by Ruchira Paul India's art heritage dates back several thousand years. Through the ages Indian art was for the most part figurative and highly stylized. Think of the Tanjore bronzes, the Buddhist cave paintings, the stylish Mughal and Rajput miniatures. Regional folk art, murals and fabric designs too bore
MANJIT BAWA 1/3 – The main charm of his paintings, is the sense saturating expanse of colour fields, which create space and define the contour of figures. Mythology and spiritual readings, weren't the
Manjit Bawa, found at kingsroadartgallery.com
Dance and song, features heavily in Indian cinema (so-called “Bollywood” films). Folk dances and plays in India, retain significance in rural areas, as the expression of the daily work and rituals of
A feature of Google News that I am enjoying is the ability to look at what is making news in other countries. Due to my keen interest in India I enjoy keeping an eye on the headlines there. Manjit …
MANJIT BAWA 1/3 – The main charm of his paintings, is the sense saturating expanse of colour fields, which create space and define the contour of figures. Mythology and spiritual readings, weren't the
The bull painting in Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan's home Jalsa is made by a popular artist, Manjit Bawa.
The central figure in this classic Bawa painting, set against a flat, monochromatic background bears a strong resemblance to Lord Krishna, who is often portrayed as a blue-skinned cowherd sporting a peacock feather on his head, playing a flute and surrounded by cattle. Blue-bodied but without the peacock feather, and surrounded by dogs rather than cows, Bawa's figure might also be Ranjha, from the tragic-romance of Punjabi literature, Heer-Ranjha. Bawa, who was deeply influenced by Indian mythology, miniature paintings, and Sufism, meant for his painting to have multiple interpretations. In a 1996 interview with Marcella C Sirhandi, associate professor in art history at Oklahoma State University, Bawa is ambiguous on the identification when he says, "It is not Krishna... It is Ranja [sic]... Even if it is Krishna, it doesn't matter - Ranja is also a flute player, and Ranja was a divine lover, more than Krishna, because Ranja gave everything for love." (Interview with Marcella C Sirhandi, "Manipulating Cultural Idioms", Art Journal, Vol. 58, No. 3, College Art Association, Autumn 1999, pp. 40 - 47, accessed through JSTOR) Bawa draws the connection between Krishna as Venugopala and Ranjha, both flute players who epitomize true love. In the same interview, Bawa ascribes another layer of meaning to the present lot. Shaken by the violent communal riots that followed the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, he describes the dogs in this painting as representations of secular creatures who are not defined by a religious identity. "The fundamentalists are breaking my culture. So I do paintings like Ranja with dogs... The dog is anti-Hindu and anti-Muslim both. Showing the dog is antireligion." (Interview with Marcella C Sirhandi) Beyond the multi-layered meaning and symbolism, Bawa's Ranja is striking for the interplay of colours - the deep maroon background, the blue skin and yellow dhoti of the central figure and the white, pastel shades of the dogs. Both, human and animals are rendered with equal care and delineation, and they seem to exist in an undisturbed world of understanding and communion.
Manjit Bawa’s artistic idiom was refined through years of experimenting with technique. Bawa drew inspiration from nature, and from folk tales, myths and legends, which he often reinterpreted in a unique manner in his works. Mughal, Rajput and Pahari miniature paintings left an impact on his unique style. Their influence was not limited to the delicacy of line and suppleness of form in Bawa’s oeuvre. The artist subverted certain elements of the miniature technique to define his visual syntax. The intricate detailing of miniatures was excessive for Bawa, and he distilled the details to arrive at his stylised figures. His backgrounds were often rendered in flat monochromes, forcing the viewer to focus entirely on the subject, rather than take in the entire scene. In this lot, his evocation of the tradition of miniature painting—albeit in his unique translation—adds a vitality and significance to the figures. By limiting the current work to a small scale, Bawa has chosen to recall the exquisiteness of Mughal and Rajput painting traditions and scale, while paring down detail through his signature style. Here, he depicts Kali as the vanquisher, but prompts the viewer to delve deeper into the image and the interaction of the main characters. Bawa has perhaps reinterpreted the famous Dakshina Kali tale of the Goddess in her most fearful form. According to the narrative, Kali is consumed by rage after feasting on the blood of the vanquished demons, and is about to destroy the universe in her uncontrolled frenzy on the battlefield. Lord Shiva assuages her by lying beneath her feet to stop her, and she dances upon him. As realisation dawns, she is overcome by remorse, and finally calms down. Bawa does not depict Kali in her typical, fiery self—scimitar in one hand and decapitated head in the other—but in a remorseful mood. Her hands assume graceful mudras and her head is angled to look upwards. Her hair is unbound, flowing rhythmically. Shiva lies supine at her feet, hands, as if patiently waiting for her to rage to subside. This painting is of particular significance among Bawa’s works which draw inspiration from India’s rich mythology and artistic traditions.
Auction 2001 (December)
Manjit Bawa is a master of simplified figuration and magical realism. Breaking down the subjects of his paintings to the bare essentials of form and character, the artist's emblematic mode of representation, devoid of narrative, negotiates the tentative boundaries separating reality from the surreal. Bringing life to these pared down human and animal forms are the artist's well-honed chiaroscuro and the subtle tonal contrasts he is so well known for. Suggesting depth and contour without the use of line or texture, the lyrical worlds that Bawa creates on canvas never fail to draw the viewer into their depths. The saturated fields of vibrant hues, within which his characters appear to float, offer the surface of his canvases a glazed feel, like porcelain, simultaneously impermeable and fragile. "Looking at the totality of Manjit's work, one moves through a clearly and consciously marked out process of evolution and choices. Animal and human forms, their organicity, limbs, mysterious natural growths without ambient details – these are some of the features that have appeared as constant markers in his painterly propositions and engagements throughout" (Madan Gopal Singh, "The Oeuvre: A First Note", Bhav Bhaav Bhavya – Frames of Eternity, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai, Impresario, Kolkata, and Gallery Espace, New Delhi, exhibition catalogue, 1999, p. 25). The present lot, a large canvas, is an ideal example of Bawa's minimalist surrealism and rich sense of colour. The lioness and cub in this painting seem to share the relationship of a protective mother and her timid, obedient child. While the cub looks taken aback by what appears to be its mother's attacking posture, the mother, whose gaze focuses on a space beyond her offspring, is perhaps on the defensive, addressing a threat that her child may not have seen or understood. Here, the animal subjects in Bawa's frame emphasize the relationship between parent and child, one of unspoken communication that is very close to the artist's heart. The emerald green background lightens the mood of the piece, while the artist's brilliant sense of scale gives the viewer a sense of space allowing room to speculate several possibilities.
At the recent auction at Christie, an untitled art work by Gaitonde fetched over $4 million, & works by Tyeb Mehta, Manjit Bawa & other Indian artists did well.
Stay up to date with Manjit Bawa (Indian, 1941 - 2008) . Discover works for sale, auction results, market data, news and exhibitions on MutualArt.
