Visual Palimpsest

October 6, 2013

Shradha Ramesh talks about the artist Navjot Altaf and her current exhibition at Talwar Gallery, Delhi

I often catch myself wondering if all women artists are feminist, and how their feminist thinking influences their work. Art is after all a medium of self expression and artistic creation most often than not is an artist’s perception towards life. One artist who has translated her feminist thinking into a visual language is Navjot Altaf. Her artwork exemplifies her feminist views. Born in Meerut (1949) this multi-faceted artist expresses her socio-political concerns through her artwork.

Photo Courtesy: Talwar Gallery
A Woman and Two Donkeys |Wood, Acrylic and Brass|2013 by Navjot Altaf

A painter, sculptor, installation artist and filmmaker, Navjot Altaf is all of these and more. While her subject matter questions the varying societal and religious injustice, her medium of expression sees no boundaries either. The materials incorporated in her repertoire are wood, iron, acrylic, inkjet on paper, channel videos and more.

Photo Courtesy: Talwar Gallery
Agkuklios Paidea | Wood Acrylic, Steel and Iron|2013 by Navjot Altaf

Her sculptural works are thought provoking, dynamic and vibrant. They are immobile narrators of her emotional reaction to social issues and systems. In her interview to The Sunday Guardian, she says “…I have constantly been interested in the existence of several knowledge systems, and how some are always glossed over by the dominant others. Through my artistic undertakings, I have always tried to manifest this plurality.”

Having graduated from Sir J.J School of Art, she was introduced to the likes of Paul Klee and Joan Miro, as well as, visual initiation to the works of Gaitonde, Bendre, Hussain, Mehta and Hebbar’s works. A personal interaction with Altaf Mohammadi sparked and nurtured her already existing humanist values to more progressive ideals. Her High school education on Hindi literature, English and Psychology has a deep impact on her creation. She has exhibited at several international forums including ‘Bombay/Mumbai 1992-2001’ in Century City: Art and Culture in the Modern Metropolis, Tate Modern, London; and the Eighth Havana Biennale, 1994, ‘Expressions Women’s Cultural Festival in Mumbai 1990, Festival of Indian Contemporary Art, Covent Garden, London 1988, ‘Intergrafik 87’ Berlin, the first international Biennale of Prints, Sao Paulo, 1986.

Navjot Altaf is known to interact and collaborate with artists and communities from various places. ‘Through the Binoculars’ a series, she makes a statement of observing other cultures, coproduced with Shilpigram, a handicraft community sponsored by the government. From here on Altaf went on to make collaborative projects. Her exhibit ‘Water Weaving’ at Talwar Gallery in New York (2005) was an art en masse. A film on weaving that was based on marginalized tribal group in Bastar, was created with the help of the locals.‘Lacuna in Testimony’, a video installation is based on the traumatic result of the Gujarat Hindu-Muslim riot, 2002.The artist gives a glimpse of history and unreasonable implosion created by mankind in an allegoric visual representation of the Arabic Sea.

Photo Courtesy: Talwar Gallery
Agkuklios Paidea II | Iron | 2013 by Navjot Altaf

Her current exhibit ‘Horn in the Head’ at Talwar Gallery is a solo exhibit. A three part installation- A Woman & Two Donkeys, Agkuklios Paidea and Same Difference,conveys the recent changes in world. The exhibition is on from September 27- December 7, 2013.

To Read more on the exhibit Click Here

Heritage Reinvented: Inaugural exhibition

October 5, 2013

Ambika Rajgopal of Saffronart announces the inaugural exhibition- Heritage Reinvented at Tryon St. Gallery, London.

London: Five artists from different parts of the world unite to present Heritage Reinvented at the Tryon St. Gallery in London. In this exhibition, while drawing from their own individual socio-cultural peculiarity, they contest, challenge and transform the imagery and concepts normally associated with their own culture.

The Dark Cloud series, 2013, Kazim Ali. Image Credit: © Tryon Street Gallery and Ali Kazim

The Dark Cloud series, 2013, Kazim Ali. Image Credit: © Tryon St. Gallery and Ali Kazim

The five artists are the Pakistani Ali Kazim, the New Zealander Brett Graham, the English Tom Hunter, the Ecuadorian Oscar Santillan and the Korean Meekyoung Shin. Though their standpoints are varied, their desire to amalgamate their socio-cultural past in order to speak to the present remains a constant in all their works. The artists attempt to create a new personal vocabulary through which they examine and revisit their heritage and often their own identity.

Ali Kazim originally trained as a miniature painter, but started his career as a circus-hoarding painter in the small town of Pattoki, Pakistan. His paintings, principally of lone masculine figures, have a multilayered tactility on account of many layers of watercolour pigments on textured paper, which imparts his work with a low relief quality.

Untitled (self portrait) series, 2013, Ali Kazim. Image Credit: © Tryon St. Gallery and Ali Kazim

On display is a new series of work, where Kazim uses the framework of the South Asian visual culture, but he relativizes it. He is influenced by the miniature style techniques, which in the Mughal period were used to symbolize official rank, wealth and status. However, he strips away the colorful splendor of the miniatures to reveal a quiet monochromatic introspection, and thus transforms the long-standing miniature tradition of painting. Similarly Kazim draws from the Bengal school’s wash technique as can be seen in his self-portrait, where he uses over 20 washes of pigment to achieve the desired effect. His portrait is meditative, melancholic and remains firmly rooted in its past, while examining the present.

In his previous works he used tracing paper in order to subdue the colours further, thus giving his portraits more psychological significance. Regarding this, Kazim clarifies, “I feel that the thematic concerns of the work are strengthened greatly through a careful selection and use of materials. They help me explore the human body in a more expressive way.”

Te Hokioi, 2008, Brett Graham. Image Credit: © Tryon St. Gallery and Brett Graham

In a similar manner, the other artists confront the stereotypes normally associated with their culture. Brett Graham is of European and Maori descent and his work depicts the amalgamation between Western modernism and indigenous spirituality. He shows the dichotomy of his dual heritage by juxtaposing modern instruments of warfare with traditional Maori designs. These colonial power symbols were considered to be spiritual symbols by the indigenous Maori. Graham’s work explores the effects of European colonialism on the indigenous Oceanic population.

After the Dragon, 2000. Tom Hunter. Image Credit: © Tryon Street Gallery and Tom Hunter

After the Dragon, 2000. Tom Hunter. Image Credit: © Tryon St. Gallery and Tom Hunter

Tom Hunter’s photographs reposition the composition and symbolism of European and American masterworks. In his work After the Dragon, Hunter draws stylistically and symbolically from Pre Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones’s painting Pan and Psyche (1872-1874). Part of his Life and Death in Hackney series, Hunter contemporizes Psyche and Pan, making them subcultural inhabitants set in the landscape of post-industrial urban decay. By plugging the legacy of the past into the context of the present, his work creates a dialogic exchange between the two binaries.

The show is on view from 3^rd October to the 22^nd November 2013.

Untitled, 2005, Ali Kazim. Image Credit: http://www.saffronart.com/auctions/PostWork.aspx?l=7535

Saffronart has previously auctioned Ali Kazim’s work in the November 2012 Art of Pakistan Auction.

For more information about the exhibition, please click here.

Subjects & Spaces, Women in Indian Photography

September 28, 2013

Ambika Rajgopal of Saffronart announces Tasveer Gallery’s exhibition ‘Subjects & Spaces, Women in Indian Photography’.

London: Tasveer Gallery in collaboration with Saffronart presents a photographic homage to the depiction of Indian women from the 1850s to the 1970s. Tasveer Gallery, since it’s opening in 2006, has been committed to promoting and exhibiting contemporary photography.

Portrait of the Actress Saira Banu, 1965. Image Credit: http://www.tasveerarts.com/group-shows/subjects-spaces/view-individual-images/?p=49

Carefully selected from the archives of the Tasveer Foundation, the exhibition features 65 photographs including studio portraits, film stills, post cards, cabinet cards and lobby cards. The anonymity of some women juxtaposed with the fame of some, forms a realistic depiction of womanhood in India. There are stills of dancing ‘nautch’ girls from the 19^th century, private studio portraits of women with their families and splendid portraits of yesteryear 40s and 50s stars like Saira Banu and Nargis.

Group portrait in Marathi House, 1910. Image Credit: http://www.tasveerarts.com/group-shows/subjects-spaces/view-individual-images/?p=10

Thus begins a visual journey that transports us back to the evocative black and white era. Ted Grant once famously quoted: ‘when you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and white, you photograph their souls.’ This dictum couldn’t hold more weight in relation to the photographs exhibited. The women sometimes boldly meet the gaze of the camera, and sometimes avert their look into one of wistful contemplation. In doing so, they offer a slice of social and cultural context of their own personal history.

Reclining Lady, 1870. Image Credit: http://www.tasveerarts.com/group-shows/subjects-spaces/view-individual-images/?p=52

With the advent of the film and photographic medium, the representation of Indian femininity underwent a radical transformation in the public sphere. The female representation, previously kept within the confines of homes and behind veils, now took a step forward and embraced colonial modernity. The female image fashioned itself within elaborate studio setups as well as within the print medium.

Nautch Wali Dance Girl, 1890. Image Credit: http://www.tasveerarts.com/group-shows/subjects-spaces/view-individual-images/?p=25

The curatorial strategy of the exhibition abandons chronology in favour of spatial placement of these women. Nathaniel Gaskell, curator of the exhibition notes: ‘Often such spaces — domestic, outdoor, shared or even abstract spaces — are very telling of how women were perceived.’ The exhibition also features an ethnographic account of the lives of women from different parts of India in different periods in time. From a visual depiction of women from the pre-colonial and colonial era, a diverse and vivid ethnographic map of society can be derived.

Member of the Moamuria or Muttuck Hill tribe from Assam, 1860. Image Credit: http://www.tasveerarts.com/group-shows/subjects-spaces/view-individual-images/?p=23

From the dichotomy of the domestic or performative spaces they were photographed in, to the diversity of their individual stances, each photograph was an exercise in feminine self-representation and told its own story. The exhibition manages to create a dialogic interaction between the viewer and the photographed subject.

Portrait of Maharani Menaka Devi, 1940. Image Credit: http://www.tasveerarts.com/group-shows/subjects-spaces/view-individual-images/?p=22

This exhibition is also in partnership with Vacheron Constantin and Cinnamon.

The exhibition commences at the Saffronart Gallery in Prabhadevi, Mumbai on the 27^th of September and goes on till the 5^th of October 2013.

A limited edition boxed folio of prints from this exhibition is available online at StoryLTD.

For more information on the exhibition, visit the website.

A Snapshot of “India Song”

September 28, 2013

Shradha Ramesh follows Karen Knorr ‘s recent exhibit presented by Tasveerart.

New York: German born Karen Knorr, entices the viewer with an inimitable photographic panorama. Among her variegate digital photographic series ‘India Song’ is a kariotic moment in her visual venture. The series exudes a conjoint interaction of subjects -a rich, intricate architecture interacts with wildlife in an idyllic stage. She started working on the series in 2008, focusing on the theme of upper caste culture of the Rajput in India. The series imbibe cultural heritage of Rajasthan and Mughal architecture interspersed with animal protagnist. But the painting has underlying messaging she questions the base of the culture, colonialism, exoticism, gender, religion, and politics of India. The enigmatic composition blurs the distinction between reality and illusion, in an attempt to question the cultural heritage and rigidity in hierarchy.

A Place Like Amravati, Udaipur City Palace (Nilgai), Udaipur

Driven by satirical implication of societal demarcation and representation, her repertoires are aesthetic amalgamation of her quest on privileges of the aristocratic. The first of her series were a photographic compilation on social mockery of the upper class in London. Having lived and grown in a lavish neighbourhood in Belgravia, her works are a sardonic response to this lifestyle. She elaborates on The Belgravia series, she says “…At that time in photography, a lot of artists were showing people who were dispossessed. I felt it was time to turn the tables and look at the people who were in charge. It’s not exploiting them; they are strong enough to take the irony. It’s playing the game on their own terms. I also wanted to implicate myself, look at issues of privilege.”

The Lifting of Purdah, Moti Mahal, Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur

An internationally acclaimed photographer, she has lectured, taught and exhibited at various universities both in US and Europe. Her techniques are wide spread and diverse, she has incorporated these in her photographic exploration. Each of these techniques expresses a sense of emotion, she said “One thing I noticed in conceptual art, it could be so serious. I don’t want to be that serious, I want to make a picture that’s ambiguous.” She establishes this through hybrid juxtaposition of two entirely different visual components- architecture (rigid) and nature (biomorphic).

A Soul Reborn, Ajanta Caves, Ajanta

To really experience and interpret, one must see the works in person. India Song is on display from 27 September – 05 October 2013, Tasveerart, Delhi.

The photographs are available for purchase on StoryLtd.

To Read More Click Here

Delhi Photo Festival 2013

September 26, 2013

Ipshita Sen of Saffronart shares a note about the upcoming Delhi Photo Festival 2013.

New York: Delhi-ites, save the dates in your calendars! The Delhi Photo Festival is right around the corner, enticing photographers, collectors and enthusiasts alike. With a week full of learning, showcasing new work, voicing young collectives as well as instigating interactions between artists and shutterbugs.

Delhi Photo Festival 2013 Poster. Image Credit: http://www.torgovnik.com/pages/getWorkshops

India Habitat Centre and Nazar Foundation initiated the biennale photography festival for the first time in 2011. It is curated by a creative team of photographers, namely, Prashant Panjiar, Dinesh Khanna and Dr. Alka Pande, the curator of Visual Art Gallery at the IHC. Acting as a catalyst, the festival popularizes the emergence of photography as the real democratic art form in a public space, thus making it a revolutionary step for photography in India.

‘The importance of gallerists, critics, curators, collectors, photo festivals & museums coming together to create a new and separate platform for photography’ states Dr. Alka Pande, on the festival.

Super Mamika, Sacha Goldberger. Image Credit: http://www.delhiphotofestival.com/delhi_photo_festival_2013/home.html

As a tribute to the late Prabuddha Dasgupta, a noted fashion and fine art photographer, the 2013 festival will be centered on the theme of Grace. ‘I want to have a long string of images, held together by grace, because grace is that undefinable, non rational, non linear word that I am looking for’ said Prabuddha Dasgupta, speaking at the Delhi Photo Festival 2011.

Early Work, Prabuddha Das Gupta. Image Credit: http://www.delhiphotofestival.com/delhi_photo_festival_2013/home.html

The festival is not only confined to India Habitat Centre grounds, but several participating galleries across the capital. It thrives on a wealth of workshops, portfolio reviews, artists’ talks, and exhibition tours.

The festival is on from 27th September to the 11^th October 2013.

For more information, click here.

State of the Art

Posts filed in Photography

Visual Palimpsest

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Heritage Reinvented: Inaugural exhibition

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Subjects & Spaces, Women in Indian Photography

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A Snapshot of “India Song”

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Delhi Photo Festival 2013

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