Raj Kumar in/as a Visual Discourse

H.A. Anil Kumar writes a curatorial note for the exhibition in the honour of Late Raj Kumar, the most popular actor in Kannada film industry.  A role model to the pan-Kannadiga populace he is an image and imagination in the cultural field. Noted artists like K.N.Ramachandran, Surekha and many others were part of the exhibition Raj Kumar. more »

Sandarbh in America

Ivan Smith introduces SANDARBH U.S. INTERNATIONAL ARTIST RESIDENCY from both the perspectives -as an onlooker and a participating artist himself. Moultrie, South Georgia became the first international venue to host the Sandarbh through. The success of the event is also being credited to the supporters, such as Merchant and Ivory Foundation and the Colquitt Art Centre. more »

Art Basel Bazaar

Sushma Bahl, independent curator, organizer and art critic based in Delhi visits the 39th edition of the internationally acclaimed global art fair, Art Basel and says that with all the cutting edge art around, and all those Euros and Dollars transacted, the fair presents the future of the global art. But she doubts whether the ‘art lovers’ are totally neglected by the players as they concentrate more on business than art appreciation. more »

Mark Him (Second Half)

Prescriptions for New Viewing

When Sanjeev Khandekar does anything in art, people watch it with some curiosity for his works always raise some heat and dust in the contemporary art scene. Recently, he took his new solo show to Pune for a not-so-urban audience. Soon the show will be travelling to other rural areas in the country. JohnyML catches up with the artist to know more about his new interest in new audience. more »

Mistakes are Actions

Aron Johnston, Fulbright Research Grantee, 2007-08 believes in the brilliance than the actual intention of the painting. He tells Rollie Mukherjee about his recent solo show titled “signs unseen” held at Chitra Kala Parishath, April 2008. The conversation sheds light on his early works and the sojourn in India. Excerpts »

Through the Bioscope

K.M.Madhusudhanan, accomplished painter, graphic designer and ideologue of the now defunct Indian Radical Painters and Sculptors association has recently completed his first feature film, which got a special screening in the Cannes Film Festival 2008. JohnyML speaks to the artist about the new film and his forthcoming art and movie projects. more »

North East is a Real Reality

N. Bidyut Singha aka Bobby, recollects his ‘wild hair days’ in his native Shillong and discusses the socio-political construct of North Eastern states as an imaginative zone, with Amrita Gupta Singh. Bobby, an accomplished artist who uses various mediums to express himself incorporates his interest for music and tattoo in whatever he does. This Mumbai based artist has been noticed for his strong political views and astonishing ways of presentation. Excerpts »

The Abstraction of the Mountains

Reflections of Feminist art

Balakrishnan.V.P writes about ‘WACK’ Art and the Feminist Revolution, the first comprehensive, historical exhibition to examine the international foundations and legacy of feminist art. The participating artists include Alice Adams, Alice Aycock, Lynda Benglis, Agnes Denes, Jackie Ferrare, Nancy Holt, Mary Miss, Suzanne Harris, Michelle Stuart and Jackie Wimsor etc. more »

Fanning Fashion-Too many books

The market is loaded with too many Retrospectives and monographs of the same lot of artists. Uma Nair shares the agony of having too many books and Retrospectives of the same artists, which in a way decreases the value of the artists. more »

We are Not Entitled to Dream

During the recently concluded Khoj Peers Workshop, 2008, Delhi based artists-researchers Sreejata Roy and Mritunjay Chatterjee presented an installation titled ‘City (In)visible’, on the life and times of migrant zardozi workers. Project intern and artist Anuradha Pathak writes about her experiences while working with the artists. more »

Articulating Peripheries in a Ferry

Abject Reality, Curtailed Probe

Somnath Hore was one of the pioneers of the 20th century modern art movement in India. He was not only a graphic artist and sculptor but also a political activist. Somnath has an apprehension about man’s to man violence—in the forms of casteism, communalism etc. An alternative and comparatively new space Seagull Media Resource Center had hosted a Retrospective of this master artist from 12th April to 25th May. Oindrilla Maity shares her anxieties, experiences and views related to the show. more »

History and Cruel Gods

Johny M L writes a critical review on the exhibition of Shiv Verma, an awardee of the Visual Arts Gallery, IHC and Art India Magazine Award for the upcoming artists for the year 2006. While reviewing the author raises a few questions on the selection process. more »

Take Your Time - a fifteen years old journey of an artist

Art & Deal - Reviewed by Rikimi Madhukaillya

Delhi Sketchbook – JohnyML »

Mumbai Sketchbook - Abhijit Tamhane »

Kolkata Sketchbook - Oindrila Maity »

Kochi Sketchbook - Renu Ramanath »

Version True - Uma Nair »

Beyond The Faces Of Fame

Imagine a bare-bodied Husain — black eyebrows, white beard — standing in front of his work that he had given to Indian Airlines in the '70s. Then think of Francis Newton Souza at his apartment in New York, standing next to one of his famed Heads. An unusual moment in the life of India's finest abstractionist Nasreen Mohamedi — demure and delicately poised — all these images are part of a historic show at New York's Sepia entitled "A Critic's Eye". The critic is none other than the late Richard Bartholomew who discovered and wrote about the famed Progressives long before the world woke up to Indian art. more»