At the Christie?s upcoming auction in June, Subodh Gupta?s 2007 circular metal sculpture, Untitled, is expected to fetch as much as 500,000 pounds. Over the last 10 years, Indian contemporary art price index has surged 830%, according to research by French-based art-market data provider Artprice. And it is in that surge that sculpture culture too is finding a new lease of life.
Art till not too long ago was defined by painting exhibitions. Sculptures that form an integral part of art, found scarce mention in listing columns and reviews. World over, sculptures enjoy the reputation of being a basic mainstream form of expression, similar to paintings. India also has an unusually rich tradition of sculpture, both classical and contemporary. But strangely, this medium has been completely ignored even by the savviest of collectors. Thus, it is not surprising that one finds no dedicated institution for sculpture in India.
Renu Modi of Gallery Espace who hosted a show of sculptures by Chinmoy Pramanik, Gigi Scaria, Kaushik Mukhopadhyay, Shiv Verma, Srinivasa Prasad and Vibha Galhotra recently says that storage space and handling of sculptures are major deterrents for galleries wishing to hold such shows.
Veteran painter/sculptor Satish Gupta agrees with Modi in identifying the reasons behind sparse sculpture exhibitions. ?The very medium of sculpture takes a long time to take form. There have been times when I have been involved for almost two years in making a single sculpture,? says Gupta. He further adds, ?Not too long ago, when I made a 12-ft high Shiva sculpture, I could not have imagined transporting it to London, for instance. It would have been a gigantic logistical task.? Incidentally, his Shiva sculpture fetched him Rs 1.5 crore.
Transportation apart, housing these huge works of art can dissuade connoisseurs from acquiring them. ?People in Mumbai, like a number of metropolitan cities, have small houses. And that is the reason why they prefer not to buy huge sculptures but instead eye the smaller ones,? says Vibha Galhotra who is known for her modern installations, using various mediums. ?And if one does not have enough space to keep these sculptures or any other form of art, why would anyone buy it?? asks Bhavan Kakar, curator and partner in Art Konsult gallery. Then there is art critic Keshav Malik?s view. He does agree with Kakar, but not entirely. ?People from the corporate world have huge farmhouses to their credit and can easily house these sculptures,? he says. And Satish Gupta echoes Malik?s views when he says: ?Space is a factor, but it cannot be a big reason. If people want something, they create space for it.?
With the art market graph moving up in the past five to six years, a fall-out has been a renewed interest in shows dedicated to sculptures. ?Indians are beginning to get more involved in sculpture art,? adds Modi.
Art lovers and promoters, however, feel that it is thanks to the rising popularity of the medium of sculptures in the West, that there has been a trickle down effect in India too. ?Painting has become clich?d and one does find painters turning to sculptures and experimenting with various mediums,? says Kakar.
Going a step further, Gupta says traditional Indian art is more about sculptures and less about paintings. ?Traditionally, we have had sculptures dotting our history ? Chola bronzes, stand-alone stone sculptures or those used in temples, terracottas in villages. Painting is only about 100 years old in India. So, the popularity of sculptures was never in doubt.? KS Radhakrishnan, who is known for his sculptures, has brought about a definitive revival. Like many of his contemporaries, he sculpts figures, but his preference for modelling and bronze casting over new materials sets him apart from the rest of the fraternity.
Radhakrishnan is of the view that sculptures in the gallery circuit are getting popular now. He adds, ?If you want to paint, any space can be converted into a studio, but that is not the same with sculptures. For every 20 painters, you would find only one sculptor. But now interest is growing.?
With deeper pockets connoisseurs are getting more interested. And with more returns, the younger lot too is getting adventurous in experimenting with new-age materials and themes.
?Apart from the booming economy, one can also see a growth in interest of young blood in this form of art. They are showing interest in sculptures,? says Galhotra. Her recent creation, a 7 ft high copper wire sculpture titled ?Nest? got her Rs 4.5 lakh.
Meanwhile, the market for Subodh Gupta?s works reached new heights when one of his metal sculptures fetched a record 502,330 euros ($780,395), triple the pre-sale estimate at an Artcurial sale, according to the Paris-based auction house. It seems that finally art connoisseurs are widening their artistic horizons.
But what more can be done? ?Perhaps putting up exhibits at public places to enlighten the public about sculptures is a way of helping this medium?s revival. People do have the money, but not the cultural sensitivity,? says Malik.
Given time, that too will develop. And then, hopefully, India can have a lot more to offer art lovers.