Copal Art

The art piece you buy is something you’ll experience repeatedly – it’s worth considering why it speaks to you, and how long it might continue to do so. – Glen Helfand

A good piece of art is a beauty to behold and cherish. Art has increasingly become a collectible option for aficionados around the world. But art should not be taken purely as an asset to spend in only from an economic angle!  Collection of art should be from an aesthetic angle, as well. Your passion and love for art should be an underlying reason for garnering collectibles. Since time immemorial, a good work of art has always been hailed for its visual appeal. A collector should focus on building an art collection which he/she will enjoy for the years to come. Basing one’s judgement solely on an economic perspective should be refrained. However, one should be practical while undertaking the exercise of  art collection. Here are some cues to help a collector build a cherishable  assortment.

Collecting Art: Few Steps to Follow

1 . Buy art because it moves you and because it will enhance your life – Your motivation to buy an artwork should go beyond the need to enhance the décor of your house. Research is extremely important. Visiting as many art galleries as possible and interacting with the gallery staff can go a long way in leading you to a good purchase.

2. Tame the impulse to buy art – It is important to be sure of what you are buying. Though we all love to go by our impulses while purchasing something, and especially when it comes to art and collectibles, a seasoned collector is one who keeps his/her impulse under check. Physically view the actual artwork at least twice before taking a decision to be on the safer side. Leave at least one day between the first viewing and the day of the purchase to leave time for research and to rationalise your decision.

3. Be sure of the provenance – It is extremely important to buy an original work from recognized dealers or auction houses only. This helps in the following ways:

4.Certificate of authenticity – To avoid possessing a “fake” piece of art, always take a certificate of authenticity. For a work of art, a certificate of authenticity certifies that the art is an original work by the artist who signed the piece and will confirm the date when it was created. One should always see, read, understand and substantiate the full text of any certificate of authenticity before buying the art. Make sure that the certificate is an original document, hand-signed by the authenticators.

5. Ensure permanence for the artwork– Gain knowledge about the artwork and its entire history. This helps in becoming familiar with the lineage of the artwork and adds value to the same.

6. Buy artwork on full cheque to safegaurd your interests – It is always advisable to purchase art by making the full payment in cheque. Avoid dealing in cash. You need to be aware that the work you are purchasing is not a product from gray market. Majority of art circulating in the gray market has been stolen from private collections. Also, in recent times art institutions have been victims of targeted theft. Always insist for the original invoice of the full value.

Globally, the trend of building up assets of aesthetic artwork is gradually picking up momentum. The meteoric rise of China and now Middle East art market bears testimony to the same. Collecting art should be done cautiously. Spending on art has an increasing liquidity value; it needs maintenance, storage, security, and it doesn’t give dividends, bonuses or income. Keeping in mind the above mentioned points before a purchase will help one acquire an original piece and cherish it.

Art preservation is an art in itself. Owning an exquisite piece of art is a good beginning but the next step for the discerning art lover is to know what’s involved in maintaining it in its pristine condition.  Art conservation refers to the set of methods and techniques that help to keep a piece of art in its original condition for as long as possible.

The most important aspect in art conservation is framing and proper mounting. Frames must be large enough to allow the artwork to expand and contract with normal fluctuation in humidity. Raising the front glazing from the surface of the art with spacers or window mats gives paper room to move naturally. Tight frames can cause ripples by forcing the expanding paper to crush into itself. The backs of oil canvases and frames should not be completely sealed. A dust cover that is secured to the top of the back frame and loose on the bottom should be used.

After the framing and mounting process, one needs to consider its placement in the room after with a view to increasing longevity. The artwork should never be exposed to extremes of heat, cold, or humidity and should not be placed near sources of intense heat such as fireplaces or radiators. Sunlight and heat can cause the most damage to artwork. If placed in these locations, your art will start to fade and crack over time.

The next step is keeping your artwork clean. Art preservation involves a daily care regimen that includes cleaning, dusting and repair, if necessary. Equally important are the techniques you use in carrying out these activities:

• Dust canvas surfaces with a soft and dry duster and clean glass with a soft cloth sprayed with a mild glass cleaner;
• A painting should never be cleaned with soap and water or rubbed using paper, towels or hands;
• Paintings are also susceptible to pests and steps to protect them from these attacks are also very important. Pests of any kind can do serious damage to a painting.

Another factor to be careful about is light. Light can fade, darken or embrittle paper. Light damage is cumulative and irreversible. Artwork should be displayed in low light levels and not under direct daylight. In order to prevent harsh daylight from hitting the piece, windows should be blocked with shades, blinds or curtains. Light sources containing ultraviolet (UV) rays are especially harmful. Ordinary household bulbs contain negligible UV and are therefore recommended. But these bulbs still give off heat and should not be located too close to the painting.

Paintings are very prone to moisture damage. In order to prevent this, a picture mount should be used to create an air gap between the artwork and the glass so that no condensation can collect and damage the artwork. Moreover, our body produces certain oils that can cause damage with excessive handling and so avoid handling your artwork with bare hands. It’s better to leave this job to a professional art conservator.

These techniques can be used – separately or cumulatively – depending on the type of art in question.  To sum it up, art preservation is not difficult but requires a careful consideration of the many elements that can affect the quality of your piece in the long run.

“My heart my restless journey man

Come, for they have decreed yet again

You and I are to be made homeless one more time

To wander the empty streets to roam across the lands

…….. to ask each alien passing by

If he can tell us –The way home”

- Zarina Hashmi

On a quiet Saturday evening at India International Centre, Copal Art, India’s leading art advisory bank, concluded the 20^th session in its lecture series,The Copal Dialogue. Titled‘Meditation on the notions of Musafir and Makan’, this session took a closer look at ‘Shadow House’, the work of esoteric artist Zarina Hashmi.’. The artwork was evaluated by acclaimed art historian, educator, writer and curator Ms. Roobina Karode with Mr. Ashok Vajpeyi, Chairman of Copal Art, presiding over the event.

In his speech, Mr. Vajpeyisaid that it was left to art to discover that all darkness contains some concealed unexplored illuminations about life, existence and nature.  This is indeed what the artifice ‘Shadow House’ revealed. A series of geometrically proportioned squares cut on Nepalese paper, it brings to mind images ofIslamic architecture’s sculpted stone friezes and the screens (Jali) that allowed women to peep outside without them being seen. The interplay of light and shade effectively evoke a house’s ephemeral nature.

“[Zarina’s] work poignantly chronicles her life and recurring themes [in it] include home, displacement, borders, journey and memory. An avid traveler, her art mirrors the multiple meanings that the word ‘home’ has for her,” Roobina explained. An austereand unique vision that is well aligned with the lifejourneyof the artist – an Indian who moved from Aligarh to New York over 40 years ago – the art work shows her displacement from where she was born and brought up to where she lives now. It highlights a desire to claim an undivided world as her own. As a diaspora artist, Zarina views home/nation as an archaeological site for excavation of what she left behind. Her art aims at retrieval and recovery of those traces, through the process of remembering and reflection. The minimal gestures of Zarina’s space and form-making seem to unfold through her creation, etching out a vivid history that deals primarily with migration and the uncertainties of belonging.

Zarina’s work showcases a palpable sense of geometry. The artist imbibes sparse aesthetic and its appropriateness to her themes – the transformative play and tragic wit – has much more potent strength than many of her contemporaries. Roobina pointed out the artist’s evident affinity towards paper craft. Her art has always captured a very large geography of experience and insight. Indeed one look at ‘Shadow House’ and one knows that every block etched is reverberating with memories of the past. A simple craft on a paper spread displayed influences of Sufism, Buddhism and Zen aesthetics. The minimalist visual emblems encapsulate the whole experience of a lifestyle or a belief system. One feels that Hashmi, the eternal Odysseus or the Musafir,uncovers her perpetual memories of her Makan.

Poetry fettered, fetters the human race. Nations are destroyed or flourish in proportion as their poetry, painting, and music are destroyed or flourish – William Blake

Mention the Mughals and most people will think of the great contributions they have made in the fields of art, architecture, paintings, cuisine, astronomy, et al. The Indian sub-continent prospered immensely under their reign. Although the land the Mughals once ruled has separated into whatisnow India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, their influence can still be seen widely today, in the form of art, palaces, tombs and forts created or built during the dynasty.

Mughal paintingis a particular style of South Asian painting. It is generally confined to miniatures that are used as book illustrations or as single pieces of work intended for albums. Mughal paintings evolved from Persian miniature painting while simultaneously borrowing influences from Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist art. It developed largely in the court of the Mughal Empire and other Indian courts.

Development and Evolution

The Mughal style of art and paintingstook shape during the reign of Humayun and flourished greatly under Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan, all ofwhom were inspired by Persian art. Upon his return in exile, Humayun invited two Persian artists – Mir Sayyid Ali and Abu-us-Samad to join him in India. This led to the creation of two of the earliest examples of the Mughal artstyle – the Tutinama (‘Tales of a Parrot’) Painting and Princess of the Houseof Timur. The most popular themes inMughal paintingswereportraits, court scenes, hunting events and depictions of battle.

Mughal painting by Mir Sayyid Ali

Art prospered largely under Akbar’s reign. The workdone during this time was supervised by thePersian artists mentioned above. Akbar’s interest in the Ramayan, Mahabharat and Persian epics was reflected in the paintings produced during that period. A few famous paintings of this time are the Kalilah-wa-Dimnah and Anwar-e-Suhayli.

Jahangir’s support and encouragement of art forms, especially paintings, led to advances in the techniques used, including refinement in brushwork and the use of much lighter and subdued colours. Portraits of Jahangir and images from his life were the focus of several pieces as were scenes from nature.The pictorial illustration of the Jehangir-nama, the biography of Emperor Jahangir, is one of the most famous examples of Mughal art from his reign.

Portrait of Jehangir by Abul Hasan

Decline

Mughal art saw a decline during the reign of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. The efforts of Jahangir were sustained,to some extent, during Shah Jahan’s period but the paintings produced largely depicted musical parties, lovers and similar themes. Aurangzeb’s indifference towards art led to the ultimate decline of Mughal art. Though it did resurface during the time of Muhammad Shah, it soon lost ground, due to diminishing support, to another evolving style – the Rajput school of art.

Though the stylefaded in prominence following Aurangzeb’s reign, Mughal style miniature paintings are still being created today by a few Indian artists in Rajasthan. Some skilled artists like Rafi Uddin and Saif Uddin have produced remarkable works combining both classic and modern effects. This is helping keeping alive the Mughals’ commendable contribution to Indian society, art and culture.

Some references

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/396178/Mughal-painting

http://www.india-crafts.com/paintings/mughal-painting.html

http://www.enotes.com/topic/Mughal_painting

http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-art/paintings/mughal.html

http://www.indianetzone.com/1/mughal_painting.htm

One does a whole painting for one peach and people think just the opposite – that particular peach is but a detail - Pablo Picasso

Ever entered an art exhibition or art gallery and felt a little overwhelmed by the work on display? Or unequipped to analyze these creative expressions on canvas? It doesn’t have to be this way – you don’t have to be a professional painter or have a degree in art history in order to understand or critique a painting. Feeling confident enough to have an opinion and being able to understand the artists’ statement is what matters. Every painting is based on an idea and has a message to convey. However, different people can have different interpretations of what this message is, giving rise to multiple perspectives on a single piece of work.

Decoding Art: Some Steps to Follow:

Start from the basics. Understand the content and subject matter of the painting. See if it grabs you; if it has a deeper meaning attached to it. It is helpful if you can relate the painting to your life or something you have personally experienced. This would give you a frame of reference to build your appreciation of the piece and lead to a better understanding of the artist’s statement and intent.

In the second stage, try to pin down the artist’s mood, feelings and emotions. Imagine the artist’s state of mind while painting the work and if it has anything to do with his personal journey. Every artist aims to make a statement or to convey a message through his/her work. It is important to try and   uncover the message embedded in the work.

After gauging the overall sensibility of the work, one can move to the finer details of composition. Keep in mind the basic elements of design like colour, line, shapes, perspective, symbols, and so on. Study the essential elements of colour and colour schemes in a painting and its relation to the theme.

Artists also use lines effectively to express ideas and feelings in the painting. Look for the various lines, be it straight, diagonal or vertical and attempt to understand what they convey. Shapes like circles, triangles, and rectangles add energy to the painting.

Perspective adds three-dimensional space to a painting. For deeper perspective, an artist may make parallel lines come together and to give the effect of distance, he may make the objects in the background smaller in size or lighter in colour. Knowing these basic elements of design would aid in better visual understanding of the work.

Finally, ask yourself if you liked the painting at a gut level; if it surprised or moved you. And remember, when it comes to art, no opinion is right or wrong – having an opinion is what matters.

Modern Indian art, as we know it today, is a product of a variety of influences over the years. It’s interesting to trace its origins back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries when the process actually began.

After the decline of the Mughal Empire, painters who had thrived under court patronage scattered around the country. Tanjore, Lucknow, Murshidabad, Patna, Nepal and the Punjab hills became their main area of study. At the same time, many European painters came and settled in India, bringing with them their own academic idiom. Some of these painters were J. Zoffany, Tilly Kettle, W. Danielle. They depicted the Indian landscape in a romanticised fashion through the medium of oil paintings. This technique impressed and influenced Indian artists who started using these new techniques. The result was a merging of eastern and western themes as well as techniques.

Over time, cultural imperialism had fully entrenched itself in the cultural milieu. Sources of patronage had changed and there was a visible change in attitude and styles of art. There was a conflict between notions of individuality and notions of artistic anonymity. It was at this time that many Art Societies and Colleges were set up. In the year 1854, the first Industrial Art Society was set up in Calcutta by Rajendralal Mitra, Justice Pratt, Jatindra Mohan Tagore and others. By 1864, this was converted into the Calcutta Government College of Art. Soon to follow were the Bombay Government Art College and the Madras Government College of Arts & Crafts. The fine art education catered to the European tastes, in terms of themes, and mediums, perspective, chiaroscuro, portraiture, landscape and still life, to name a few.

Talk of evolution of modern Indian Art is incomplete without a mention of paintings of Indian artists like Raja Ravi Varma and Amrita Sher-Gil. Varma was the first Indian artist to master the oil on canvas technique. He took India back to feudal themes and arrived at a fusion of Indian themes. Varma’s purposeful choice of medium was a conscious step to be accepted not only by the British but also the Indian aristocracy as it denoted progress. Without blindly copying English artists living and painting in India, he combined the technique of oil painting with the decorative attitudes of Tanjore glass painting and the drama of Marathi theatre to create a fusion between the east and west. He was upheld by the British as a true ‘gentleman’ artist who struggled to create a new modern language in the Indian art context. What’s more, he imbibed western techniques and European aesthetics to do so. He set an example which was followed by the likes of Hansaji Raghunath, Pestonjee Bomanji, M.V. Dhurandhar, and later, M.F.Pithawala, A.X. Trinidade, Hemendranath Mazumdar, Atul Bose and others.

Amrita Sher-Gil was one of the most celebrated Indian artists of pre-independence era and among the initiator of modern Indian art, merging European and Hungarian traditions with ancient Indian art. She was also the youngest as well as the only Indian artist to be elected as an Associate of the Grand Salon in Paris. Her paintings show a significant influence of the western modes of painting. Amrita’s works also reflect vividly her deep passion & sense for colours, her love for the country and more importantly her response to the life of its people. Her deep understanding of the Indian subjects also comes across through her paintings.

This is how the Modern Indian Art as we know it today was born.

“No work stains a man who is pure, who is in harmony, who is master of his life, whose soul is one with the soul of all”~Bhagavad Gita

Renowned Indian artist, MF Husain, passed away at the age of 95 in London on June 9, 2011 following a heart attack. One ofthe most influential Indian artists of the 20^th century, Husain has left behind a deep void in the artistic community that cannot easily be filled.

Husain helped popularize Indian Art both within the country and abroad. He captivated art lovers with his deep appreciation of the human condition and his bold and imaginative strokes. His iconic status in the artistic world stemmed from his understanding of various subjects, ranging from social issues to religion and cinema. It’s not an exaggeration to say that he was a cultural ambassador for India who represented Indian art across the globe.

Turning Point

Although MF Husain dominated the Indian art fraternity for nearly seventy years, his began his career in a small way – as a painter painting cinema hoardings. One of the many poignant moments in Husain’s life came in the 1940s during a game held in the ‘Cricket Club of India’ (Mumbai). He wanted to watch the game but was denied entry because the grounds were reserved for the British. Husain reportedly watched the game from a hole in a side gate. He was shaken by the treatment and the incident inspired him to paint aggressively in order to express his anger and dissatisfaction with the evils of society.

Husain’s Journey

Born to a Sulaimani Bohra family from Pandhapur in Maharashtra, Husain spent much of his childhood and youth in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. As a child, he spent much of his time drawing, leading his father to believe that he may become have a future as a cutter in a tailor’s shop. A gold medal at an art show, however, persuaded the father to enrol his 17-year-old son in evening classes at a local art school.

Five years later, after his family’s economic circumstances forced him to forego his seat at the J.J. School of Art in Mumbai, Husain returned to the city, where he found cheap lodgings and started painting cinema hoardings. Following his father’s death, he had to give up a hard-won place in Art College and take to billboard painting to keep the family fire burning.

He then found a full-time job with a furniture maker but started painting indefatigably in his free time. An award in an exhibition in 1947 brought him some notice. Later that year, he became one of the founder – members of the Progressive Artists Group, largely an initiative of two other giants of contemporary Indian Art – Francis Newton Souza and Syed Haider Raza – of which only MF Husain chose to remain at home.

His Work

Husain’s approach in painting was completely different from the dominant Bengal school of art, but it established a place for Indian Art on the international scene. The painting ‘Battle of Ganga and Yamuna: Mahabharata 12′ created a record in 2008, when it was sold for USD 1,000,000 at an auction. An Untitled oil work of 1955 fetched USD 1,072,920 at Sotheby’s in 2010, and the controversial Sita-Hanuman sold for USD 849,395 at Christie’s in 2008.

Accolades

Husain travelled extensively throughout India between 1948 and 1955, absorbing influences from the ancient and medieval art he saw. He was already famous by 1955, the year he won first prize at the National Exhibition of Art in New Delhi and honoured as a Padmashree. In 1973, he was made a Padma Bhushan, was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1986 and in 1989 was honoured as a Padma Vibhushan.

MF Husain’s paintings proved that Indian Art could command the same prestige and value as that of his Western contemporaries. The man, who painted film hoardings for a living early on in life, was described by none other than Forbes magazine as the “Pablo Picasso of India”.

Intimidation of the Artist

However, his nude paintings of Hindu Goddesses caused uproar in India. Although the works were created some four decades ago, a raft of criminal complaints was filed against him in the mid-1990s for promoting enmity between different groups.

In defence of his Hindu goddess paintings, Husain said:

“I have painted in the idiom of modern art, the contemporary way… that’s very difficult to understand. Where there is a figure of a woman I paint, it is nude but that figure is not realistic. The nudity is a metaphor for purity and strength”

The attacks on the man and his art continued, however, and Husain soon left the country on a self-imposed exile. His decision to leave the country in 2007 and take Qatari citizenship followed another series of cases relating to his allegedly obscene depiction of Hindu goddesses.

No other painter has contributed more to making modern Indian art known within the country or all over the world. His works are invariably a part of international auctions and it is estimated that one of every five modern paintings by Indian artists sold by the world’s two leading auction houses is by Husain.

India will not have another Husain but his artistic legacy lives on as does his enduring message for future generations to learn and lead in their areas of passion.