the past half-decade? Will sculptures be the “next big thing”? Should the works be sold now and make a nice profit or hold off, hoping their values will go even higher in the future?
Investing in Indian contemporary art requires the similar knowledge, skills, and decisions that go into investing in other commodities. Unless one has a crystal ball, though, there is no foolproof strategy. Successful payoffs are dependent on market forces, supply, demand…and a little luck.

Samir Aich's Abstract fugurative

Samir Aich has been painting almost for three decades now. He started out as a neo-realist and gradually moved into semi-abstract figurative themes.
He dapples with dark colors with an organic overtone, powerful, scratching and emphatic dots, which together conjure a spectacular visual imagery, which is at once sensitive and powerful.

In “The animal with firefly at night”, the artist has sought to portray abstract concept such as the primordial animal spirit at night. The dramatic use of blue-grey pigment virtually covering the entire canvas, articulates a mysterious ambiance. The ferocious gesture of a tiger foretells mystic threats or promises made at night.

Samir is a tireless experimenter, constantly searching for new concepts and structural details. His penchant for creating unique, bold forms is reflected in “Boy with green dots”. It is a minimalist painting that encapsulates essence of melancholy. His powerful lines breathe life into both animate and inanimate forms.

Parallel Facets

New York City’s TamarindArt Gallery is very excited to announce their first scheduled shows of 2007. The first—Parallel Facets—begins February 21st, with an opening reception on that date at 6:00PM.

Parallel Facets will mark the first time the gallery will feature paintings and sculptures in a single show. Works by two very renowned artists, Samir Aich and Niranjan Pradhan, will be exhibited; both have been in the contemporary Indian art scene for over three decades and each has mastered his medium over the years. Both are well recognized in India and abroad.

A product of the Government College of Art and Craft, Calcutta, Samir Aich uses unusual surfaces and media to express his creative impulses. His abstract canvases are bold and expressive, combining dark colored backgrounds with organic overtones with powerful lines and emphatic dots. These superbly blended elements produce a spectacular visual experience.

Born in 1940 in Sunderbans, Niranjan Pradhan moved to Calcutta and was admitted to the Government College of Art and Craft at the age of 18 where he earned a diploma in painting in 1964 and in sculpture in 1967. The bucolic life of his youth in direct contrast to the urbanization that is Calcutta provides the basis of his work. His abstract forms are very much modern; some reflect the sharp-angled rigidity of cubism, others are reminiscent of the sinuous curves and hollow voids produced by famed English sculptor Henry Moore.

Parallel Facets will run through March 17 at the gallery located at 142 East 39th Street, New York.

Details are also being finalized for TamarindArt’s first anniversary celebration. The exhibition coming in March is expected to offer up some exceptional Indian contemporary art with some surprises along the way. Keep an eye out for details coming soon.


Call 212-990-9000 or visit the website at http://tamarindart.com/index.asp for more information on these shows specifically or regarding Indian contemporary art in general.

Sculpture Buzz in the Indian art scene

Till a few months ago nobody spoke to or spoke of contemporary Indian sculptures. The buzz word in Indian art today is "sculpture".

In India, young and senior sculptors are excited and eagerly waiting to see what direction this new found interest will take during the upcoming auction in March in NYC.

Galleries are already starting to exhibit contemporary Indian sculptures; it is refreshing to see three dimensional art making its appearance in the Indian art scene.

Christies - DUBAI

Prices for Indian contemporary art are picking up where they left off last year, as Christie’s held the first major sale of the year, February 1, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. If the results are indicative of things to come, 2007 could be another rosy year indeed for collectors of this genre.

The sale began with works by artists from the Middle East, until the 61 lots of Indian modern and contemporary art were offered up to buyers approximately halfway through. Generally, the wait was worth it, as the anticipation eased among art market watchers as most of the pieces sold at or above their pre-sale estimates.

Two Jamini Roy watercolors started this portion of the auction, and, as they did in 2006, performed quite well, selling for $24,000 and $26,400 USD* respectively, doubling expectations. Works followed by the senior artists, and likewise, continued the recent sales trend. S. H. Raza’s Lumiere d’Ete fell for $204,000, M. F. Husain’s Untitled (Peasant Woman) for $144,000, an untitled Akbar Padamsee oil on canvas for $168,000, and an untitled Ram Kumar for $329,600.

The highest closing bid was for a Husain, whose popularity seems not to have waned—his Untitled (Woman and Horses) went for $441,600, his Untitled (Saraswati) for $180,000; also selling above their estimates were Raza’s Rajput House for $307,200, an untitled Jagdish Swaminathan for $240,000, Rameshwar Broota’s That Common Story for $156,000 and an F. N. Souza landscape for $114,000. Another Souza fell within the estimate range and sold for $144,000. (One of his paintings was passed, as were two works by Ram Kumar, a K. H. Ara, and an Anjolie Ela Menon).

In what may be a development to keep one’s eyes on this year, is the market for Indian artists of the “second tier”, many whose works on this day surpassed expectations. B. Prabha’s 2 Girls commanded a respectable $66,000, an untitled painting for $60,000, her Fishergirl $45,600. Others to watch may include Avinash Chandra, whose two untitled watercolors sold for double their estimates, Velu Vishwanadhan, whose untitled casein on canvas went for $26,400—triple the estimate, Ganesh Pyne’s tempera on canvas The Gate, which sold for $72,000, and an untitled self-portrait by Anju Dodiya for $33,600. Also “hot” right now—if the results of Christie’ Dubai hold true—are works by Jayashree Chakravarty and Justin Ponmany.

The 193 lots up for bid (including the Middle East works) brought in a final tally of $9,417,560.

Will the selling power of Indian contemporary art sustain itself in the coming months? Time will tell as spring auctions at Christie’s New York (March 21st), Sotheby’s New York (March 22nd), and Bonham‘s London (May 21st) will soon bloom forth.
-Sri

Christies in Dubai fetched $441,000 for MF Husain

MF Husain the most celebrated artist of India presently living in Dubai fetched $441,600 for Woman with Horses. This is the second international art auction of Christies at Dubai. This clearly shows the appetite for the magnificient HORSES of MF Husain which he depicts them in the most eletrifying action. The largest horses painting titled lightning which is NYC may come up as exhibit very soon -so stand by. My hats off to Husain.
Sri

Christies in Dubai fetched $441,000 for MF Husain

MF Husain the most celebrated artist of India presently living in Dubai fetched $441,600 for Woman with Horses. This is the second international art auction of Christies at Dubai. This clearly shows the appetite for the magnificient HORSES of MF Husain which he depicts them in the most eletrifying action. The largest horses painting titled lightning which is NYC may come up as exhibit very soon -so stand by. My hats off to Husain.
Sri

Whats going on today? Jan 31st.

Osians auction is on today Jan 31st-India and Feb 1st am USA time, at Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai where museum quality paintings are coming up live on auction. Osians is one of the oldest galleries in India and has been doing auctions for some time. Their forey into auctions came about few years ago. They also archieve some the oldest cinema posters and lobby cards in India. For those of you who got the guts to pay or buy these expensive paintings over the phone can bid over the phone in buying these million dollar master pieces today. Osians buyers are from all over the globe not to mention majority of the works will go to new millionaires within India.
Let us see how this auction will do and how much in total revenue this will generate. Considering all indicators auction will do well and most likely push the prices to new records.
http://www.osians.com
-Sri

City of Spectacle

http://www.tamarindart.com

City of Spectacle is coming to an end soon, if you havent seen it, its time you pay a visit to tamarindart gallery. This installtion has 3 tall structures on which the artist kaushik mukhopadyay creates a city of Mumbai which is not reachable to common man on 2 pillars and the third one contains the real life trash of mumbai. It is painted in hot pink candy enamel with many kinetic movements which keep moving on the top. One can go up the ladders for a closer look or just look up and see the contents from right under through the glass sink which is full a water. The creativity is good. But one must check the piece in person, as it will gone very soon.

-Sri