As Indian canvases explode with the colour of emotions, a zeal for contemporary art paintings, true collectors art by Indian artists has seen many art collectors on an art collection binge. A rapid increase that warrants an assessment of their art collection to make room for more recent contemporary art and paintings by artists, unknown today, art Colossuses' of tomorrow. With colour drenched Indian contemporary art gaining recognition for its canvases and an increasing presence in the international art arena, the prices for Indian contemporary art scorch a spiral burn skywards. Global heating and a demand for Indian contemporary art has seen a collectors trend underway, a trend that has led private art collectors, fine art collectors, famous art collectors, abstract art collectors and art collectors art buyers to buy Indian canvases they hadn't heard of till recently.
Indian contemporary art paintings by F.N. Souza, M.F. Hussain, S.H. Raza, Akbar Padamsee, Tyeb Mehta et al collectors fine art oil paintings, collectors artwork are being added to art collectors private collections more often than not. As any collectors guide contemporary art list will inform, the contemporary art paintings of India's post-independence artists are going for unheard of prices at international art collectors auctions held by Sotheby and Christie. So much so, personal passions are giving way to successful businesses, a setting up of art galleries both online and offline, a modus operandi that ensures Indian contemporary art and paintings continues to be in the eye of the art collectors. And, collectors on the look out for collectors art fit to be a part of their private art collectors, fine art collectors, famous art collectors and abstract art collectors art collection have more opportunity of finding the painting they have searched for high and low.
Tyeb Mehta's Kali, a small acrylic on canvas depicting a twisted blue body, yellow teeth, protruding red tongue, a tortured expression and, she sold for Rs. 1-crore. A disturbing painting, nonetheless collectors art due to the rarity of the occasional paintings the artist's fragile strength allows him to paint, a heart that functions at 25% of its capacity saps away his creative intensity. Happy to be part of the process that is making Indian contemporary art and paintings acceptable in the international art market, Mehta is modest about his success. His expanse of shrouded figures in triptych, most aptly called Celebration sold for Rs. 1.5-crore at Christie's in 2002. Rs. 1-crore for a small Kali is, indeed, a benchmark for the Indian masters of contemporary art. But, his friend M.F. Hussain exults: The language of painting he has evolved is very powerful. I think even the crore this painting has sold for is less.'' Kali , the third most expensive Indian painting, the second being Raza's Rajputana Bindu, the continuing momentum of the popularity of Indian contemporary art is bound to lead to higher valuations of paintings done by Indian artists.
As Indian art houses tie up with art galleries overseas to hold Indian art shows, Indianartcollectors will be a new genre for the art collectors, private art collectors, fine art collectors, famous art collectors, abstract art collectorsand art collectors, art buyers who as a rule drop by these places to scour for new talent. A new twist to the art collectors stories as they access physically contemporary art from the sub-continent, a confidence building measure for non-Indian collectors unfamiliar with Indian art. The Indian presence at auctions needs to be complemented by a body of shows of collectors fine art oil paintings, collectors artwork of a collectors guide contemporary art artists like Krishen Khanna, Baiju Parthan, Atul and Anju Dodiya, TV.Santosh, Shibu Natesan, Chitravanu Mazumdar, Jagannath Panda and Subodh Gupta. Physical exposure to Indian contemporary art is an absolute for non-Indians if they are to get addicted to Indian modernists led by Tyeb Mehta, FN Souza, SH Raza, MF Husain, Ram Kumar and Akbar Padamsee followed by an Indian summer of exposure to younger contemporary artists like Chitravanu Mazumdar, Atul Dodiya, Shibu Natesan. Baiju Parthan, Sudarshan Shetty, Jagannath Panda, Justin Ponmany, A Balasubramaniam and Manisha Parekh, Vivan Sundaram, Bose Krishnamachari and Sudarshan Shetty. Some of these fledgling artists are featuring for the first time on the anvil block of the auction hammer.
With the Indianartcollectors, contemporary art market dramatically changed, it is a good time to be an artist. For the first time in history, demand is far outstripping supply; the Indian Diaspora dollars are flowing into the artists' wallets. A good time as the first showing is likely to be a success and, the second showing will see price tags that scream money talk. A distinct change from the time when Indian contemporary art had hardly any presence in the west and, even less mental space. Art auctions of Indian art are not enough; exhibitions and showings are necessary to bring this new genre to non-Indians who have never been exposed to it. Although, it is still the Diaspora that is wreaking a hard won change for Indian artists, they have started a revolution of sorts and things are beginning to alter. There is far more of a demand for Hussains than Hussain himself is producing and the buyer of Tyeb Mehta's Celebration was non-Indian. All this augurs well for Indian contemporary art as museum and art gallery exhibitions lead to more and more people being exposed to a genre they had little or no contact with before! The hot passionate colours of Indian canvases combined with the emotionality of the Indian soul of artists and, Colour is my day-long obsession, joy and torment. Claude Monet. More and more non-Indians are captivated with the warm colours and passionate outpourings of the Indian soul still in touch with its primeval beginnings! Hot Soul Curry as opposed to the tame mildness of the west's artistic expression! And, it is this collectors art that is beginning to impact the art collectors private collections with collectors paintings, art collectors who wish to replace the pallid hues of their art collection with intensity of thought and colour, the hallmark of an exotic sub-continental canvas!
The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection. Michelangelo. If one believes the art collectors stories, it seems the shadow of Indian art is only going to get more pronounced!
Art Collectors
