The growing importance of Indian contemporary art on the global art scene is evident from the fact that both the global auction houses, Christie?s and Sotheby?s, held sales of the art along with those of antiquities, like ancient and medieval sculptures, miniatures and ritual paintings in March, when the normal period for major sales of such art is September.
The highlights of the sales held close to each other in space and time, Sotheby?s on March 24 and Christie?s on March 25 in New York, showed the enfant terrible of the Mumbai group, Francis Newton Souza at his best so far. His Mystic Repast which was expected by Sotheby?s a fetch between $50,000-$70,000 (Rs 22.5 lakh to Rs 31.5 lakh) actually went for as much as $153,600 (Rs 69 lakh), which is a record for a Souza work.
Five other works by the artist sold between $30,000 (Rs 13.5 lakh) and $40,000 (Rs 18 lakh). Another work sold at close to Rs 13 lakh. These are the prices one used to expect for Husain. This time it is clear that the New York art market has given people a taste for Souza?s black humour, which shares a lot with Francis Bacon, the British artist, but with a third world human?s zest for life. His grosteque pietas and crucifixions, as well as his brutal studies of the death of Pope Pius XII (noted for his silence over the mass murder of European Jews by Hitler), remind one that conventional religion has little to do with its spirituality. Souza?s disgust with the hypocrisy of our conventional way of life appeals to sensitive people living in a world becoming more and more out of keeping with the needs of humanity every where. That is why Souza?s works are increasing in value with every passing year.
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Immortality: An oil-on-canvas by FN Souza |
Another work, a study by Ganesh Pyne of a white-capped Sabre-toothed sphinx-like creature, was put up for sale at Sotheby?s, probably by the Glendarra museum in Japan. It represents the increasing disillusionment of India?s people with its ruling elite. And I am not surprised it went for $20,400 (Rs 9.18 lakh). Two other works went for prices as high as $36,000 (Rs 16.2 lakh) and $21,600 (Rs 9.7 lakh). As expected, the sales of Pyne are picking up again. It is obvious that the independence, political involvement and radical critique of the dominant trends that are inherent in the art of our national movement are becoming a global phenomenon today.
Another artist who has done extremely well is Tyeb Mehta, whose images of the falling man, the trussed bull, the defeated Mahishasura and the rickshawpuller create a powerful sympathy for the marginalised and downtrodden. Today with marginalisation and oppression becoming the most widespread phenomenon among people all over the world, I was not surprised to see Tyeb Mehta?s ?Drummer? from a street band fetch a high price of $101,575 (Rs 45.7 lakh). Clearly, escapist and obscure art is out at least when the New York market is concerned. And that is good for our contemporary art, which, unlike Bollywood, has never sold dreams but has constantly reminded us of the reality we confront.
The other artists who have done well are MF Husain, SH Raza, Ram Kumar, Akbar Padamsee, Krishen Khanna, J Swaminathan, Arpita Singh, KCS Panicker, Jamini Roy, while Somenath Hore, Ved Nayar, Jogen Choudhury, Prabhakar Barwe, N S Bendre and Laxma Goud, also found takers. The Sotheby?s auction, with Robin Dea behind it, was obviously better both in range and in the quality of works up for sale. But the success of both auctions should give Indian galleries a boost for the coming season.
Already galleries are being contacted by investors asking for works of Tyeb Mehta, FN Souza and Ram Kumar, apart from the usual demand for the works of MF Husain. It is good to see our contemporary taste in art becoming a global taste.
One only hopes moral brigades and the like do not prevent the development of our radical artistic vision or we will find our art becoming irrelevant to the world and being marginalised as it has never been since India became independent. Our artists are fighting fit. The patrons and galleries ought to follow suit.