Another year has gone by. The Indian people have proved themselves more resilient than expected. Quietly and determinedly, they put paid to the rule of a revivalist Hindu majoritarian regime at the Centre and opted for a secular government with Leftist support. This alternative is extremely important for growth and development, as secularism, by freeing science of religious dogma, allows for a scientific outlook to emerge while the Leftist blend centres this development on the human resource, with which we are well-endowed.
This naturally has a salutary effect on our contemporary art which has developed along this path since Independence, if one looks at the works of the late Ram Gopal Vijayavargiya at the Kumar Gallery as a reflection of this development. Born in 1905, he died in 2003. As such, he represents a stream of development and continuity as few artists do, with the exception of Bhabhesh Sanyal (who died after completing a hundred years) and of course, MF Husain and SH Raza.
Vijayavargiya, like Husain, was an all-round creator. He wrote poetry, essays, critiques and painted as well. Again, like Husain, the people of this rich and varied country, its flora and fauna, its colours and seasons, were his chief inspiration, like the Mughal painters he knew well and learnt a lot from. But he did not allow himself to be drowned in revivalism. True, he did a number of paintings on literary themes like Mughal artists, but his real mentor was that giant of the national movement, Nandalal Bose, and most of the works exhibited here reflect the style of Santiniketan. His works, like ?Vegetable Sellers,? ?Madari,? ?In the Tent,? ?Village Blacksmith,? ?Porters at the Railway Station,? ?Sack Loaders,? ?Pot Seller? and ?Farmer with Hukka and Bullocks? remind one of what really gives the shine to India. Of the works inspired by Mughal miniature art, are masterly studies of cattle, dogs, donkeys and migratory cranes.
His main strength is, however, in his refusal to be limited by his influences, as many young artists aping Euro-American gimmickry today are prone to do. Serious art is called for.
And the Vijayavargiya selection showing at the Kumar Gallery in Sunder Nagar in New Delhi, in the range of Rs 70,000 to Rs 4 lakh, may not a bargain but is well worth a look. It is a pity that the success of our contemporary art and the buoyancy of our art market have attracted a number of foreign galleries out for a quick buck as well as those who want superficial American trends to become the new art trends here as well. Our contemporary art was able to develop only by turning its back on these.
The important thing to aim for is art that is a breakaway from the trends that the West is purveying at the moment. Indeed, it is this element of difference that gives our contemporary art its present standing in the global market, and to lose that would also mean losing our primacy in the field. Secondly, it is not merely the difference, it is the capacity of our contemporary art to challenge the accepted approach of imperial art and to expose its arrogance, theatricality and inhumanity.
Finally, the tradition of craftsmanship is still alive in our society, allowing for a high level of skill to be harnessed for our contemporary art. In fact, both our artists and those who assist them have a high level of expertise. All these advantages favour the development of an original contemporary artistic expression in India.
With all these advantages, one would imagine that young contemporaries would emerge who do not need to globalise their expression, but only their skills and force the global market to appreciate them for their originality.
Our senior artists of today, like Husain, Souza and Raza did just that. Indeed, some of our younger artists, like Chintan Upadhyay, Swapan Bhandari, Meena Sansanwal, Chittarovanu Mazumdar, Durga Kainthola, Dhanur Goel, Yati Jaiswal, Pooja Broota, Neeraj Bakshi, Neeraj Goswami, Paresh Maity and GR Iranna are doing just that and succeeding at it too. But still, the lure of the cocktail set and superficial gimmicks is a strong detractor.
It must be resisted. If there is one lesson to be learnt from the last year, it is that our art is strong enough to find a place on the global scheme of things with one proviso: that we keep it independent, a challenge to standardised imperial tastes and of a high standard of execution. As long as we manage this, our global success is ensured. We must be confident that we are better and bold enough to achieve even more than we have done so far.