23rd Nov. 2002

Virtually Yours When The Art Mart Clicks!
Sujata B. Shakeel If you're trying to bring art to the masses then there can 'virtually' be no better way to do it. The works of great masters are there at your command, at the click of a mouse, and while interaction with the artist may be denied to you, you'll still have the pleasure of browsing through a spectrum of colours on screen. Welcome to the world of virtual art.

The Saffronart pre-online auction event in the city, this Tuesday, was the second big art event in the Capital. Coming close on the heels of the Bowring's auction, the Saffronart do at the Taj Mahal Hotel took one's breath away for its exclusive selection of paintings and the price tag.

Over 190 works of 89 leading artists dating from pre-modern to contemporary, adorned the Diwan-i-Am. Not surprising then that the man behind the enterprise Dinesh Vazirani, whose Mumbai-based three-year-old online art gallery Saffronart is, had reasons to look as pleased as a punch. "We have a versatile selection for everyone. The paintings range from Rs 10,000 to Rs 70 lakh. We have bidders from San Francisco to Oman, from Europe to Hong Kong," he says. Saffronart collection will go on sale on December 1. To be able to bid art enthusiasts must register with Saffronart. Their credentials are then verified and vetted before they are allowed to bid. Once a painting is purchased online it is shipped to you anywhere in the world.

Leading modernists F.N. Souza, S.H. Raza, M.F. Husain, NS Bendre, Tyeb Mehta and Ram Kumar shared wall space with well-known contemporary artists like Jitish Kallat, Baiju Parthan, Atul Dodiya, Anjolie Ela Menon, and Ganesh Pyne. If the names were awe-inspiring then so was the presence of some leading artists. No Tyeb Mehta was not there but his 62 lakh work loomed large on the patina of the elegant art salon.

The Parisian Raza, came with the comely Illoosh Ahluwalia and Sunaina Anand on either arm and had a bevy of goggle-eyed admirers hanging on every word. "This is one of the best shows in the city that I've attended. I'm so proud to be a part of this gathering," he said. But his most telling comment may cause a few hearts to burn. "I was very disappointed by the Bowring's show. But this one has revived my hope".

Saffronart auction starts from Dec 1-4. For more details on the show log on to www.saffronart.com, or [email protected]  

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