Art season going strong in American Northeast

Indian artists have been part of the season's showings in New York and Washington D. C.

RAJ S RANGARAJAN

The Fall art season in New York and Washington D.C. has been active with art galleries displaying contemporary Indian artists. As part of the Phillips Collection in the capital, Tamil Nadu's Alwar Balasubramaniam (born 1971) has on display Sk(in) - a two-part sculptural installation - the first, made of steel that suggests tree branches and occupies the Hunter Courtyard, and the second that extends indoors, to engage the 'skin' of the walls connecting the museum's Goh Annex and Sant Building.

Titled Intersections, the artist's creations complement modern and contemporary art practices while activating spaces that were formerly not typical exhibit areas. In short, Balasubramaniam goes beyond the literal brick-and-mortar confines and occasionally infiltrates into another indulgent space, creating in the bargain new relationships with its own surprises.

Balasubramaniam, who has also studied in Edinburg and Vienna, evokes fragmented body parts, familiar objects or organic forms while exploring the limits of perception. He is pushing the envelope - as it were - almost to the point of abstraction. As seen here, the artist's current oeuvre revolves around the concept of transition and transformation. His sculpture fuses intellectual, emotional, and spiritual concerns rooted reportedly in Hinduism and Buddhism.

Lonely Furrow, an exhibition of new paintings at Talwar Gallery, New York by Patna-born Shambhavi Singh explores the artist's homeland themes and moves effortlessly to the tactile medium of cotton pulp, occasionally using palms and fingers to paint vibrant and delicate works. Focusing on the rural landscape and agriculture, the artist empathizes with the solitary farmer, who is inextricably linked to the earth that feeds him in India.

The work seen here forms a poetic narrative that envelopes in intense, rich blues free-painted blue pulp works that evoke forces of nature as the night sky, turbulent clouds, and the infinite cosmos. Her visual reach extends to growth, harvest and the interconnectedness of nature - a visual treat.

Born in 1966, Shambhavi lives and works in Delhi and her works have been exhibited in India, South Africa, Australia, New York and the Netherlands, and in 2010 was Artist-in-Residence at Singapore.

Back in New York, in Part II of Aicon's Progressives on Paper exhibition, Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), who revelled in being controversial and at times, outrageous, with his not-very-subtle nudes, continues to be popular. His oil-on-board, Christ on Palm Sunday painted in 1956 is seen here.

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(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market and auto shows and reviews films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; and India.)

RAJ S RANGARAJAN

Maharajas' watches fetch millions at Swiss auction

A new generation of collectors are looking to acquiring unique and artistic timepieces.



Imagine one of these watches on your mantel. Or in your showcase. A Swiss-made watch known for its exquisite design, precision and craftsmanship. The high and mighty, the rich and famous gathered last month at a Swiss watering-hole in Geneva - Sotheby's - to pursue their hedonistic fancies: to bid for exclusive watches and timepieces that are inherently adorable pieces of art which happen to tell time.

With a new generation of sophisticated collectors clamoring for the unique and the pricey, the sale presented the quintessential Swiss watch known for its timeliness. The last sale was held in November 2010.

The top lot, a Patek Philippe chronograph fetched CHF 722,500 (Swiss francs or USD 815,637). Maharaja, a gold, enamel and minute repeating watch - Swiss - circa 1920 (dia. 50 mm) featuring a painted portrait of His Highness Maharaja Bhupinder Singh (1891-1938), the ruler of the princely state of Patiala in Punjab from 1900 to 1938 - sold at CHF 122,500 Swiss Francs (US$138,291 or 6.19 million INR) at four times the estimate (in picture, maharaja seen in light blue dress).

Another rare gold, enamel ruby and diamond-set watch - a Seeland - with a painted portrait of His Highness Sawai Mahendra Sir Pratapsing Bahadeer, Maharaja of Orchha, Tikamgarh, Bundelkhand, signed Graff, circa 1890 (dia. 51 mm) - went for CHF 74,500 (US$84,104) at twice the high estimate. (maharaja in dark green tunic)

A third lot in the India series was - a Charles Frodsham - an 18K yellow gold hunting cased minute repeating watch made for the Indian market with enamel portraits, circa 1890 (maharaja in light green tunic. Vying for top honours were several Rolexes, a Piguet & Capt. Breguets, Omegas and other exclusive names from London and Paris.

Swiss enamel portrait miniature painter, John Graff (1836-1902) had created for the Indian princes and other dignitaries, what came to be known as "Rajah" watches that were decorated with enamel portraits of their owners taken from photographs. The intricate mechanisms were mainly produced in the Vallee de Joux area in Switzerland known for its ski slopes or in Le Locle, home of the Tissot watch.

More than 300 clients signed up for the event that covered five centuries of watch-matching history from 1580 to date. Included were luxurious pocket watches made for Indian maharajas in the 19th century, antique timepieces and blue-chip wristwatches as also Chinese and Turkish masterpieces.

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(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market and auto shows and reviews films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; and India.)

RAJ S RANGARAJAN

Citizen of the World

Born on September 17, 1915 in Pandharpur a temple-town in Maharashtra, Maqbool Fida Husain was not only an enduring artist with an enviable body of work but was also a remarkable Indian.

Starting life as a painter of banners in Mumbai, Husain's childlike simplicity in his talk and manner were noticeable by anyone who met him. Easily approachable, the man loved the female form and said so sometimes with mischief and humour but never with malice. He was always alert to what one said, and used his enormous talent to chronicle society's contemporaneous ills and misgivings. By sheer numbers and his enduring presence in the art world, Husain brought Indian contemporary art to the world stage.

In 1947, around the time when India got its independence, The Progressive Artists Group was formed by artists - Francis Newton Souza, S. H. Raza and K. H. Ara and Husain was an early member. Among his early supporters were American well-wishers. Around the 50's he started focusing on colour and lines, motivated by European painters as also temple art in Hindu temples. In the subsequent two decades his reputation grew as an artist and so did his confidence.

In the 50's and 60's, Husain had the moral and financial support from the likes of art collectors - Chester and Davida Herwitz from Massachusetts, and Thomas Keehn(also 96) from Queens, New York, who between 1952 and 1961 used to work for Nelson Rockefeller in Delhi. Keehn, who is very close to the Husain family said," few years ago when Husain visited New York, the artist had produced 'Two Horses' within just 75 minutes with about 20 people watching."

Not many people are aware that among the doyen's masterpieces is a series of 27 paintings that he completed in 1971-72 for the 11th Sao Paolo Biennial on the epic Mahabharata. This 'Mahabharata: The Battle of Ganga and Jamuna' sold at a 2008 Christie's auction for $1.6 million.

Madhuri, the Maharashtrian Muse

He has mentioned that actor Madhuri Dixit was the inspiration behind his 2000 film - Gaja Gamini that also starred Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah. He directed Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities starring Tabu, Kunal Kapoor with Raguvir Yadav playing a Nawab and A.R. Rahman providing the musical score. However, his first film, Through the Eyes of a Painter, made in 1967 won a Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.

Husain, a Qatari citizen since 2010 was forced to leave India in 2006 following communal disturbances, but never carried any rancor or revenge. He and his wife Fazila Bibi had six children: four sons and two daughters.

The art industry and the legion of art-lovers spread across the world will miss this giant of a man not only for his versatility in creating canvases and films but for his flamboyant, free spirit.

(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market and auto shows and reviews films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; and India.)

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RAJ S. RANGARAJAN

Former Maharaja's canopy fetches crores

A Maharaja's pearl canopy is a recent treasure that went under the hammer at a New York auction house.

Raj S. Rangarajan

Yet another former treasure was sold recently at Sotheby's New York: a pearl canopy, originally from Baroda, Gujarat for a handsome 2.32 million USD. Measuring 3 feet 11 inches in diameter it was commissioned during the British Raj (circa 1865-70) by the then Maharaja of Baroda, Khande Rao Gaekwar (r. 1856-1870).

Embroidered with about 9.5 lakh 'Basra' pearls and beads, and embellished with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds, this opulent suite exemplified the grandeur, wealth and sophistication of the time. The rosettes are circled by small natural 'Basra' 3-4 mm pearls. The designs in the rosettes were set with over 200 table-cut and occasional rose-cut diamonds, all set in silver topped gold or possibly blackened gold; the motifs were further enhanced with approximately 700 foil backed rubies, emeralds and sapphires set in gold.

This exquisite bejeweled canopy and a Pearl Carpet of Baroda were two surviving pieces of an ensemble of five. For over 100 years, the Pearl Canopy of Baroda was hidden from public view. The 5' 8" x 8' 8" carpet was sold at Sotheby's Doha in March 2009 for 5.5 million USD. This too was artistically structured with a million tiny seed pearls, rubies, sapphires and diamonds on a silk/deer hide forming the base. The other three components that completed the ensemble were supposed to be rectangular carpets, which if placed vertically would have formed a regal enclosure.

Khande Rao Gaekwar who ascended to the throne in 1856 during the British Raj was known for his sophistication and love for the arts and architecture. Obviously he could command the services of skilled gem-cutters and craftsmen who created a canopy that blended Persian and indigenous Indian traditions. Among the magnificent jewels he acquired in 1867 was the 128-carat 'Star of the South' diamond.

From a provenance standpoint, the canopy passed by descent to Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwar and on to Maharaja Pratapsingh Rao Gaekwar who was married to Sita Devi, daughter of the zamindar of Pithapuram, now in Andhra Pradesh. Sita Devi, who was born in Madras, was a high-flying socialite and lived out of Monaco. The story goes that Pratapsingh Rao and Sita Devi were smitten the moment they met at the Madras Race Course in 1943. When the former Maharani moved to Monaco the canopy went with her and it was in a private collection since 1985. Sita Devi died in Paris in February 1989.

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(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market and auto shows and reviews films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; and India.)

Black and white are equally pretty in art

In a world dominated by colour, can you think in black and white?




As you cruise south on the IT corridor in Chennai you would have perhaps noticed a mural titled 'Mother and Child'. It was created by contemporary artist Asma Menon for Tamil Nadu Road Development Company Limited (TNRDC) few years ago. Apart from murals and installation, Asma is known for her vibrant colours and intriguing canvases.

Featured as Artist of the Month by Cholamandal Artists Village for this month, on February 26th and 27th, Asma dwells on printmaking and the influence and impact of this medium with the aid of a slideshow. In her exhibition titled 'Absence and presence of colour' Asma presents her etchings and black-and-white works.

The works take the viewer into the vortex of the "reading of the cards". The journey is of clairvoyance. Stark black-and-white line drawing against vivid borders is akin to a stage set for the unveiling of the answers to one's queries. Or is it! How often is one motivated to think in black-and-white in a world dominated by colour? But this exhibition does.

The art village, established in 1966, gives art aficionados a chance to understand the artist firsthand and her expression and the whys governing it. Located in Injambakkam, nine kms from Chennai proper, the art village's creations have been shown in Europe, the U.S. and South America. Several skilled craftsmen and artists live in a commune-type arrangement and create art as a matter of fun and pride.

Asma's creations reflect her bubbly personality and most of her oeuvre is brimming with a busy feel that needs to constantly communicate. Her strength seems to lie in packing a lot of elements on a crowded canvas much like a busy Chennai street during rush hour. Her symbolic streaks inform while yelling for attention.

A B.Sc. graduate in Visual Communications and M.A. in Fine Art from Chennai's Government Arts College, Asma has had her share of solo shows in several cities of Europe ranging from France to Spain to Italy and to the Middle East and Far East, Egypt, Malaysia, Japan and the Republic of Macedonia.

Some of Asma's composites occasionally mimic caricatures as an inevitable compliment to her sense of humour. Or is it all planned like an exit line of a play? Her persona is represented in the blend of hues that she teases the onlooker with.

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RAJ S RANGARAJAN

(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market and auto shows and reviews films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; and India.)

Restored Tipu paintings fetch crores

Recalling history through restored paintings of a historic battle that fetched crores at a recent auction



Indian history books have recorded Tipu Sultan’s victorious battles in Southern India in the 18th century, and we now have documentation of those successes in the form of 24 “preparatory” paintings that were sold recently in London.

The paintings depicting the Battle of Pollilur, also known as Battle of Perambakam, that took place on 10th September 1780 near present-day Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, were bought by an anonymous telephone bidder for INR 55,981,934 (£769,250 or US$1,224,184).

Tipu Sultan commanded the Kingdom of Mysore against Col. William Baille of the British East India Company, which history records, surrendered and suffered a high number of casualties. In a subsequent battle, Colonel Arthur Wellesley and the British defeated Tipu Sultan at the Battle of Seringapatam (now Srirangapatam) on 4th May 1799.



The 24 paintings, which were done on rice paper shortly after the battle were originally part of two long scrolls, each 7 ft. by 30 ft. The story goes that following the Pollilur battle, Tipu Sultan commissioned a mural to commemorate his father, Hyder Ali’s victory that was installed in the Daria Daulat Palace, Seringapatam in 1784. It is believed, the preparatory paintings were the work of an Indian artist.

The scrolls with the preparatory paintings were chopped up into 24 paintings which have survived in remarkably good condition. The paintings illustrate Hyder and Tipu, splendidly attired on their elephants, supported by their army and the French mercenaries. The restoration was done using the preparatory paintings for referencing and is attributed to one of the commanding officers who attended the siege in 1799 — Wellesley, later 1st Duke of Wellington, known for his military prowess.



History buffs will be interested in the paintings’ provenance: it was reportedly acquired around 1802 by Captain John William Freese, a member of the Madras Artillery, who played an important role in the siege of Seringapatam in 1799. The same year he was appointed by General Stuart as Commissary of Stores at Seringapatam. By descent the paintings went to 6th Earl of Lanesborough (grandson of Captain Freese) and remained in the family for a further 100 years until they were sold as part of a group lot in the Swithland Hall Estate Sale in 1978.

(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market and auto shows and reviews films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; and India.)

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RAJ S. RANGARAJAN

Continued Vibrancy Seen at NY Fall Auction

RAJ S. RANGARAJAN

At the contemporary art sale in New York in mid-September, works by Indian artists held center stage at Christie's and Sotheby's with two artists creating auction records for their work. Bhupen Khakhar's Muslims Around a Mosque II, 2001(180 cm x 120 cm - oil on canvas depicting a mosque's environs) sold for $650,000 at more than twice the high estimate and Arpita Singh's Munna Apa's Garden, 1989 (158.1 cm x 173.4 cm - oil on canvas that shows the artist's milder side) was bought by an Indian collector for $506,500 at three times the high estimate. Singh (73) was born in West Bengal and studied art in New Delhi. She painted Bengali folk paintings in the '80s and took up oils in the '90s.

Auctioneers, collectors and galleries are upbeat about the vibrancy in the art market in spite of a sluggish recovery in other areas of the economy. With provenances for quality art items being recognized and appreciated, newer clients are seen investing in art. Lately, international institutions have gotten into the act of collection.

S. H. Raza and F. N. Souza were the $1 million-plus artists this Fall season with younger artists, Rashid Rana and T.V. Santhosh (both 1968-born) also creating a buzz among art lovers. Rana's Red Carpet III, 2007 (chromogenic print and Diasec mounted: 133 cm x 183 cm), in pixels of thousands of tiny digitized images, initially tends to crowd one's thoughts but soon, with concentration, one comprehends vividly what the artist is trying to convey. An American bought it for $182,500. Santhosh's Untitled oil, 2008 (122 cm x 183 cm.) that sold for $110,500, depicts in his customary red-and-green a common subject such as war with contemplative imagery.

In keeping with his signature installations dealing with everyday images such as stainless steel pans in households, Subodh Gupta's Two Cows that shows bronze, aluminium and chrome milk cans was bought by an European bidder for $542,500 against a high estimate of $350,000. Says the artist, "The bicycle is like a mechanized cow in the city.?in the country if I wanted milk, I would go to the cows to get it; in the city it is delivered to you by bicycle."

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(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market and auto shows and reviews films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; and India.)

Contemporary art values upwardly mobile, The Hindu, May 30, 2010

Indian artists engender discussion in a market where 'buying' has been a positive index.


It's May, temperatures are warming up all over and contemporary Indian art is hot again. In art capitals - London, New York and Hong Kong - artists of Indian and Chinese origin have been performing exceedingly well on the "Buy" index from an art investor's standpoint.

The traditional and the modern are getting popular again and collectors and galleries are watching the art market with cautious optimism. At Aicon Gallery in New York an interesting art discussion examined the point of convergence and intellectual synergy between the Western Modernist avant-garde movement and Indian indigenous and tribal folk art.

Works from late artists Jamini Roy (1887-1972) and Jagdish Swaminathan (1928-1994) were among the displays. Originally from Bankura in West Bengal, Roy studied at Government School of Art in 1903 in what was then Calcutta. He was initially drawn to the Post-Impressionist genre of landscapes and portraits and when he was 38, Roy moved to pop bazaar art that was sold outside the Kalighat temple. He used to follow Van Gogh and Paul Cezanne before he went more individualistic. By 1930, he switched to indigenous materials using woven mats, cloth and wood coated with lime as his media.



Roy's Bengali folk paintings are well-known and among his favourite subjects were religious Hindu and Christian themes as also tribal Santhals in rural West Bengal. His St. Ann and the Blessed Virgin and Radha-Krishna themes were equally popular. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1955.

Simla-born Swaminathan was more multi-faceted initially in his career in that he tried to dabble in medicine, politics, writing and art till he settled down as an artist. He was with the Communist Party in 1948 and in 1966, published a magazine - Contra - with Mexican poet and Ambassador to India, Octavio Paz challenging then existent views of modernity through articles on art and aesthetics.

Marrying his wife Bhawani in 1955 was a steadying influence evidently for soon Swaminathan excelled as an artist and a writer of children's stories. Known for his simplistic imagery, Swaminathan's mastery of poignant space reflected an absence of clutter and a clinical portrayal of his thoughts. Swaminathan studied art in Delhi and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Poland. During 1968-70, he was awarded the Nehru Fellowship for work on a project titled, The Significance of the Traditional Numen in Contemporary Art.

(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market and auto shows, reviews books and films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul and India.)

Mahishasura was Tyeb Mehta's Signature

"My happiest moments are spent with myself and my art." - Tyeb Mehta.

Accomplished artist and aspiring filmmaker, Tyeb Mehta, who died in July in Mumbai was known for his weakness for bulls and the Mahishasura legend that he created. Over the past few years Mehta's art had created world records in London and New York.

A self-effacing, self-made creator, Mehta's Celebration, an acrylic-on-canvas triptych (240 x 510 cms.), acquired iconic status in 2002 and three years later, his 1997 painting of the buffalo-demon - Mahishasura - being overpowered by goddess Durga, was bought for US$1.58 million, a record for any artist of Indian origin. Since then value for his pieces surpassed the one-million dollar mark twice. Completed in 1956, when he was hardly 31, his Trussed Bull was a forerunner of greater successes.

Born in Kapadvanj, Gujarat, Mehta who got his art diploma in 1952 from J.J. School of Art in Mumbai, said recently, "'I always wanted to be a film maker. I never thought I would become an artist." He was 84. He was a contemporary of well-known names such as Husain (born 1915), Raza (born 1922) and Souza (1924-2002) of the Progressive Arts Group that was founded around India's independence movement (1947) to voice upcoming artists' interests. The New York Times said, he was "the leading light of India's first post-colonial generation of Modernists."

A three-minute short made in Tamil - Koodal - written and directed by Mehta won him the Filmfare Critics' Award in 1970. He also wrote a script on Mahasweta Devi's novel 'Hazaar Chaurasi ki Maa' that was directed by film producer, Govind Nihalani.

Mehta's repertoire included "falling figures" that included the bull, deities, people - some in pain and others in sad contemplation - a reflection of his state of mind around that period. His tones were layered with expressions of intense melancholy blended with fine distinctive lines that helped substantiate but not clarify the overall manifestation.

India honored Mehta in 2007 with a Padma Bhushan and earlier he had picked up the Dayawati Modi Foundation Award for Art & Culture. In 2006, Mehta had said, "I have always been a loner and am still quite a bit of a recluse. My happiest moments are spent with myself and my art." Works from his varied oeuvre will be on sale next month in New York.

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(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market, reviews books and films for media based in New York, Toronto, Canada, Seoul and India.)

RAJ S. RANGARAJAN

Indian art prices soar in London

More private collectors of Indian origin are picking up art...

Within a week after Christie's exciting June art sale in London, auctioneer, Sotheby's followed up with their sale of Indian contemporary art that totaled 2.06 million GBP (3.38 million USD) on June 16 at Bond Street. Most of the top drawer items were sold at prices much higher than estimated - a positive indication that the art market is turning around slowly but surely.

Among the top ten were older artists such as enduring favourite, M.F. Husain (born 1915), Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Manjit Bawa (1941-2008), Krishen Khanna (b. 1925) and Bikash Bhattacharjee (1940-2006).

Day Dreaming - an ink-and-pastel (lacquered) composition created in 1979 by 70-year-old Jogen Chowdhury was the subject of a heated bidding battle between art collectors and eventually it was bought by an American collector for a record amount of 2.91 crores INR (3,73,250 GBP or 6,09,629 USD). This piece became more than a bone of contention since this rare art with exceptional provenance was being made available for sale for the first time ever. It was exhibited at the Sao Paulo Biennale in 1979.

Chowdhury's distinctive style of fluid lines and simple sensitive forms with awareness for pattern and texture (152 cms. x 182 cms.) perhaps helped it attain such a high price. With a weakness for obese figures in his drawings, Chowdhury tends to be traditional and on the money when his cross-hatching frames merge. Says Chowdhury, "I have always been fascinated by the conventional forms of a sari draping around a woman's body, and I have sought through that image, forms of my own making, in a new manner." A textile designer at the Weavers' Service Centre in Chennai during the late 1960s, Chowdhury moved to Delhi in 1972 as curator of paintings at the Rashtrapati Bhavan at the President's Estate.

Also scoring at three times the high estimate of 1,20,000 GBP was Orange Head, an oil-on-canvas by Souza (1963), that was bought for 403,250 GBP (658,628 USD). Just shows that in spite of a certain coolness in the art market over the past year deals continue to be made. Souza has not been without controversies but now that the artist has passed on, there is more value-added interest in his paintings.

Formerly an exclusive preserve of wealthy foreigners we now see more private collectors of Indian origin picking up contemporary art as witnessed by sale of artist Bawa's Untitled oil-on-canvas, for 85,250 GBP (139,239 USD) and Husain's oil-on-canvas - Woman in Red which sold at 82,850 GBP (135,319 (USD).

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(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market, reviews books and films for media based in New York, Toronto, Canada, Seoul and India.)

Last Supper & Bollywood Depiction in London

The art scene shifted to London where South Asian modern and contemporary art works of Indian and Pakistani artists were auctioned. Apart from known names such as Husain, Tyeb Mehta, Ram Kumar, Raza and Souza, creations by younger artists such as Rashid Rana, Atul Bhalla, Vivek Vilasini and Navin Rawnchaikul sought art collectors and buyers.

With art buying in a holding pattern these days, this writer asked Yamini Mehta, Director, Modern and Contemporary Indian Art at Christie's, London, whether collectors, galleries and dealers were hesitating to purchase major art items. Assured Mehta, "works of significance, quality and rarity find their way to collectors with little hesitation. As we are in a buyer's market there are many more opportunities to acquire - which has actually brought back many long-standing collectors into the market." While Indian artists have crossed the US$1.5 million-dollar sale threshold a few times Mehta sounded optimistic in "regard to marquee works entering the market and the day is not far away from a US$5 or 10 million milestone for a work of Indian art."

Navin Rawanchaikul (born, 1971) of Thai origin has ancestral roots in Hindu-Punjabi communities of what is now Pakistan. Navin's Lost Kingdom of Navin, (2008) is a tribute to his interest in Bollywood and to fellow artists such as Ravinder Reddy, Nataraj Sharma, Subodh Gupta, Chintan Upadhyay seen as a frivolous take in a constellation of film stars and look-a-likes. Navin's work is site-specific and his innovative style integrates his individual experiences into eccentric fictional tales. His works include installations, films, comic books, games, mobile galleries and painted cars.

Many households have on display the well-known "Last Supper" painting in their family rooms or meditation area. But, artistically speaking, here is a twist. Kerala artist, Vivek Vilasini's archival canvas Last Supper - Gaza, (2008) is an unusual reenactment of 15th century artist, Leonardo da Vinci's composition of the apostles in threes (surrounding the central figure of Christ). Vivek's figures have young women clothed in chadors or burqas revealing only their sensitive eyes filled with suspense and anxiety. A multimedia artist and photographer, Vivek (born, 1964) trained as a Marine Radio Officer in Kochi before turning to art and sculpture.

(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market, reviews books and films for media based in New York, Toronto, Canada, Seoul and India.)

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RAJ S RANGARAJAN

Void - Anish Kapoor's Installations

Maverick. Unorthodox. Nonconformist. Artistic genius.

Call him what you wish, but Anish Kapoor stands alone in the art world. Identified variously as an artist, sculptor, space thinker, Anish has evolved as a master of three-dimensional space. His imagination boggles one's notional milieu in that his conceptual sense of scale and colour gives new meaning to the phrase: thinking outside the box.

Sandhini Poddar, art historian and the first Assistant Curator of Asian Art at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York describes Kapoor as a post minimalist, known for his seminal contributions that are contemporary and site-specific. Till recently on display in Berlin, Kapoor's Memory will be re-created in New York for the Fall season to commemorate Guggenheim's 50th anniversary. The minimalist era was when art and music were stripped down to their fundamental premise between 50's and 70'with post minimalist starting around the 80's.

Imagine 24 tons of Cor-Ten steel sculpted into154 seamless tiles with 10 bolts resembling a percussion instrument such as a mridangam or a tabla. Part of his signature Void series, Kapoor's Memory makes one wonder how the monumental installation was conceived and created. Clarifies Poddar, "A giant jigsaw that compels the viewer to physically move from one section of the museum wall to another in order to comprehend the art," this masterpiece makes one think. One is not a mere spectator -- one becomes a participant -- in an interesting and even intriguing search for where uncertainty begins and where the curvaceous seduction ends.

On permanent display at Millennium Park in Chicago since July 2004, Kapoor's stainless steel Cloud Gate that weighs over 110 tons, consists of 168 stainless steel plates (66 ft. long; 33 ft. high) is another example of the artist's visual prowess.

Mumbai-born, Kapoor, 55 attended Doon School in Dehradun, later moved to Britain to study art at Hornsey College of Art and Chelsea School of Art Design. In 1991 he won the Turner Prize for contemporary art and in 2003, the British government awarded him a CBE (Commander) for his giant Marsyas (satyr in Greek mythology) that was displayed at Tate Modern Gallery in 2002. This huge 3-steel ring structure held by a PVC membrane made one think about space in a different light.

(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market, reviews books and films for media based in New York, Toronto, Canada, Seoul and India.)
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RAJ S. RANGARAJAN

Younger Indian artists come into their own

While art writers tend to concentrate on the Husains, Gaitondes and Souzas of the contemporary art world, known for their originality and longevity, it’s time perhaps that we also talk of the younger breed of artist such as a Shaw or a Harsha…

These are Indian artists knocking on the doors of high value, and from an investing standpoint, these are “sure bets” for art galleries and collectors. Kolkata-born Raqib Shaw, 35, who grew up in Kashmir from the time he was six months old, but now settled in London, set the art world aglow in 2007 with his The Garden of Earthly Delights III painting that sold for US$5.49 million. This Raqib montage was a risque tapestry of splendid colour with humans, animals, birds and other creatures in plainly suggestive racy activity.

Raqib is outrageous in his underwater creatures as well that is seen in The Garden of Earthly Delights, X, with nipples and genetalia, and the artist makes no apologies for his art. Heir to a carpet fortune that also deals in jewellery and shawls, Raqib, who studied art at Central Saint Martins at University of Arts, London, gave up his shares in his family’s company and preferred to become an artist – a vocation he clearly revels in and loves.

Artist N.S. Harsha, 40, lives in Mysore and is involved in large scale installations and community projects. His Cosmic Orphans, completed in December 2005 for the Singapore Biennale was a painting-cum-installation at the Sri Krishnan Temple in Singapore dedicated to the ninth incarnation of Vishnu. Here. the artist created sleeping figures in the inner sanctum, on the terrace, and on the temple tower (gopuram). For the terrace exposed to the elements he used flat colours.

Harsha won the £40,000 Artes Mundi Prize in April 2008, UK’s highest award at the National Museum in Cardiff, Wales. Artes Mundi, an international contemporary arts initiative, encourages artists to participate on the world’s art stage. Known for his storytelling abilities, Harsha’s keen sense of detail on everyday Indian life, juxtaposed with contemporary world events and images has been a major plus. His winning painting Mass Marriage was a subtle, amusing narrative on Indian marriages, but also reflected in a realistic manner the complex nature of human relationships all over the world.

(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market, reviews books and films for media based in New York, Toronto, Canada, Seoul and India.)

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RAJ S. RANGARAJAN

Former Maharaja's Carpet Fetches $5.45 million

India has been in the news in the international art arena. One of the items that made a mark was a former Maharaja's pearl-and-diamond-studded carpet.

India is much in the news these days on the international art front. A month ago, auction of Mahatma Gandhi's personal belongings by New York auctioneer, Antiquorum created a buzz in certain circles. Few weeks ago, a former Maharaja's pearl-and-diamond-studded carpet was bought in Doha for a record US$5.45 million (19,873,662 QAR - Qatari riyals) at auctioneer, Sotheby's first-ever foray into the kingdom of Qatar. For reasons of privacy buyer's name is never released but bidding started at around US$5 million.

According to Sotheby's this masterpiece that measures 173 x 264cm. (5ft. 8in. x 8ft. 8in.) was once commissioned (1865 circa) by the former Maharaja of Baroda, Gaekwar Kande Rao. Imagine your normal knotted carpet at home from Kashmir or Jaipur or Persia. This regal one is perhaps of the same size as mentioned but with a silk and fine deer hide foundation that is densely embroidered in strings of natural 'Basra' pearls, measuring approximately 1-3mm, with coloured glass beads. For the curious: total estimated weight of the pearls is 30,000 carats and diamonds are estimated to be 350-400 carats in total - all set in silver topped gold or possibly blackened gold. Over 2.2 million pearls and beads have been used to decorate the small area. Sotheby estimates, the number of pearls employed in the design is perhaps 1.2-1.5 million.

From a provenance standpoint, this pricey rug descended to The Maharani of Baroda, Seethadevi Holding until 1988, and was displayed at Indian Art Exhibition, Delhi (1902-1903) and at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1985-1986). Several writers and admirers have covered in detail the magnificence of this unique carpet. Embellished by seed pearls known as "Basra" pearls originally collected from the waters of the Persian Gulf, this symbol of hedonism defined wealth, sophistication, opulence and grandeur of the days of yore.

Susan P. Mattern in her book, Rome and the Enemy: Imperial Strategy in the Principate, says, "Besides being a magnificent manifestation of the taste and power of the maharajas, the Pearl Carpet of Baroda is also a reminder of the flourishing pearl-trade that existed between the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Gulf."

Another scholar and collector, and Curator emeritus of Islamic and Indian art at the Harvard Art Museum, late Stuart Cary Welch said, "The Pearl Carpet of Baroda reflects the confluence of many Indian decorative traditions in addition to being one of the most luxuriant works of art ever created."

(A New York based independent trend writer, Raj S. Rangarajan reports on the art market, reviews books and films for media based in New York, Toronto, Canada, Seoul and India.)

RAJ S. RANGARAJAN

Art market slow but should rebound

With a downturn in world economies this writer asked a Bangalore-based auctioneer, M. Maher Dadha, chairman and managing director of Bid & Hammer about prospects for the art industry.

Excerpts

RR: Following a slowing down of the economy do you also see a slowdown in the buying of contemporary art or higher-priced bronzes by collectors, dealers, galleries?

MMD: The slowdown in the economy is bound to affect the sale of high-priced art, but only if it does not intrinsically affect values. The rich or the super-rich who have not been personally affected by the downturn will continue to buy works of good quality.

RR: Over the past 5 to 6 years, creations by many Indian artists have sold exemplarily well -- some to the tune of US$ 1 million. Do you think soaring prices for contemporary Indian art will continue in spite of the depressed economic situation?

MMD: Prices of works by some contemporary Indian artists have been reaching astonishingly high levels and that too at a very quick pace which has been due to speculation fuelled by certain syndicated forces working in the market. Thus the ongoing correction is good for the market and in the short-to-medium term, the prices of works by some artists will go up but at realistic, sustainable levels. Indian artists are still under-valued, their potential is pretty high as they are increasingly being recognized on a global stage. Also, many Indians in India are buying expensive creations from artists such as Husain, Tyeb Mehta, Godbole and Subodh Gupta at auctions abroad in view of their universal appeal.

RR: Expensive bronzes seem to be bought more often by corporate outfits or galleries owned by non-Indian outfits. Your comments?

MMD: Corporate entities generally tend to buy bronzes or engage sculptors to thematically decorate their corporate offices, gardens, campuses, meeting rooms, etc. and because they have access to large funds it is easier for them to take a decision to buy a piece of bronze or sculpture. However, the domestic Indian market has also been picking up and in the next 2-3 years I foresee the buying of bronzes and sculptures increasing manifold.

(A New York-based trend writer, Raj Rangarajan reports on the art market and contributes to publications in the United States, Canada, Seoul and India.)

RAJ S RANGARAJAN
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Dominant Indian Art Provenances Help Sales

It is December and all roads in Chennai lead to sabha halls where Carnatic music rasikas and dance afficianados celebrate the Tamil month with typical 'margazhi' fervor. It's also time for cricket test matches in India and with 2008 almost closing in there is a certain laid-back attitude all around. The celebration however in London at the Serpentine Gallery in London is of a different kind: The theme is contemporary Indian art at the 'India Highway' exhibit that runs till 22nd February 2009 near Hyde Park.

Among artists participating are Maqbool Fida Husain with his acrylic-on-canvas: The Rape of India; Jitish Kallat with his Cenotaph (A Deed of Transfer) 2007-20 Lenticular prints; and Bose Krishnamachari with his installation - Ghost / Transmemoir 2006-08 with 108 used tiffins, LCD monitors, amplifiers, DVD players, headphones, cables, scaffolding and wood. Mumbai residents - Kallat and Krishnamachari - have been exploring the city's restless nature and its vibrant psyche through their work and recent traumatic events wouldn't have added to the their sense of cheer or that of the city's.

In the art world buyers, investors, gallery owners have been holding back their bets - a kind of wait-and-watch attitude - for the past few months, and the phenomenon seems global. No one foresees an immediate change either in art fortunes. In early December celebrity collectors at the art fair - Art Basel Miami Beach (a division of MCH Swiss Exhibition (Holding) Ltd. - came and saw but did not buy. At an American art auction in New York, committed buyers were pulling back, though mercifully, some pieces were bought thanks to their impeccable provenances.

At Christie's auction in late November in Hong Kong, a couple of Indonesian and Chinese artists performed admirably in terms of their sales with creations beating world records. Indian artist Subodh Gupta again came out shining with his "Untitled" 2005 paintings of pots and pans - his new signature style - that an American dealer picked up for almost half-a-million American dollars.

At Indian auctioneer Saffronart's December sale of contemporary Indian art familiar names such as Subodh Gupta, Akbar Padamsee and Jagdish Swaminathan sold well in spite of an anemic buying environment. With online bidding getting popular there were 740 registered bidders from 35 countries for this sale but final results did not bear fruit with corresponding sales.

Interestingly, the world economic slowdown did not seem to affect sales of antique Chinese ceramics and works of art such as an Imperial Pink-Ground Famille Rose Vase from the Qianlong Period (1736-1795) that sold for US$ 6.88 million or Kashmir sapphires and Burma rubies that sold for US$1.2 million each at the Hong Kong auction.

A New York-based trend writer, Raj Rangarajan reports on the art market and has contributed to publications in the United States, Canada, Australia and India.

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RAJ S RANGARAJAN

Invest in Art

RAJ S. RANGARAJAN
Despite the lull and uncertain market conditions, the art market is seeing action, albeit muted.

Healthy trends

While there is a reported lull in art buying - a kind of coasting effect - following uncertain economic conditions in India and abroad, certain artists' works continue to sell specially if their provenance is sound. Gallery highfliers and art dealers who professionally invest for their businesses are watching the market with cautious optimism.

On the world scene, last month while Arab and Iranian art sold in London at decent prices, similar Middle Eastern art in Dubai had a lesser number of takers. Auctioneers Sotheby's and Christie's reported a sharp drop in dollar volumes compared to previous year's figures. Also, at Chinese contemporary art auctions in Hong Kong four Chinese and Indonesian artists had million-dollar successes with their work, thanks to dominant provenances.

When it comes to art provenance refers to the history of ownership of a valued painting or antique or literature. Kent Charagundla, owner of Tamarind Art Gallery in New York echoes the sentiment that "provenances matter and good art will always attract buyers whatever the state of the economy."

Indian artist Subodh Gupta's work dominated headlines at contemporary Indian art auctions held by Sotheby's, London in October. Also creating a buzz was the news that Gupta has now secured representation from the prestigious art gallery, Hauser & Wirth with offices in London and Zurich. In New York, Gupta is represented by Jack Shainman gallery.

Having made a name with seemingly plain but pricey "stainless steel" art installations, Gupta's art is much sought after by non-Indians as well. Three of his creations sold at more-than-estimated prices. His nondescript bicycle installation - titled "Cow" with milk cans - sold for GBP313,250. One wonders if this piece is a photograph or an actual painting. Two other creations of his sold for GBP385,250 and GBP241,250.

Not to be outdone, another Indian artist, Anish Kapoor's "Untitled" piece sold at GBP385,250 against an estimate of GBP250,000-GBP350,000. Kapoor - artist and sculptor - born in 1954, has won the Turner Prize (named after painter J.M.W. Turner), an annual prize presented to a British visual artist under 50.

Earlier in October as well, at Sotheby's Hong Kong, Zara Porter Hill, head of their Indian and Southeast Asian Art department "was encouraged by the level of bidding from a completely new group of buyers" specially since younger artists of Indian origin achieved record prices for their work. An acrylic-on-canvas with cloth applique titled, "I Like My Man Covered Too" by Jiten Thukral (born 1976) and Sumir Tagra (born 1979) was bought for US$234,252 (excluding buyer's premium) while the estimate was merely US$155,000.

Also, 1972-born Chintan Upadhyay's oil-on-acrylic, "Together With Life Whether We Like It or Not" achieved a high price, selling at US$141,581 when the estimate was merely US$100,000.

Some observers of the art scene suggest a cooling effect in the art market after many years of phenomenal growth with many artists - young and old - showing more than promise: they also achieved record-breaking results. Others however suggest that despite greater selectivity and cerebral decision making by art collectors, demand and competition for contemporary art is still healthy.

(A New York-based trend writer, Raj Rangarajan reports on the art market and has contributed to publications in the United States, Canada, Australia and India.)

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