Art : Anu Jain

One of my readers Abha told me about artist Anu Jain. Anu had her first art exhibition in Bangalore recently, and although I could not see the works at the gallery, I did visit her website and I have to say I'm so impressed with this gutsy girl. Differently abled, she paints by holding her brush in between her elbows, but you need to look at her sketches and paintings to realise the amount of effort she must be putting in - incredible detailing and layering. There is so much of spontaneity and joy in her paintings that one can only applaud her indomitable spirit. Do see her works at her website. http://anujain.org

A world of fantasy - Gurusiddappa GE

(By Nalini S Malaviya)

Bangalore based artist Gurusiddappa GE held a special preview of his recent works in the city. Titled ‘The first rain after a long summer’ this particular series will be exhibited later in Mumbai. A world of fantasy is created where ordinary people - men, women and children are transported into the realms of an imaginary zone. There are only 14 canvases on display, but Gurusiddappa’s predilection with larger than life images continues, and therefore his paintings dominate through sheer size and fantastic imagery. Technically Gurusiddappa is extraordinarily competent and his skill is remarkably demonstrated in these works as well.


Gurusiddappa won the National Award from the Lalitkala Academy, New Delhi in 2004. He completed his BFA in Painting from Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat and then went on to do his MFA from MS University, Baroda. Gurusiddappa belongs to Chitradurga district in Karnataka and traces of his early days of childhood are evident in this particular series. The star lit sky, magical moments found in everyday elements, and ordinary people who dominate the canvas. Not to forget the children who caress the moon and ride mythical creatures against a backdrop of a glittering sky. What stands out is that there is a sense of theatrics and drama in his paintings. When you look at the dark sky with a million stars, or the moon held in the palm of a child as he flies across the sky riding a fabled creature, a delicious sense of nostalgia and warmth pervades. The canvases with children - presented in various forms – playful, innocent, curious and mischievous invoke a naïve appeal. In most of these works there are surreal elements that have been cleverly infused along with other elements of fantasy, which only add to their visual charm. This seems to work well in most of the paintings, except a few.

Gurusiddappa has drawn from his own experiences; for instance he worked earlier with street children and this has helped him to relate to their perspective and present it effectively. In one of the works, a couple of children look on while a pair of street dogs sway on a swing.
The other strong influence that is evident is his theatre experience - as an actor and a set designer – in the larger than life imagery and the arresting backdrops. According to Gurusiddappa literature and poetry in particular has also given shape to his art. This series is in many ways like the stanzas of a poem - each verse unfolds with a new canvas. However, some of the works appear repetitive, where the content remain the same and there are only slight variations, which makes them somewhat monotonous for the viewer. For instance, in a painting that could be autobiographical, Gurusiddappa balances his daughter on his legs, while resting against a delightful crescent moon. In the next painting the image is repeated with a woman holding the child on her lap.

The first rain after a long summerOctober 30 – November 2, 2007
Gallery Sumukha, Bangalore
The exhibition then moves to Mumbai from November 30 to December 17 at Sakshi Gallery.
(Initially published on mattersofart.com, but now the site seems to have closed down, so here's the review - NM )

Till Death Do Us Art

“I want to display a person dying naturally in the piece or somebody who has just died,” declared German artist Gregor Schneider on an online publication. “My aim is to show the beauty of death.” I came across this recently. The ultimate performance piece screamed the headline! Disturbing, grotesque, and shameful, were some of the epithets heaped upon the artist from readers worldwide. However, there were a few isolated voices that believe it is the ultimate form of art.

It makes one wonder, can the act of dying before an audience; qualify as a form of art? On one hand, my conservative and probably somewhat saner side is repulsed and disgusted at the thought of reducing death – the final act - to a stage performance. On the other hand, I’m reminded of other such artistic performances and installations where artists have used dead animals, meat, urinals and grotesque paintings to create art, which they believed in.
Damien Hirst immersed a 14-foot tiger shark in formaldehyde in the work titled ‘The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living.’ It is considered iconic. In 1917, Marcel Duchamp created ‘Fountain’ using a urinal as Found art. And, then you have Jana Sterbak, a Canadian artist, who likes to use meat to construct her artworks.
These are some of the instances of bizarre or untraditional artworks that often find critical acclaim but fail to find universal appeal.

Images courtesy wikipedia

For long we have associated art with aesthetics and beauty, but now in an age where reality television shows compete frenziedly to outdo the other, it seems a few artists too are joining this mad rush. How much more bizarre, shocking and monstrous can one get, seems to be the mantra. What can we do that has never been done before?

And, while some believe that this is the height of innovation, creativity and original expression, I suspect that these are in the minority. The majority of public finds such ventures attention-seeking gimmicks and publicity stunts. For them, it is difficult to comprehend that behind such acts lies a genuine intent to break boundaries and redefine new media art.
Our years of conditioning is such that it is hard to be totally accepting. What I can do on my part is to be less judgmental and remind myself that unconventional thoughts eventually lead to innovation and even invention.
But then, even as I write about this the hunt for a volunteer to die for this exhibition probably continues…

(Published in Bangalore Mirror)

Authenticity and provenance

With mega bucks riding the art wave, one has to be extra cautious when buying art. The value of an artwork is unquestionably linked to the name of the artist. In the event that there is any doubt as to the origin of the artwork, or there is a cloud of uncertainty over who the artist might be, the artwork becomes a controversial piece. To substantiate its authenticity may then require an extensive and expensive process.
Every time an artwork exchanges hands it is important to keep a track of its provenance. Art galleries give out authenticity certificates when you buy an artwork, which basically lists out details regarding the artwork and caries relevant signatures to authenticate it. However, in the secondary market when you buy at an auction or from a dealer or even a private collector/investor apart from the authenticity certificate it helps to have a provenance or history of the artwork. This helps in further ensuring that a work is authentic and the investment you are making is sound.

One hears of instances where a painting was offered for sale but then the prospective buyer had doubts about its originality. Unsure whether it was a fake or an original, the buyer chose to opt out of the sale, which is a wise decision. Now that sales of works by Indian modern and even some contemporary artists involve lakhs to crores of rupees, it makes sense to be 100 percent sure about its authenticity. It also follows that one should buy art from only reputed sources, whether it is an art gallery, an auction house, an online dealer or an individual one must be certain of the seller’s credentials before deciding to buy the artwork. As a buyer you must keep all records of the transaction, which will then come in useful when you want to sell of the work.

(Published in Financial Times)

Indian Art Market Confidence - May 2008

The latest ArtTactic Indian art market survey shows that the global economic situation is having an impact on the overall sentiment in the Indian art market. Despite this, both the Modern and Contemporary Indian Art Market Confidence Indicators have reached new heights, showing the continued optimism in these market.

The overall ArtTactic Indian Art Market Confidence Indicator fell 13% from the last reading in October 2007. The Indicator has been hit by a 54% drop in both current and future confidence in the economy. With India`s inflation surging to a more than 3-year high, global financial markets in decline, and crude oil hitting $125 a barrel, the economic prospect looks less promising than 6 months ago. And as the economic component of the confidence indicator carries a 33% weighting in the overall Indian Art Market Confidence Indicator, the significant loss in confidence weighs heavily on the overall results.

Artists covered in this survey:
F.N.Souza, M.F.Husain, Ram Kumar, S.H.Raza, Akbar Padamsee, Himmat Shah, Jogen Chowdhury,Arpita Singh, Krishen Khanna, Rameshwar Broota, KG Subramanyan, Vasudeo S. Gaitonde, Tyeb Mehta, Zarina Hashmi, Anju Dodiya, Atul Dodiya, Shibu Natesan, Sudarshan Shetty, Ravinder Reddy, Nataraj Sharma, Surendran Nair, Subodh Gupta, Bharti Kher, Jitish Kallat, Thukral & Tagra, Rashid Rana, T.V. Santhosh, N.S. Harsha, Ryas Komu, Justin Ponmany.
The ArtTactic Indian Market Confidence Indicator was launched in May 007, and this month will act as the base month for the indicator. Data is collected and made available every 6 months. The sample includes around 80 respondents, which consists of curators, collectors, dealers, galleries and auction houses operating in the Indian art market.
http://www.arttactic.com//