29th August, 2008
Featuring works of important Contemporary Indian artists including Subodh Gupta, Atul Dodiya, Shibu Natesan, Anju Dodiya, Rashid Rana and T.V. Santhosh; 130 works by 62 artists with a total lower estimate of Rs. 16.63 crores (US$ 4.15 million)
Saffronart, a pioneer in online auctions of Indian art, announces its annual Autumn Online Auction of Contemporary Indian art, to be held on September 34, 2008. The sale includes 130 works of art by 62 artists, including many globally sought painters and sculptors like Atul Dodiya, Rashid Rana, Surendran Nair and Subodh Gupta. The collection has a total lower estimate of Rs. 16.63 crores (US$ 4.15 million).
This auction comes at a time when Indian contemporary art is sought by collectors and museums around the globe. Defining the genre, Saffronart was the first auction house to host a standalone sale of Contemporary Indian art.
Cofounder and director of Saffronart, Dinesh Vazirani says, "We are very excited about the attention Contemporary Indian art is drawing around the world. We have always believed that Indian contemporary art has tremendous potential, and the consistent interest that we have witnessed among collectors for this genre has reinforced this."
This auction's repertoire includes works like T.V. Santhosh's When your Target Cries for Mercy, amonumental diptych from 2007. This work captures the face of a young soldier, first at a distance on the left panel, and then in uncomfortable closeup on the right. In the thick of battle equipped with helmet and goggles, the man's face speaks both of grit and fear, determination and pause. At the same time, his wide eyes and slightly parted lips betrays the inexperience of his youth.
Anju Dodiya's The Site, is one of the first works she created on mattresses. A daunting portrait of the artist in a ruffled Elizabethan collar with a crude, overlarge crown suspended around her head, this threedimensional piece explores themes of captivity and sovereignty, obligation and independence.
In his canvas titled Saat Samundra Paar (Across the Seven Seas), Subodh Gupta represents the large body of Indian labourers who work abroad, particularly in the Middle East, to support their families at home. Their jobs as construction workers, tailors, cooks and nannies are not easy, and to fulfill their aspirations of a better life for their families, they must silently bear the weight of their loneliness and the unforgiving conditions of their jobs. It is their physical mobility that enables the social mobility of their family and class and, consequently, contributes to the rapid economic growth of the country.
In Atul Dodiya's large, untitled work on paper, displays his mastery of multiple mediums. Dodiya's constant drive to dislocate and invigorate his idiom, his command over various media, his deep archive of sources, and his visionary body of work have rendered him a pioneer amongst a generation of postmodern, global artists from India. The untitled composition on paper, rendered using watercolour, charcoal and gesso, bears witness to the artist's transformative nature. The fluidity of Dodiya's draftsmanship is complimented by the organic quality of the charcoal and the watery nature of the hues he has employed.
Minal Vazirani, Cofounder and director of Saffronart, says, "Contemporary Indian art offers serious collectors as well as firsttime buyers all over the world a wide range of genres to choose from including painting, sculpture, installation and phot The untitled composition on paper, rendered using watercolour, charcoal and gesso, bears witness to the artist's transformative nature. The fluidity of Dodiya's draftsmanship is complimented by the organic quality of the charcoal and the watery nature of the hues he has employed.ography. In this sale, we have ensured that we provide the same range of choices to art collectors so that they might acquire quality works and diversify their collections."
Following the 2008 launch of its new brand and website, this sale will take place on Saffronart's hasslefree auction platform which includes several technology enabled features that are pioneering industry firsts. Apart from its improved design and user interface, this secure platform ensures that every user's bidding process is personal, intuitive and effortless.
Online auctions, pioneered by Saffronart, have transformed the landscape of modern and contemporary Indian art, making it accessible to participants who are constrained by geographical and physical limitations and opening it to a wide spectrum of international art lovers. Embracing and driving change, and constantly striving towards the highest standards of professionalism and transparency, Saffronart continues to set global benchmarks for online auctions.
The catalogue for the Autumn Online Auction is available online at www.saffronart.com
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