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The Rise of Contemporary Art in India

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The Rise of Contemporary Art in India

Art in India, in all its forms, has always had a very important place in the lives of its people. Through the ages it has definitely seen and been through a myriad range of changes while still preserving its "Indian quality" to some extent. Right from the artworks found during the excavations at Indus Valley and Mohenjodaro to classical painters like Ravi Varma and then to modern painters like M.F Husain and S.H Raza, Indian art like all others has gone through evolution. Most people today are familiar with ancient Indian art which mainly includes mythological paintings, sculptures and exquisite carvings in temples and the like. In other words, the art that was being produced in pre-independant India is very different from the art that is being produced today. India was ruled by the British for a little over two hundred years. As we got closer to independence, the artwork in the region was being influenced by the presence of foreigners in the country in the sense that they had a say over what and who actually got recognition. Most of the art movements and groups that were founded during this time were heavily represented by the English. Also the art awards and honors were monopolized by them. The British authorities at the time felt that Indian crafts were to be paid more attention to than fine art. one of the main reasons for this was because they felt that Indian art was too influenced by Hindu mythology to be appreciated all over the world.
The Rise of Modern Art: After India became independent, art began to change considerately. Several movements and groups sprung up all over the country headed by ambitious young artists with visions of bringing modern art to India. One group called Young Turks constituted of artists like P.T Reddy, M.T. Bhopale, A.A. Majeed, M.Y. Kulkarni, and C.B. Baptista was founded on the basis of self-expressionism in the late 1930's. Another similar group called Group 43' represented by artists like Keyt, Darahiyagala, Beling and Pieris was established around the same time. Both these groups produced influential work but did not stand the test of time. They certainly were however precedents to powerful modern art in India. This movement towards modernism and contemporary Indian art had very little female participation. The only woman artist from this period who's work is still talked about today is Amrita Sher-Gil. (Her mother was Hungarian and her father was from Punjab, India) After her schooling in Europe she returned to India to explore her roots during which she produced impressive work. Apart from her, no other eminent female artists were a part of this movement. Modern art in India has a been a widely debated topic. Artists are posed with the very relevant and challenging problem of how to combine modernistic impulses with traditional Indian flavor to create a unique aesthetic, for the Indian characteristic cannot be fully ignored nor blatantly incorporated. Some of artists have apt solutions for this while some others still grapple with it. Indian cinema is another important facet of Indian life that has both helped usher modernism in while itself changing to reflect these changes in the art world.
Progressive Artists' Group: The Progressive Artists' Group, founded with a manifesto written by F.N. Souza, single-handedly ushered in a new art movement in India. This group was comprised of F.N Souza, M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza, K.H. Ara, S.K. Bakre and H.A. Gade and they were based in post-colonial Bombay. The group was formed on the eve of Indian Independence and had links with the Communist Part of India (CPI) ( They were closely related with the CPI and initially shared many of their beliefs. The name "progressive" comes as a result of this influence. After a while however, the group withdrew their alliance and even revised their manifesto which earlier reflected many of the communist beliefs.) Each artist in the group had a unique style. They considered themselves artist citizens and wished to represent the voice of the common Indian man through their work. A few years after the founding of the group, the members scattered and relocated to different parts of the world. The group however remained the icon of contemporary art in India and they made post-colonial Bombay the nucleus of this movement. Their frank and blatant expression of reality took 20th century India by storm. Their artwork was met with a lot of criticism and was not widely accepted by the public. The group had exhibitions over the world - in Paris, Munich, London and New York. This international exposure put these artists at par with the artists all over the world.
Francis Newton Souza: This man, F.N Souza lead the Progressive group. He wrote the manifesto for the group in 1948. Souza's work is mainly centered around the human figure. Large distorted human figures predominate his work. As an artist he feels that this kind of expressionist painting is powerful. He feels that humans are charged with a unique energy and by painting this, the viewer somehow receives some of this energy. Non-figurative painting he feels is not this potent unless an artist uses symbology charged with religious or traditional meaning. Souza was a born rebel. He was dispelled from St. Xavier's school for drawing pornographic imagery in the bathrooms on one hand and on the other he was thrown out of J.J. School of art for taking part in a demonstration to protest against anti-nationalist practices of the British. He not only protested the British but he also contested the public in some way with his daring and forthcoming work. When he exhibited his work at a solo show at the Bombay Art Society in December 1945, it gained recognition for all the wrong reasons. The public's response to his work was not a pleasant one. This was when Souza realized he needed to form a group like the Progressives. After he was thrown out of school he joined the Communist Party of India. This was the same time at which Picasso joined the Communist party of Europe. Souza mostly depicted scenes of poverty, labourers and downtrodden factory workers during this time. After a while though he quit the CPI ( Communist Party of India) saying "I dont believe that a true artist paints for coteries or for the proletariat. I believe with all my soul that he paints solely for himself. I have made art a metabolism. I express myself freely in paint in order to exist. I paint what I want, what I like, what I feel." Souza developed a very distinct style over the years. A thick black bounding line, highly distorted figures and displaced facial features were a few of the features that were unique to his paintings. He was obsessed with depicting Christ and women in his paintings. These were the two most common subjects. Religion and sex he felt went hand in hand in a strange way. His paintings like Crucifixion and Christ, Souza depicts Christ in a very stark and frontal form. The earlier painting is almost scary in a way. The Six Gentlemen of Our Times is a series of six heads that Souza drew with ink on paper in preparation for his other piece, Death of the Pope. These ghoulish faces with distorted and displaced facial features make a compelling piece in themselves. After becoming a raging alcoholic, Souza moved to London and then to new York. His work has gained worldwide acclaim and has been exhibited all over the world. His work related to the human body and man in general is said to have been so important as it came at a time when India and its people were struggling with identity issues and they were struggling to find a place for themselves on the international platform. Souza was born on April 12, 1924 in Saligaon, Goa to a Roman Catholic family and died on March 28, 2002. He was truly considered a champion of his cause.
Conclusion:
Art has evolved considerably in India even over the past 50 years, that is since the Progressive Artists' Group. Nowadays younger artists with different views have emerged to match the ever changing Indian society. Anish Kapoor is an example of this change. This artist has claimed international acclaim at a young age and produces powerful art. Thanks to daring artists like Souza, Raza and Husain and others, young Indian artists like Anish have a platform to grow. The Progressive Artists' Group heralded the Contemporary Art movement in India at a time when the country needed it the most.

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