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)

Is decorative art an investment?

With so much being written and discussed on art, it is no surprise that most people would like to own a few works of art. But, unfortunately with rising prises the gap between art lovers and artworks has significantly increased. Therefore, even if one covets a Subodh Gupta or a TV Santosh, very few may actually be able to afford them. It is no surprise then that people look for suitable alternatives or substitutes. And, this is where decorative art finds its niche. Paintings and assemblages are growing in popularity. Often these are made by hobby painters and other small time artists and although they may be aesthetically pleasing and coordinating well with the décor, these are unlikely to be a sound investment from a financial angle.

In fact, thanks to the interest in everything related to art, the decorative art industry is growing and thriving. They are quick to produce artworks that have a mass appeal - brightly coloured landscapes, so called abstracts and reproductions of famous paintings form some of the popular choices. Ornate, elaborate and ‘fancy’ frames help in enhancing the visual factor. One has to admit these fit well into the interior décor scheme and add an element of ‘art’ on the walls. Costing anywhere from Rs 5000 to up to even a lakh or more these have become an integral part of home and office décor and no one can deny their ‘trendy’ look.
The biggest advantage with such artwork is that it can be customized specifically to the client’s needs. Furnishings, wall colours, and other accents can be coordinated with the artwork to give a unique feel. The disadvantage, if it can be called that is that these can hardly ever be a financial investment and will therefore lack in resale value. But then as most buyers who opt for such works will be looking at it from a different perspective, it is a win-win situation for all.

(Published in Financial Times)

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)

Indian art market dominates

The year has begun with a bang for the Indian art market. All the major auctions held this year have seen exceptional sales, at times even higher than the estimated totals. And, remember we are only in March. Looking back at some of the statistics, at the recently held Christies auction M F Husain's ‘Battle of Ganga and Jamuna', a painting from the Hindu epic, fetched $1.6 million, setting a world record at the South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art sale. At this auction 87 percent of the lots were sold and fetched a total of $10,974,600.

Incidentally, M F Husain's untitled work went for a hammer price of $409,000, dominating the Sotheby's New York spring sales of Indian art. Prior to that, Saffronart's first contemporary art sale this year closed at a total sale value of over Rs 27 crores (US$ 7.15 million), which was well above its total higher estimate of Rs 19.56 crores (US$ 5.1 million). Emami Chisel Art - a Kolkata based auction house that held a physical-cum-online bidding - brought the hammer down on February 23 and their sales touched a total of Rs 24 crores. Osian’s ‘Indian Modern and Contemporary Art’ auction that was held in New Delhi on March 18 touched a total of Rs 30.28 crore (USD 7.5 million). The highlights of the evening included works by J Swaminathan’s ‘Mountain and Bird Series’ that crossed the Rs 2 crore mark and Tyeb Mehta’s ‘Untitled’ that fetched Rs 1.98 crore. This was Osian’s second auction in the year. While at the earlier Jan 19 auction Osian registered a total sale of Rs 32.18 crore.

If these figures are any indication then it does seem that the Indian art market is poised at a strategic juncture. It is very likely that the renewed confidence in Indian modern and contemporary art will see that the market not only stabilizes but also sees a resurgence of sorts. At the Dubai Art Fair too there has been a lot of interest in the Indian art section, and Jitish Kallat’s works in particular have captured the imagination of many art lovers. Therefore it is not only the modern artists who are seeing a renewed interest in their works but also the contemporary and upcoming artists who are finding many takers.

(Published in Financial Times)

Art Buzz (Bangalore) Hellmuth Conz