The term ‘primitivism’ is used frequently in discussions and writings on art without any clear coherence about its meaning. The genesis of the term can be traced to Western art, and the term gained currency from the works of the early Renaissance (before 1500) artists. Indian primitivism may have grown away from its Western counterpart, but at least in part, it grew out of or alongside it.
The choice of artists included in the exhibition for this purpose is equally interesting. Three of them were unschooled in art and therefore innocent of its rules—Rabindranath Tagore, Sunayani Devi, and Madhvi Parekh. Some came from sophisticated art school backgrounds and elite, hybrid lifestyles—Amrita Sher-Gil and George Keyt—but preferred to mould their sensibilities to a ‘native’ form of practice. The greatest ode to folk was paid by that master, Jamini Roy, who had started out successfully as an academically-trained modernist. Aligned to the tribal way of life was India’s great modernist sculptor Ramkinkar Baij, as well as the painter J. Sultan Ali, and their work reflected their sensibilities. The exhibition is curated by Dr. Giles Tillotson and is accompanied by a book.
Date: Sunday, January 12, 2020
Time: 6 pm onwards
Address: DAG 58, VB Gandhi Marg, Kala Ghoda, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001
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