When a gallery or collector stocks works, it is always for the future. Immediate profits are not made in art unless one suddenly comes across a windfall- as happened with Roop Krishna postcards that Sidharth Tagore came up with some years back. But one cannot run a business or make up a collection on such a whimsical basis.
A collector or gallery-owner must scout the art scene and pick out trends that have the possibility of a losting impact. And in a live art scene like that or India there are many trends to choose from. In my view, one of the most original and consistent journeys has been that of Atul Sinha?s sculpture for use. He has pursued this path for two decades now, from his days as art teacher at the Lawrence School, Sanawar, to his present-day studio in Delhi?s Vasant Kunj. And it is to his credit that he has pursued this quest using ceramics, light, glass and mirrors, and wood.
The idea, of course, goes back to the Bauhaus artists, whose centre was closed down by Adolf Hitler as ?degenerate art.? They had thought of bringing art back to use as it was in primitive society, but with the force of mass production behind it. They, in fact, were the precursors of present-day design. They were unable to comprehend and create art objects for use as Sinha does, as in the West, folk-art had died out and been replaced by kitsch and elite art that were distinct from each other. In India, art is very much part of life on walls, flows, and even untensils of tribal and peasant families, so the concept of original art objects as distinct from design objects, could develop in India with a gifted sculptor like Atul Sinha being able to treat it in an avant-garde manner over decades as it never could in Germany.
His works are in many collections all over the world from Chile, Cuba, Spain, Portugal, Germany, the US to some of the leading collections in India like those of Sunil Munjal, Priya Paul, the Somanis and the NGMA, to name only a few. Apart from being a sculptor or originality, he is also a very original painter. His works can be accessed from the Village Gallery, Art Konsult, Gallery Ganesha (which is sponsoring a show of his in August), as well as Esther School?s gallery at the Hague in the Netherlands.
Another artist, who is of a similar age and also trained at Vadodara, like Atul, is Apurva Desai from Ahmedabad, a painter who perhaps like no other in the country, paints on location like the impressionists catching nuances of light, colour and texture that mere painting in a studio can never give one an insight into. His work, in that sense has an originality not found in many young artists chassing fads and fashions today.
His thematic approach, the presentation of contemporary reality in its industrial context, is shared by a number of artists from Vadodara, but the reason I single him out is that like Nalini Malini?s Lohar Chowk series, he has lived in the areas he has painted, sometimes for over two years, giving his art a depth someone who is merely interested in forms can never achieve. His early studies of Ahmedabad?s closed mills, the coal mines of Madhya Pradesh, the streets rickshaw-pullers and processions of Calcutta, and now, the ship-breaking industry at Alang, works he will be showing at the India Habitat Centre in August, in an exhibition sponsored by gallery Art Alive. This will be his second one-man show, the first having been at Eicher Gallery.
The third artist, who is equally skilled at sculpture and drawing, Kolkata trained is Debabrata De. He has the powerful drawing training of the young Bengal artists like Paresh Maity as well as the quality of using light and shade as few do. His originality, however, lies in his sharp sense of humour (which, incidentally, all these artists share, even if it is tongue-in-cheek sometimes) which he uses to highlight the strange situation we are in today with the forces of backwardness and progress confronting each other with almost equal force. His study of satta-players in a Calcutta street with two figures painting a huge hammer and sickle in the background, reflects the conflicting hopes and ideals of our times as few works do. He has recently had a very successful exhibition in London and will be holding another in Delhi by December. His work can be accessed from CIMA in Calcutta, and Sanskriti Gallery, Art Alive and Art Indus in Delhi and Nevile Tuli in Mumbai.
The fourth, who is again an equally good sculptor and print-maker with a strong drawing technique is Valsan Kolleri, from Chennai. Baroda-trained Kolleri has one of the most powerful expressions capable of drawing different movements together and presenting them in the framework of a new set of options. His sculptures have the explosive power of Brancusi as well as the meticulous balance of the Chola Natarajas. His work too, is in a number of leading collections and can be accessed from CIMA, Sharon Apparao and Gutha Mehra?s Sakshi Gallery, as well as Art Inc in New Delhi. His work, is in a number of leading collections, including that of the NGMA.
One has neither the scope nor the space in a short column to deal with these gifted artists in detail. Gallery owners and collectors would do well to get hold of their bio-datas of these artists and access works that reflect the more significant periods of their development. It is interesting that in choosing four ?originally,? one found one in each region. This was not intended. But it reflects the development of artistic expression all over the country. Also it is no accident that all four are equally good at handling three-dimensional and two dimensional media. And, most of all, they reflect an original use of multiple skills alongside a serious guest that has occupied them for decades. They are not on the look out for gimmicks. That is why they are original. That is why their work will prove to be a good investment, as they are serious about their art and confident enough to laugh at themselves.