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Lot 92

 

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Born in Tamil Nadu in 1971, A. Balasubramaniam is an artist who believes in the spiritual and existential nature of artistic expression. Playing with the possibilities of space, light and material, the artist blurs the boundaries between various genres of art in the process, prodding his viewers to reflect on the subjective nature of perception and belief. "For artist Balasubramaniam, the act of making art is a Zen story. It is about fine-tuning... Born in Tamil Nadu in 1971, A. Balasubramaniam is an artist who believes in the spiritual and existential nature of artistic expression. Playing with the possibilities of space, light and material, the artist blurs the boundaries between various genres of art in the process, prodding his viewers to reflect on the subjective nature of perception and belief. "For artist Balasubramaniam, the act of making art is a Zen story. It is about fine-tuning content, intensity, aesthetics and context in a visual image to create meaning. His ambition does not reside in grand themes and massive constructions but in extending the boundaries of perception and the possibilities of experience—it lies in the subtle yet difficult attempt to effect a change in the viewer’s consciousness. He does this by making the viewer aware of the subjectivity of his or her own perception…" (Suhashini Kejriwal, Recent Works, Talwar Gallery exhibition catalogue, unpaginated).

In this monumental piece, the artist mixes silicone dust into his paint to create a shimmering monochromatic enlargement of a fingerprint. Exploring the contemporary phenomenon of loss of individuality through its most basic marker, the unique whorls of a fingerprint, Balasubramaniam seems to be asking his viewers to consider the various factors that set them apart from their fellow human beings in this age of extreme convergence and global homogenization. Carefully conceptualized and painstakingly completed, the present lot highlights the artist’s mastery of different media as well as his deep connection with the creative process. "One of the most striking qualities in his work is that it seems effortless even though it is beautifully conceived and crafted. A hallmark of Bala’s work is his skill and technical virtuosity. In fact there is a distilled beauty in his work that is a reflection of his passionate involvement in the process of art making itself" (Ibid.).

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