A bag full of memories

…That’s what artist Jogen Chowdhury has in store as he comes to the Capital with a solo show after 13 years

A Jogen Chowdhury solo exhibition after 13 years in Delhi means a long queue of media persons for interviews and sound bytes. The veteran artist knows the drill and is quite mechanical with answers to the questions, which invariably border on the obvious. However, His face suddenly lights up the moment you talk about Delhi of yore. “Do you know that I worked in Delhi between 1972 – 87?” he asks. And his jhola of stories suddenly comes loose as he starts talking about the present times and those gone by. That’s Jogen Chowdhury deconstructed for today’s art savvy world that didn’t know what art was when Chowdhury was the curator in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Of course, he shifted to Shanti Niketan thereafter “as I wanted to be there.”

World as it was
“In the 70s, all of us (artists) had formed called Gallery 26. Souza used to come; Keshav Malik used to read poetry; Arpita (Singh) was active then and so was Swaminathan, we used to sit and gossip at Triveni; Dhoomimal was one of the active places – we used to have big and enjoyable artistic soirees,” the torrent of thoughts starts flowing. And as an after thought, he adds, “and this city had no traffic lights then.” Gallery 26 died down gradually when “people started shifted out of the Garhi Village. The art world was very intimate till it turned into business.”

As good as it gets
However; Chowdhury isn’t the one to sit and rue about the times long lost. “It’s a good time for the arts. Like Europe, we too need money to come in the world of arts. More money means more galleries and more growth.” However, he cautions against unmindful following of the business of art, which will deprive it of quality. No wonder, Chowdhury himself doesn’t believe in holding exhibitions for the sake of being in circulation. “My exhibition in Kolkata this year was also after a gap of ten years,” he informs.

Wielding the pen
Besides painting, Chowdhury is also known for his prolific pen. In fact, his articles in magazines like Desh and others, written over various problems in art world and related issues, have been well – read over the years.

“I’m planning to compile all of them in a book in Bangla by next year.I hope to have them translated and bring out a book in English after that. Some translations are already through,” he informs.

We shall wait to turn a new leaf then . (Courtesy: HT City, 02, August, 2006)

At a recently held solo painting exhibition at Kolkata, Sipra Bhattacharya, who uses oil as her preferred medium, displayed some very interesting work. Bhattacharya has been painting since the 1980s, mostly works on the theme of woman’s liberation, love, freedom and nature. Quite a lot of her paintings depict the central character, a woman in most cases, with her hair untied and reaching out to the world for her freedom. But she also reaches out for love, compassion and understanding. She is also close to nature as the flowers in the paintings say. Like a butterfly, she spreads love and beauty. But the love the woman seeks in not like a fairy tale and she is very much in touch with reality and modernity. “The butterflies in the canvas talk about nature and love” Sipra says.

Small can sometimes be big. With the boom in the market, small format drawings are carving out a niche in the art scene. And the demand for them is pushing up their prices, too. This segment has been growing mainly in the past two years.

“Earlier, small drawings used to be picked up in lots. They were just random jottings or doodles and were not considered significant works. However, they established an artist’s control and power over lines and, in that sense, they were certainly a part of his or her repertoire. Collectors realized their importance, but theses small-sized drawings did not enjoy a price monetarily.” An art market source said “At best, these creations were collected as add-ons with larger works.”

According to the source, with prices of artworks zooming, small format drawings, which Are generally classified within a size between a postcard and a sq ft sheet of paper, have begun to gain on the price front.Togather with major works, collectors are also focusing on stocking this genre of drawings in their collections. Artists whose small dimension drawings are popular in the market embrace F N Souza, M F Husain, Jogen Chowdhury, Akbar Padamsee, Shyamal Datta Ray, Ganesh Pyne, Rabindranath Tagore and Gaganendranath Tagore and Nandalal Bose. Others in this in this group include K G Subramanyan, K C S Paniker, Pritosh Sen, Ram Kumar and Adimoolam. “All these artists have their own style and that is what identifies their individuality and creativity,” the source said.

ricewise, a small format Souza drawings is pegged in the range of Rs 2-3 lakh, Husain and Chowdhury Rs 1.5 – 2 lakh, Padamsee Rs 2-3 lakh, Ray Rs 75,000 – 1 lakh, Goud Rs 1 lakh and Pyne Rs 1.5 – 2 lakh. In the same breath, Nandalal Bose is in the band of Rs 75,000 – 2 lakh, Rabindranath Tagore Rs 2 – 4, Paritosh Sen 75,000 – 2 lakh, Ram Kumar Rs 2 – 3 lakh, Ganesh Haloi Rs 1 – 2 lakh and Jamini Roy Rs 1 – lakh .( Courtesy: The Economic Times, July 19, 06)

There was a lot of fantastic art auctions/sales news during the past week. After sixty-years' worth of political and civil legal proceedings, Gustave Klimt's Adele Bloch-Bauer I became the highest-priced painting ever sold. (Reread that. Any painting. Ever.) David Hockney set a new record for himself when The Splash (1966) sold for £2.6m at Sotheby's in London. Russian and Indian art continues to sell for record prices, and the beat, so to speak, goes on.

If I had a spare $100 million, I'd definitely be phoning a bid or two in the next important auction at Christie's. Unless it included Andy Warhol's silver hairpiece. Love his silk-screens, but not to the extent that I'd HAVE to purchase his DNA off some piece of 1987 (or earlier) tape that facilitated a platinum-coloured faux Beatle do sticking to his head. That's just me being squeamish about having a used toupee around the house, though. Give me an unused Swiffer any day.

(Courtesy: Art History Guide)

When investing in art, make sure you buy an authentic artwork. Whether it’s a painting, sculpture, or a sketch, the artist’s signature is a must. There are several paintings around that may have been done by great artists, but are unsigned for whatever reason. In case you end up with an unsigned work of art, the cost of authentication may be more than the value of the artwork itself-especially if the artist is a fairly unknown one.

Buy what the artist is known for. For instance, if an artist has been doing figurative painting but then experiments in sculptures or installations for a while, his figurative works are likely to fetch greater dividends.

Do not go with ‘gimmicky’ art-ists. They might be the rage at the time but are highly unlikely to sustain themselves in the long run. Media has a lot to do with the celebratory status of an artist, and the most popular artist may not necessarily be the most talented one. On the other hand, a successful artist is a better buy than an unknown entity.

There could be times when an art critic may be biased but remember not everyone can be wrong, so reading up and researching is the best way to ensure you are making the right judgment. And finally, if you like a particular work of art, then it’s worth to buy .

(Financial Times, 17, Mar, 06)

A gum worth $ 850,000

A 12-year-old boy on a school trip to a US museum stuck a piece of chewing gum to a valuable painting. The boy damaged Helen Frankenthaler’s The Bay, one of the Detroit Institute of Arts’ most important modern paintings. The picture, acquired by the DIA in 1965 and worth an estimated $850,000 is expected to make a full recovery.

Julie Kidee, director of the holly Academy, where the boy is a pupil, said he had been suspended and that his parents had also taken disciplinary action. “Even though we give very strict guidelines on proper behavior and we hold students to high standers, he is only 12 and I don’t think he understood the ramifications of what he did before it happened, but he certainly understands the severity of it now,” said Kildee.

(Delhi Times, 6, Mar, 06}

SYED HAIDER RAZA is still searching for the importance of the bindu. His quest for this point of energy, which started years ago, not only inspires his paintings but also forces him to return to India again and again from his adopted homeland in Paris. The master talks to Mamta Upadhyaya about his search for the quintessential spirit of being an Indian.

How do you describe the transition in your work?
I do not think I have changed my style. What I have undergone is a constant and logical evolution. I did not change overnight. It is an evolution of my work from one stage to another. I began with expressionist landscapes, which became rigid and geometric representation of nature during 50s. Later, my lines blurred and colour began to dominate. My theme was still landscape but it became nonrepresentational. In the late 70s, I started focusing on bindu, which is now an icon. It is not only sacred in its symbolism but places my work in an Indian context.

Your recent works are again changing…

Pure forms and colours are my themes now. The impact of colour is direct and emotional. Through colours, I highlight Indian traditions in my bindu, which is otherwise an universal symbol.

What draws you to India?
I wandered into an abstract period between the 70s and 80s but realised that something important was missing in my work. I felt they lacked an Indian soul. I realized that though I was well known, my paintings had a void. The urge to fill this gap and explore my Indian origins in my work pulls me to this country.

When did your fascination with the bindu begin?
My art teacher introduced me to the bindu for the first time when I was in school but I did not realize its importance then. Over the years I discovered its meaning. Today from shoonya, which is the unmanifest to the bindu, the manifest, the circular form is the beginning and the end of all creations for me. From this dark black dot on canvas, emerges the seven bright colours. It is the connective point between the body and soul, between living in Paris and belonging to India. It is a point of departure, concentration, energy and life. In short, it is the sole inspiration for my work at this stage of life when I am 84.

You once said that Indian artists should not be influenced by the European style of art( ie sex and installation) and should draw inspiration from their own religion and tradition.

European art has always impressed Indian artistes but it has never happened the vice-versa. It is time that our art influences them. Nudity and installation work may be their style but that is not our tradition. Why should we copy them? There is a lot to be explored in our own tradition and culture.

How do you see the art scenario in India and its commercialization?
We have witnessed a constant growth in he art field, especially in music and dance, but the recent growth in fine arts is very encouraging. It has become an important aspect of our culture. There is nothing wrong in commercialization of art.

You are also supporting music, dance, poetry and writing besides painting through your Foundation..

The Raza Foundation was founded to support upcoming artists. As a student I had to face many hardships. I had promised my self that whenever I have enough resources, I would support needy painters. However, over the years I realized that there are needy in every field. So I decided to support needy painters. So I decided to support poets, dancers, musicians and even writers. My Foundation also gives five awards of Rs 1 lakhs each year to two painters, one musician, one poet and one author .

(Source: The Pioneer, 17, Feb,06)

Back to eternity

Vetern artist Ved Nayar revisits the question of creation through the recent works of SEEMA KOHLI.

Gogi, my wife and I came to know SEEMA KOHLI when she had organized an art camp near Simla a few years ago. Since then, two things about her have become clear to me - she is pretty sure that she is an excellent organizer.

It’s obvious from that there is a thought process involved which she has imbibed on her canvas in good measure. The way she has handled this subject – of eternal creation, also has a lot to do with women artists who live life close to earth. Their contribution to contemporary Indian art is substantial.

Another apparent thing is that a very intensive study has gone into the making of these canvases. As I referred to earlier, her organizing skills are very much evident here too – each canvas is well organised.

Her colours are vibrant, bold and prominent In fact, she has been using vibrant colours in her works all along. It is all in keeping with the theme of creation that she has chosen. In this context, I must say that the subject that an artist chooses is not important, what is important is how that artist has worked after choosing the topic .

( Souce:HT City. 15, Feb, 06)

Clinical depiction of violence

The titles tell the tale. Victim, Abu Ghraib, Wounded, Face in Agony: an anthology of disturbing images. This is the inner tale of Jogen Chowdhury who’s been reacting to the inhumanity of human beings in his recent art-with some 67 drawings, paintings and serigraphs-on view in Kolkata.

But then, what’s in a name? A broken skull called by some other name-maybe an innocuous Head or something – would be just as disturbing. Disturbing not only because of the open gashes, split stomachs of pregnant women, broken heads stitched together. Not only because the images are a testimonial of the times. But also because of the quiets , starkly clinical, even aseptic way of depicting violence. An enquiring way as though the bodies and heads were kept in a morgue for post- mortem or being examined on a doctor’s table.

For, although it’s epic violence that Choudhury suggests – which is why some of the drawings are very large – he’s not for over heated emotions. The strategy seems to be of alienation to get viewers to go beyond emotions, to ask rather than exclaim. For, mind you the gashes don’t spill gore; lacerations don’t ooze blood, although light standings in red may occur. Besides, like in Choudhury’s earlier art, the people portrayed remain anonymous. Stripped of all comforting and convenient social identity, they are in many of the works, merely brutilised, demeaned human beings. Just bare bodies or heads. The material essence of the human animal abstracted from catse, community, country.

And, of course, class it is a catch word of the mid – 20 th century and which doesn’t work any more. Today’s world offers no immunities as new gods crumble as surely did the old while spiritual voids grow. That is why if a Face (No.9) seems to swivel around at an unknown terror, mouth fr0ozen in fear, or Face in Agony (No. 34) recoils at some unstated threat; or if a mans back is bent in stooping sorrow , the only hope may lie in Compassion (No.59) which is very human, too, as human as cruelty, but which may come more readily from a woman.

The woman has always been a vital presence in Choudhury’s imagery. Even when she has a bleeding heart (No. 58) she may hold something of a regal poise. But a cut down the chest is parted like an open zip. As though she could tear open the skin like a garment to reveal the raw vulnerabilities within. But Aftermath 1 is ambiguous . Its women is spraoes on the ground, sari awry, hair splayed. Is this the aftermath of love making? Or a rape, leaving the victim deadened, stupefied?

Whether it’s pastel, pen, brush or print, what gives the works their trenchant articulation is the line . Often splendidly bare, but at times adorned with details of shading and substance always to achieve an artful, if biting gaucherie of form. Choudhury has clearly declared his debt to traditional imagery, like the stylized eyes of Durga. How the same eyes of ritual devotion could be inverted in meaning shows they way roots can be startlingly refreshed.

Of an entirely different temper are few still lifes and landscapes. Celebratory and colourful. They pulsate with a winsome childlike verve .

(Source: The Telegraph. 17, Feb, 06)

Artist Sanjay Bhattacharyya pays tributes to masters like Rembrandt and Salvador Dali with his latest solo show

Maverick artist Sanjay Bhattacharyya's latest solo show is as impromptu as it can get. "It was hurriedly put together in three weeks' time,'' informs Bhattacharyya about his new exhibition, My Tribute to Masters, which will be held in Delhi at the ITC Maurya Sheraton Hotel, though only for two days -- January 27 and 28. The paintings were earlier shown at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai, in December.

Relaxing at his Rajinder Nagar studio with pizzas, cigarettes and an old friend from his Kolkata Art College days, Bhattacharyya gets into an infectiously enjoyable mood as he talks about his new series: "I'd been doing these works for the past six-seven years. My mentor, Bikash Bhattacharya, used to ask students at college to look up books on Dali and Rembrandt. A tribute for these two great names must have been with me since then. But the first opportunity came when I was requested for a work based on Dali's work in 2000.''

As usual, Bhattacharyya's easel is buzzing with other prospective series, which include works for his forthcoming solo show in London, and another series of landscapes on the loss of natural spaces to "frenzied construction of malls, housing complexes, etc.'' In fact, a few artists of the city had got together on Sunday to protest against the loss of natural spaces, of which Bhattacharyya was part. "I'm going to call my works on the lines of Plot No. XXX, site for housing complex or some such thing,'' he says referring to the series.

(Source:HT City, Jan 25, 2006)

Veteran artist Shuvaprasanna revisits the epitome of love in Indian lord - Lord Krishna, in his forthcoming exhibition Evocative Expressions- In Quest of Krishna.

With this exhibition, Shuvaprasanna returns to Delhi with a solo show after two years. It is part of his Icons series depicting Krishna, Ganesh and Radha, which he began in the year 2001.

Known as an urban artist, Kolkata- based Shuvaprasanna's paintings have been influenced by the turmoils in his city. His canvas has depicted different facets of Kolkata but off late, his brush has been busy producing mythological figures. "I feel that paintings a mythological figure is much better than working on some mindless installation which shows no connection between heart and mind," he says.

"Last year, I did a series on Lord Krishna called Golden Flute. The current exhibition has the same theme but depicts a deeper meaning. Krishna is not depicted as a warrior in my paintings. I paint him as a lover, the flute player," he adds.

Shuvaprasanna has captivated the myth of Krishna and Radha on his canvases painted bright with various shades of gold, yellow, blue, green, red and pink in a balanced manner. "Krishna, Radha and Rasleela, wheather expressed in words or in paintings, have influenced many poets, artists and writers. I believe that my paintings convey the message of ananda which even words cannot do at times.

(Source: HT City, 11, Jan, 06)

Red and nudes overwhelm a spectator the first time he sees this artist's work. Art critic Keshav Malik terms the artist's effort "Benign Bent". As he feels that the paintings possess a devine quality. Shubhra Das, a Delhi Applied Art College topper, has created a silent ripple in the capital's art world with her debut solo exhibition, Benign Bent.

The stark canvasses feature nude selfportraits in varying moods-reflective, turbulent and serene. "All the portraits have me looking serene and a little morose. It's the real me," explains the 20-something artist. In a combination of Impressionist and Expressionist methods, Shubhra has emphasised the essence and mood of a subject rather than its details. It is not the fine lines of the paintings that capture the eye but their underlying mood-truly Impressionist. The Expressionist style comes across in the way she attempts to convey her inner feelings and the relegation of reality to the background. The figures fluidly blend against a backdrop of red which the artist says, " is the colour which comes naturally to me. I close my eyes and see red." Self-portraits are common but in nude and that too by someone so young can be perplexing. According to Shubhra, "Nudes are no big deal in art. For me, it is the purest form of self expression."
Her paintings also make a unique impression with their free-falling golden leaves.

"They are surface embellishment and in some frames like the Reflections in the Golden Fall, they depict the literal flow of thoughts." Says Keshav Malik of Shubhra, who is hailed as a "thinking painter" by critics, "Her first solo exhibition reminds us of nature's serenity which we no longer notice in our race against time".

(Source:The Pioneer, 26, Dec, 05)

It has been a momentous year for Indian art. Six artists-FN Souza, MF Husain, SH Raza, Ram Kumar, Tyeb Mehta and VS Gaitonde-crossed the Rs 1 crore threshold at Sotheby's September auction. Galleries mushroomed and art became the new investment mantra. Experts predict 2005 is the beginning of Indian art's most lucrative era.

HAMMERED
TYEB MEHTA'S Bull, a bronze sculpture, sold for Rs 60 lakh and his painting Mahisasura went under the hammer at the Christie's auction in New York for a spectacular Rs 6.9 crore. These two sales heralded an unprecedented surge in prices in the art market. New York-based hedge fund manager Rajiv Chaudhuri's bid made him the owner of the highest priced Indian painting.

UNMATCHED
FN SOUZA was in the news next. This Progressive artist has done very little work on large canvases, and even fewer have showed up at auctions. At 4-ft by 6ft, his Lovers is large, and combined with the fact that it was made in the '50s (his most productive period), the painting sold for Rs. 6.5 crore, the highest price for a Souza. It matched eight Husains in the same auction.

INSTALLATION BID
A THREE-PART mixed media installation by Atul Dodiya, Earth, Father Lost (VIII), fetched Rs 21.5 lakh at saffronart.com's May auction, the highest for an installation so far. The 45-year-old artist has used water pipes, crutches, curtains and paints in rolling shutters (shop doors) as peripherals in this work.

ART MART
ONLINE auction site saffronart.com beat international auction houses Christie's and Sotheby's to achieve a total sales value of Rs 55 crore at a single auction this month. Its founders, Dinesh and Minal Vazirani, held three auctions this year with a total of 390 paintings going under the hammer.

MARKET SAVVY
FUELLED by the new figures in the market, venture capitalist Pravin Gandhi, Sanjay Kumar of Synergy Art Foundation and Geeta Mehra of Sakshi Gallery floated India's first onshore art fund. It's a four-year, close-ended fund that promises 20 per cent compounded annual rate of growth. Edelweiss Capital has been given the mandate to raise the finances.

NUDE STATEMENT
ARTIST Chintan Upadhyay raked up a controversy for dressing down the buff for an installation show titled Baar, baar kitne baar? Har baar…..at Vadodara in April this year. Protesting against the 2002 Gujarat riots, the 32-year-old artist sat nude in the lotus position while viewers smeared saffron on him.

TRENDSETTER
INDIAN art's most flamboyant flamboyant figure, MF Husain, crossed another milestone. Having started the trend of making art friendly to investors with his Rs 100 crore deal for a series of 10 paintings, Husain turned 90.

(Source: The Sunday Express, 25, Dec, 05)

The FBI's list of top 10 art crimes catalogues missing masterpieces worth $ 600 million which includes works by Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Cezanne and Van Gogh, as well as thousands of artifacts looted from the Iraqi museum.

FBI's TOP TEN

• 7,000-10,000 Iraqi artifacts, 2003
• 12 paintings stolen in 1990 from Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
• Two Renoirs and a Rembrandt stolen from Sweden's National Museum, 2000 (recovered)
• Munch's Scream, and The Madonna, 2004
• Benvenuto Cellini's Saltcellar from Palermo, 1969
• Davidoff-Morini Stradivarius violion from New York apartment, 1995
• Two Van Gogh paintings from Amsterdam Museum, 2002
• Cezanne's View of Auvers-sur-Oise from Oxford's Ashmolean, 1999
• Da Vinci's Madonna of the Yarnwinder, 2003

• In August this year, two masked robbers armed with sub-machine guns shouldered through the Sunday afternoon crowed at an Oslo museum and coolly tore Edvard Munch's The Scream off the wall, making their escape in a waiting black Audi.
• Three of the paintings on the FBI list have already been recovered - a Rembrandt self-portrait and two Renoirs stolen from the Swedish National Museum in 2000. One of the missing Renoirs turned up in Los Angeles; the Rembrandt was recovered in Copenhagen.
• The recovery rate for stolen artwork in the US stands at 50%. The international recovery rate is believed to be around 10%
• Most of those works, in Europe especially, where museums depend on public funding, were uninsured because of the prohibitive costs of premiums for theft.
• The art loss register, a London-based list established in 1991 to help trace missing items and make it more difficult for the thieves to cash in, has around 160,000 stolen works of art.

(Input: H.T,Nov, 21,05)