Nudes by Akbar Padamsee and Krishna Hawlaji Ara, a collage by MF Husain, Manjit Bawa’s exemplary work of a man playing with a child, Quantums of History, an auction by Artdeal Auction House displays works of top-notch artists. Director Siddhartha Tagore speaks to Ila Sankrityayan about the bid, works on display and the Indian art market
Actor Rajit Kapoor, who has been in the art business too for the last eight years, will be auctioning the works of FN Souza, SH Raza, Tyeb Mehta and many more great artists on September 3 at le Meridien. For the first time, Artdeal Auction will include treasures from India’s culture and heritage, miniatures that are over a hundred years old and sourced from the royal family of Kota, Rajasthan. “We were looking for somebody of his stature to conduct auctions for us and hence approached him. We have been associated with him for a long timeand he studied the art of auctioning from london”, says Siddhartha Tagore, director of Artdeal, who has conceptualised the entire idea.
There are 119 works on display with 98 lots that include the works of artists like F N Souza, S H Raza, K G Subramanyan, Tyeb Mehta, M F Husain, Manjit Bawa, Ramkumar, B Prabha, Anjolie Ela Menon, Paresh Maity and none other than Pablo Picasso, to name a few. Works by eminent Bengali artists like Jamini Roy, Abanindranath Tagore, Ramkinkar Baij and Nandalal Bose, will add more colour to the auction.
Four works of K G Subramanyan, blending mythology with commonality and good with evil in his stylised imagery, depict the undying energy of the artist. This series features human figures interacting with mythological creatures, humans morphing into animals and all life forms distorted by design. “We have impressive nudes by Akbar Padamsee and Krishna Hawlaji Ara. Two stunning still life works depicting blooming flora in vases by Ara, one of his favourite themes, shall go under the hammer,” adds Tagore. Going under the hammer are impactful works by Francis Newton Souza: nudes, landscapes and heads, each unique in its own right. Included is a beautiful execution by Manjit Bawa depciting a man playing a child, perhaps his own. There is a motion in the forms with dance-like fluidity as the child is shown balancing with one foot placed in the father’s hand.
“We have some unique works of S. H. Raza, namely Tadpan and Bindu-Panchtatva (both acrylic on canvas) among others. The bindu symbolises the seed bearing the potential of all life. He became influenced by Tantrik forms like Shakti symbolising creation. At the locus, he placed bindus that became predominant icons of his work. His top notch works are on a higher selling point, too, ranging between Rs70,00,000 to 80,00,000. Art enthusiasts will have to bid tough to own such creations of master artists”, says the director.
Asked about the selection of the artworks, Tagore says, “Selection of artworkfor an auction is an ongoing process. It happens all the year round. Selection of some of the works was done even prior to fixing the date. Once it is done we decide which auction the work would fit into the best. The works are carefully chosen keeping aesthetics, visual appeal, historical significance, provenance and demand in mind.”
Sharing about the most remarkable and rare art pieces to be auctioned, the director says, “Its difficult to highlight one, but the show stopper is a collage by MF Husain. It represents a part of his journey through photographs of rare moments in his life. This is the highest priced in the auction, between Rs1,00,00,000 and 1,50,00,000”, he says.
Asked how he selects the works, the director says, “It works both ways. Our criteria are rarity, authenticity, works of historical significance, provenance and demand.” And what about the trend among buyers and sellersIJ “Trends keep changing according to liquidity. Art being a luxury product gets directly linked with the share market, gold and real estate”, he says. “Internet has certainly influenced the business as collectors from all over the globe have an access to the works and hence decisions are made much faster”, he adds. Referring to the competition of Indian art in the international market and countries like China, who have been successfully capturing patrons, he asserts, “Ours is an independent market. The growth of any other market doesn’t affect it directly. Indian modern and contemporary art have been in demand for many decades. We have been on the globe for a long time. The positive is that Indian art is accessible to the global buyer, which aids the country’s economy.” He is also optimistic about the future of Indian auction houses. “Indian auction houses are on the upward trend. It is slow but consistent. The competition is as strong as in any other field. But if the product is good and saleable one does not have to worry.”