Important Notice

Lot 8

 

Quick Zoom

In his early paintings, Atul Dodiya almost always framed his artistic concerns in relation to autobiographical figures and situations. Influenced by the wit of Pop artists like Hockney and the local flavour of Indian painters like Sheikh and Khakhar, the artist masterfully combines humour and autobiography in the construction of these stark masterpieces.

Unlike the metaphorical and multilayered pieces that Dodiya created on his return... In his early paintings, Atul Dodiya almost always framed his artistic concerns in relation to autobiographical figures and situations. Influenced by the wit of Pop artists like Hockney and the local flavour of Indian painters like Sheikh and Khakhar, the artist masterfully combines humour and autobiography in the construction of these stark masterpieces.

Unlike the metaphorical and multilayered pieces that Dodiya created on his return from the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris in 1992, these early canvases were rendered in a deadpan, realist manner. Though they may seem undemanding at first, the situations and relationships in which their solitary subjects were placed were often surreal, serving both to disturb and engage the viewer.

In the present lot, the artist cleverly illustrates his expectations, or rather non-expectations, of the viewer. A strong believer in the subjective consumption of art, Dodiya states "I believe a work of art cannot be general. I don’t give importance to the general viewpoint. The thing that may bore one person may be very meaningful to another. It cannot be perfect from all angles. Even if a Western viewer finds it interesting, to an Indian viewer it may seem clichéd" (rpt. in Atul Dodiya, Saffronart Interview, 2000). Here, Dodiya complicates the relationship between art and the viewer by suggesting that the sculpture that he has painted is both a work of art that the figure in the piece views, as well a participant in the conversation he is carrying on. "The whole act of seeing or looking at a work of art is so complex. I want…to make the viewer more conscious of the act of looking…I am also playing with the absurdity of claiming understanding to any work of art" (rpt. in Peter Nagy, iCon: India Contemporary, India at the 51st Venice Biennale exhibition catalogue, 2005, p. 9).

Read More
Artist Profile
Other works of this artist in: this auction  |  entire site