Indian Contemporary Art : What is it ?

Post-modernism flirted , without gravitas , with the notion to become an appendage by extention to Modernism . No such luck. In the melee free for all certain timeline had to be inserted . Bingo ! Postwar the 2nd , as if the end of an insane war amongst mostly Europeans and British Isles would also be the end of Modernism . Thus a nomenclature , never thought of at any time in Art History was acceptable to the Art fraternity , christened with much aplomb and little controversy was born Contemporary Art.

How would one if asked place the India Contemporary Art in context to the Post-War Westren Art. Very easy to say , its Post- Independence , Post Colonial ,etc ; but not quite . From 1948 until 1995 Indian Artists pursued Modernist mannerist art. Without exception Indian content was suffused within Westren Modernist formalism. Often visually remarkably stunning but lacking sorely in innovation. But there were exceptions ; Jamini Roy , VS Gaitonde and J. Swaminathan . The modernist impulse in their work is derived from local aesthetic tradition . Nandlal Bose and his hand picked student Ramkinkar Baij ; one in painting the latter in sculpture , both sustained Indian Modernism to its inherently rootedness in the history , continuity admired and cherished albeit in formal progression of artistic expression .

Indian Art Summit : Without the best summiteer

The acronym IAS , in post-independence India , is a sign of individual brilliance , position of power and responsibility , and authority. Its long form is Indian Administrative Services. Indian Art Summit which is about to step out of its infanthood , egregiously , has with enormous haste appropriated a nearly sixty year old robust acronym , ie ; Indian Art Summit = IAS . Very little is known about the human machine behind this new avatar of IAS . Their art related antecedents are unknown in the public domain . But IAS has great acumen to inflame discontent.



This year's fair , or a tamasha in our vernacular ; just like the first one last year is being held without a work being allowed to be exhibited by this top summiteer of Indian Art . MF Husain has been banned from IAS on flimsy excuse of controversy , and Govt. of India not providing security . The fear of ultra-right-wing fascism trumps Husain , once again , for decades now thought as a titan of Indian modernism in Art since 1940' . At IAS it seems to me that small men have made smaller choices . But then there are the galleries , Indian galleries , and collectors from all over the globe (including this blogger) for whom Husain's art has made them tons of money . It is shameful to see some these galleries eagerly participating in this event-non-event. Greed trumps gratitude .



Husain's 95th birthday will be celebrated at Jamia's MF Husain Art Gallery with an exhibition on Sept. 17 , 09 .... an all day celebrations , thanks to Vivan Sundram , Ram Rehman and many other men and women of the Indian-art-world who have organized this event of sanity's triumph over crass-madness-to-make-money-from -art .

Indian Art News: ‘I give a damn to the MARKET’: Akbar Padamsee by Reema Gehi Mumbai#c7333450574950483133

Indian Art News: ‘I give a damn to the MARKET’: Akbar Padamsee by Reema Gehi Mumbai#c7333450574950483133: "mcg26 said..."