Sculpture by the Sea

Last week, I talked about Reghu and his sculptures. And, coincidentally, a press release that came to me recently from Australia was also about an art fest held there in the month of March. At the fourth annual Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe exhibition in Perth, the Cottesloe Beach was transformed into a sculptural delight. The event featured 54 entries from Western Australian artists and invited artists from across the world (12 other countries) for instance Iceland, Japan and India. This happens to be Australia’s largest outdoor public exhibition of contemporary sculptures, and in fact there’s another one coming up - ‘Sculpture by the Sea’ in Bondi, Sydney, in October.
Now, the Indian artist who participated in this show was Abir Patwardhan, a sculptor who studied at the M S University, Baroda, and lives in Pune. He, in fact, exhibited his sculptures in Bangalore last year with a show ‘Prayer for the Porcupine’, a delightful series of whimsical works done in beaten copper. In Australia too, Abir’s work, ‘New Beginning’, was very popular and was bought by a local buyer. Good for Indian art.

Abir Patwardhan's 'New Beginning'

An open air exhibition of sculptures sounds like an extremely exciting prospect both for the artist and the viewer. One sincerely hopes that the concept of a project like this can be replicated or adapted here.
Strangely enough, I read that this year during the Harmony show in Mumbai, no awards were given to the emerging sculptor category. Apparently, the reason given was that there were no good quality competitors in that segment. What a pity. Where have all the good sculptors gone?
Sculptures are now gaining more acceptance as an investment instrument and artists such as Subodh Gupta and Ravinder Reddy are doing exceptionally well at international auctions. Most sculptures by well-established artists translate into good money, comparable to that of paintings. However, at the micro-level, the problem with sculptures is that you have to find a suitable place to display them. Size can be a major deterrent and unless you live in a sprawling bungalow, it is an impossible task to find an appropriate location for a decent-sized sculpture. Also, sculpting requires special facilities to be able to work with different materials and media. It takes more time and effort to create a sculpture. It is no surprise then that there are a lot more painters than sculptors in the country.

(Published in Bangalore Mirror)

Ceramic art (Sculptures by G Reghu)

I first came across Reghu’s sculptures about four years ago. Tiny ceramic figures that were based on groupings of men, women and children in animated postures caught my eye. Simple, earthy and quite minimal the figures seemed to be suspended mid-air while depicting various emotions. What stood out the most was their innocent child-like charm. Reghu hasn’t changed much over the years but his sculptures are now larger, they sport a ‘glaze’ finish, and there is a lot more variation in the grouping of figures. The artist comes from a traditional agricultural family, and his sculptures are also inspired by rural lifestyles and traditions. One can even say that his art is an ode to the Indian villager and celebrates their indomitable spirit as they go about their daily existence. Mother and child, or the entire family, cows, and heads of men and women form some of his sculptures. The simplicity and the banality of everyday life that he depicts characterize his figures. At the preview these sculptures were arranged in a garden where they formed a charming set of artworks. In fact, some of these figures reclining on chairs are quite amusing to look at. Devoid of embellishments, the small figures and also the larger sets strike a chord with their rustic appeal.

Reghu’s style of working involves sketching out his sculptures in detail through drawings. He then follows essentially the coil technique to create the figures, which he then fires in a wood kiln, and uses special techniques to obtain a glossy or a glazed look. He incidentally is a graduate in sculpture from the College of Fine Arts, Trivandram and although he began with stone as a medium, he later moved on to working with indigenous materials. He was closely associated with J. Swaminathan at Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal and that has also strongly influenced his works.
His sculptures have no doubt evolved over the years and he has experimented with bronze as well. However, one hopes to see more variation in his choice of theme and the medium in future.

(An exhibition of his sculptures was on till March 26 at Time and Space Art Gallery, Bangalore)

( - Published in Bangalore Mirror)

Art market needs more transparency

China’s contemporary art market is miles ahead of the Indian art mart, and globally, there is a huge interest in this segment. I recently read a report that pointed out some of the ills that are now plaguing the market. Some Chinese artists, it was alleged, pay critics, produce paintings by the drove, and auction houses work with dealers and artists to manipulate prices. This ‘disclosure’ is a market-related phenomenon. After all, where there are millions of dollars at stake everyone wants a portion of the pie. Art critics being paid to write ‘favourable’ reviews is something, which one hears about even in our country.

Now, most art experts feel that the Indian art market is also poised to grow tremendously. Which means the stakes will go even higher. Looking at some of the recent sale figures, M F Husain’s untitled work fetched $409,000, leading the Sotheby’s New York spring sales of Indian art. Prior to that, Saffronart’s first contemporary sale this year closed at a total sale value of over Rs 27 crores (US$ 7.15 million), which was well above its total higher estimate of Rs 19.56 crores (US$ 5.1 million). What is also interesting is that at this sale 25 percent of the bidders were not Indians, according to Saffronart sources.

Controversies have been dogging the Indian art scene as well. A few Indian auction houses have received criticism that ranges from dealing with fake paintings to popular film posters. In fact, all kinds of issues have been raised time and again. Instances of dealers bidding for the works that they themselves have consigned have also been heard.
Market forces that are looking at short-term gains can not only affect their reputation irrevocably but can also impact the entire market scenario. What has emerged in recent times, as we have just seen, is that there is a growing segment of non-Indian buyers who are looking at Indian modern and contemporary art from an investment perspective. I believe that clean and above-board dealings will help strengthen the market, enhance credibility and encourage this buyer base to invest further. Therefore, the point is that the greater the transparency in the market, the better it will be in the long run. And, most importantly it will benefit all.

(Published in Bangalore Mirror)

The Baroda connection

A few months ago I was in Baroda and when Rameshbhai Pandya, retired professor from the department of fine arts, MS university, found out that I was in town, he very graciously invited me for a preview of an art show at Sarjan Art Gallery. I reached the gallery half an hour after the specified time (in fact quite early according to Bangalore standards) and was surprised to find the place jam-packed, where everyone knew everyone. This despite the fact that there were no cocktails but only tea and snacks (Gujarat is a dry state!). In any case the retrospective exhibition of paintings and sculptures by Ahmedabad based Piraji Sagara, a founder member of Progressive Painters' Group was a delight to see. In a non-conventional approach, the artist had used different mediums, combined them and presented figurative as well as non-figurative works. The 1931 born artist took the trouble to take me around and to show me each of his works and explain the various nuances associated with it. Wood, metal, beads, he had experimented with various mediums and textures. A very interesting show!

Back in Bangalore, I visited artist Jasu Rawal at his studio, who is incidentally also from Gujarat (born 1939), and completed his MFA from M.S. University, Baroda. But he has been living in Bangalore for several decades. Jasu bhai as he is fondly called is a fine artist and a fabulous human being, and he known in the city for his abstracted landscapes that often combine elements of still life. He, in fact, recently had a retrospective exhibition of his works spanning 40 years of his career. He has been awarded twice with the Karnataka Lalit Kala Academy Award in 1972 and 1980. This particular exhibition was organised by Ananya Drushya, where the photographs of his paintings were displayed at the gallery premises. Now, Ananya Drushya is an organization that aims to create awareness about visual arts in schools and other sections of the society. Readers will remember that about two years ago, the visual chapter of Ananya had started with a group show, where seventy artists from the city had contributed their paintings.
This is a great initiative but it needs more focus and probably greater involvement from its members to make the Karnataka arts scene more vibrant and to be able to reach out to a larger audience.

(Published in Bangalore Mirror)

Paper Tigers

I recently read a report that talked about how artworks on paper are gaining ground with investors, especially works by Indian artists. The article went on to elaborate on the history and tradition of Indian art on paper, and also listed the prominent Indian contemporary and modern artists who have a significant number of works on paper.
Good quality art paper is probably as good as canvas. But art on paper, especially low grade paper, can have a significantly short life. This is not to say that all artists are using substandard paper, but as an investor you should be aware of what you are buying. In fact, these days most artists take utmost care when it comes to using quality materials – pigments, canvas, paper and so on. But then, the stakes are now very high and one is spending thousands to lakhs of rupees for a single work of art, in which case you have every right to check and validate the quality of paper used. After all, there are a few artists riding the popularity wave and may not hesitate to cut costs. Framing of paper works requires special attention, so keep that also in mind when buying art on paper.

On a completely different note, it is an interesting fact that the kind of art people buy has a lot to do with their geographical location along with other factors such as age, profession and so on. This is not a result of any scientific study but observations made by a few experienced people involved in organising art exhibitions.
For instance, a ‘curator’ (a term used loosely here to denote a person organising an art show) from Mumbai told me that many Bangaloreans are fascinated by paintings with rural women and their earthen pots. But then, it could also be linked to the fact these are the kind of exhibitions that we are exposed to. This trend is more popular with the first-time buyer or those looking at decorating their walls.
Nothing wrong with it, except that one wonders how many of these paintings make sense from an investment point of view. On the other hand, discerning art lovers know exactly what and whose works to buy. Young buyers (in their 20s and 30s and there are many of them now) are more open to newer concepts and media, and are also more willing to take chances with an artist’s name.

(Published in Bangalore Mirror)