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).