Moving Focus

* Major survey providing new perspectives on contemporary Indian art* Gathers a diverse cross-section of voices in the world of Indian art* Offers an overview of Indian art across the last century and signposts future trends* Over 250 iconic artworks chosen by an intergenerational group of 54 artists, curators, historians and writersFrom long lost paintings to ephemeral sculptures; from whimsical performances to iconic public murals; and from independent films to landmark design objects, the surprising and provocative contents of Moving Focus, India have been provided by a varied group of experts. A first of its kind, this book invited 54 artists, curators, historians and writers to each create a list of five works of art, made at any time since 1900, by artists living in India or identifying as part of its diaspora. With over 250 individual nominations, including artists whose works have been exhibited at venues as various as Houghton Hall (Anish Kapoor, 2020), the Asia Society Museum, New York (MF Husain, 2019) and the Piramal Museum of Art, Mumbai (SH Raza, 2018), the exercise produced thrilling and unexpected choices across many mediums. Drawing from a wide range of private and public collections, the selections reveal the diversity and inclusiveness of today's art scene: an art scene that has embraced the progressive changes evident in society at large. In addition to these lists, the book includes reflections on collecting, curating and canon-formation from a range of important voices, by way of a roundtable discussion and a series of essays. Spread over two volumes and marked by an innovative and fresh design sensibility, whether you are familiar with modern and contemporary art from the subcontinent or looking for an introduction, Moving Focus, India contains a wealth of information. Lavishly illustrated with over 1,000 archival and freshly commissioned photographs, this book is an important and timely addition to the global art discourse and a key source of reference. Nominated artists include Anish Kapoor, MF Husain, SH Raza, Tyeb Mehta, Ravi Varma, Jamini Roy, Rabindranath Tagore, FN Souza, Nandalal Bose, Abanindranath Tagore, VS Gaitond, Benode Behari Mukherjee and many more.

Reflections on the chords and discords inherent in the relationship between tradition and modernism. Written between the early 1960s and the mid-1970s, the articles and lectures collected in Moving Focus reflect on some of the major concerns of the practicing artist and scholar of modern Indian art: tradition and modernism, the question of the image, and the use of art criticism. The collection also includes essays on the work of Rabindranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, Binodebehari Mukherjee, Ramkinker Baij, and Amrita Sher-Gil. Together, they deal with the focal changes taking place in the contemporary art situation--a period of great significance in terms of cultural development, just about a decade and a half after India's hard-won Independence--and seek to put them in perspective. The analytical essays of K. G. Subramanyan, one of India's most celebrated artists, remain as relevant and useful today as they were when this collection first appeared decades ago, and are perfectly suited to introducing the non-specialist to Indian modernism and its global concerns. Subramanyan played a pivotal role in shaping India's artistic identity after Independence. Mani-da, as he was fondly called, seamlessly blended elements of modernism with folk expression in his works, spanning paintings, murals, sculptures, prints, set designs, and toys. Beyond his visual artistry, his writings have laid a solid foundation for understanding the demands of art on the individual. In the year of his centenary, Seagull is proud to publish his writings in special new editions.

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