State of the Art

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Jangarh Singh Shyam’s Traditions in Folk Art Carry On Strong

November 2, 2013

 Elizabeth Prendiville of Saffronart on the continual legacy and evolution of Gond Folk Art. 

New York: The Gond tribe, one of the largest communities in India, is well known for utilizing song, dance, and arts both in times of mourning and immense celebration. There are deep seeded traditions in artistic festivals and various techniques in visual and performing arts. These include a strong attention to color and details in painting. In the 1980’s many of these artistic traditions were diluted by many of the men in these communities moving towards cities and larger areas of commerce for greater work opportunities. However, this movement for business also prompted folk traditions to be brought into the city centers. This wealth of tribal art brought into the cities prompted the Director of Bharat Bhawan, the multi-genre arts complex in Bhopal to construct the tribal art wing. With an established space for exhibiting tribal and folk work, artists in this tradition were fostered and their work became more successful.

 

Artist Jangar Sing Shyam was the first Gond artist to use paper and canvas for his paintings. The Bharat Bhawan became a jump off for Shyam’s work being shown throughout India as well as internationally. Tragically Shyam took his own life while working in Japan. Details as to why he chose to end his life so young in his successful career are still unclear. He is survived by his wife Nankusia Shyam who’s creativity was immensely sparked by her husband’s art career. Since his passing she has used painting as a way to carry on his memory and remain connected to him. While many artists have utilized his passing as a means to promote their own tribal art, Nankusia has been motivated to establish her family as the primary practitioners of true Gond art in the tradition of her husband.

 

Overtime Ms. Shyam’s work has gained confidence and she has truly defined her own independent style and aesthetic. Her work exhibits a strong narrative by utilizing fantastical elements such as mythical animals. In addition to his wife’s artistic practice, Jangarh Singh Shyam integrated his style into the community through an apprenticeship program while he was still alive. This has fostered a robust community of Gond artists in the tradition that is now termed “Jangarh Kalam”. Through the creative passion of his family and community, Jangarh Singh Shyam’s work will forever be remembered.

Paris Art Week Takes On New International Contemporary Markets

October 27, 2013

 Elizabeth Prendiville shares news about the Paris Art Week and the FIAC Art Fair

Mona Hatoum Projection (velvet), 2013 Silk velvet and mild steel 97 x 162 cm Read more at http://www.fiac.com/galeries/white_cube#Fqzvh35lpBO6mfFu.99

Mona Hatoum
Projection (velvet), 2013
Silk velvet and mild steel
97 x 162 cm
Read more at http://www.fiac.com/galeries/white_cube#Fqzvh35lpBO6mfFu.99

New York: In this season of abundant international art fairs, Paris is the most recent destination for stunning contemporary art and culture. The 40th year of the Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain (FIAC) was held this past weekend in Paris. Although its opening ceremonies followed the notorious Frieze art fair in London, this art fair stands apart historically and stylistically. With a forty-year tradition of showcasing the most premier performances, artists, galleries and art institutions, the FIAC is a yearly must for any international art fair enthusiast.

Dan Rees Vue de Solo pr, 2010 exhibition view Photo : Aur Read more at http://www.fiac.com/galeries/new_galerie#yUIdDyGeAWp1JaY5.99

Dan Rees
Vue de Solo pr, 2010
exhibition view
Photo : Aur
Read more at http://www.fiac.com/galeries/new_galerie#yUIdDyGeAWp1JaY5.99

In past years the fair has had a specifically French focus and displayed mostly established French artists and galleries. This year an upward trend in artists outside of the country bodes well for the South East Asian Contemporary Art market as well as other destinations. 70% of the exhibitions are now from other international markets. This expansion is bringing in a new buyer community as well as forging a new opportunity for fair loyalists. In addition to this new trend on non-French contemporary art communities, a number of new fair programs and events have sparked. It is a given that the more international markets are incorporated, the more opportunity there will be for innovative performances and speakers. With this increase in international exhibitors Paris was the jewel of the international contemporary art market worldwide this past weekend.

Tony Cragg Cubic Early Form, 2011 bronze 102 x 105 x 120 cm the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery Read more at http://www.fiac.com/galeries/marian_goodman#MUBs74K7q2yvS6wD.99

Tony Cragg
Cubic Early Form, 2011
bronze
102 x 105 x 120 cm
the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery
Read more at http://www.fiac.com/galeries/marian_goodman#MUBs74K7q2yvS6wD.99

Galleries that exhibited this week include Herve Perdriolle Gallery, White Cube, Pace Gallery, David Zwirner and New Galerie. In addition to the traditional gallery booths in the fair, a number of other programs affiliated and unaffiliated with the FIAC took place. This included outdoor programming, film screenings, performances, installations, public art and a number of conference panels.

To learn more about this year’s fair, please visit the FIAC website here.

Women’s watches make a strong statement in Geneva

October 19, 2013

Elizabeth Prendiville of Saffronart discusses the new upward trend of female watch designs at the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix this year.

New York: In years past men’s watch designs have completely dominated the market for fine timepieces. Specifically, at the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix which documents the strongest designs and most pivotal trends of the year in watches. Designers such as Chanel, Chaumet, and Boucheron are among the lush collection of awarded designers. However, this year more award categories are devoted to feminine designs. This could be because more of these ladies’ watches are getting accolades for their beautiful design and function. The feminine finalists for these awards cover four out of ten of the main categories. This is a staggering amount compared to past years.

The most notable women’s watches of the 2013 Grand Prix include interesting aesthetics in partnership with age old traditional crafting and inventive new concepts. The Hermes Pendentif Boule pendant watch has received much attention for achieving this perfect balance. Rather than being adorned on a traditional wrist bracelet, this unique piece, which includes blue alligator leather, is displayed on a long chain rotating freely. In addition to this inventive design work, some featured watches gracefully skirt the line between jewelry pieces and timepieces. Bocheron Ajouree Hera jewellery watch, featuring a fantastical blue peacock made of sapphire and diamond is a perfect example of this. It was shortlisted for the Jewellery Watch Award alongside the Bulgari Jumping Hour Retrograde Minutes jewellery watch, which features a swath of precious colorful gems.

The winners of the 2013 Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix will be announced at the 13th prize-giving ceremony on November 15th at the Grand Theatre de Geneve. Due to these stellar pieces feminine watches are sure to have a strong hold on the award-winning watch market for years to come. To learn more about the finalists for the 2013 Grand Prix, click here.

Indian Portraits The Face Of A People at the Delhi Art Gallery

October 13, 2013

Elizabeth Prendiville shares a note about the Delhi Art Gallery’s exhibition featuring 250 years of Indian portraiture.

Delhi Art Gallery - L.N. Taskar

Delhi Art Gallery – L.N. Taskar

New York: This fall the Delhi Art Gallery will explore the art historical narrative of portrait work in Indian art. The birth of this particular stylistic approach was telling of the environment of cosmopolitan India nearly three centuries ago. European artists incorporated this presence of realistic portraiture into Indian culture in the 18th Century while looking for commissioned art opportunities in major cities such as Calcutta and Bombay. The relationship between the sitter, the artist and the creative work it produced was also influenced by the budding increase in photography at this time. Rather than photographic practices being directly induced by portraiture, they were mutually beneficial and the two mediums overlapped immensely at this time. Portraiture can be seen as a deep look into the most prevelent members of society at this time. Upper class and elite individuals and families are represented including a great number of women. In addition to presenting a beautiful illustration of the royal and privileged at the time of inception, many works also showed the most important relationships in the artist’s life. This intimate look into each individual sitter makes the exhibition’s name “The Face Of A People” very appropriate.

Delhi Art Gallery-K. Laxma Goud

Delhi Art Gallery-K. Laxma Goud

The Delhi Art Gallery’s exhibition documents this rich history of creative integration and the ebb and flow of stylistic changes that brought upon modernism and contemporary art. It will document the subtle evolution of modern portrait work in Indian art and feature many well-known masters of this medium. These include Raja Ravi Varma, R. Sardesai, J.P. Gangooly and contemporaries such as M.F. Husain. The exhibition will illustrate each artist’s individual approach to portraiture. Some artists focused specifically on the minute physical attributes of their subject, while others took a more philosophical and thematic approach.

The exhibition will be on display September 24th through October 26th. While in Delhi this fall, be sure to take in this beautiful expression of Indian portraiture through the ages.

To learn more about “Indian Portraits The Face Of A People” visit the Delhi Art Gallery’s website here.

The Second Jehangir Sabavala Memorial Lecture By Rustom Bharucha

October 8, 2013

Elizabeth Prendiville shares a brief note on a talk with Rustom Bharucha this past weekend.

 New York: On October 4th The Jehangir Sabavala Foundation presented its second edition of an ongoing memorial lectures series. The lecture focused on the relationship between Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and Japanese art historian and curator Okakura Tenshin. The talk was conducted and monitored by esteemed writer, cultural critic and director, Rustom Bharucha. Bharucha has authored several books on cultural exchange and globalization.

The lecture took place at The Visitors Centre in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Fort in Mumbai.

We look forward to announcing more details from this event as it breaks.