By IANS
New Delhi : There were the usual fine art works of the maestros like M.F. Hussain, Syed Hyder Raza and Jamini Roy to name a few and there were some contemporary names like Bose Krishnamachari, S.G. Vasudev and Chintan.
The preview of the art auction organised by Bid & Hammer in the capital had all of these with a distinct south Indian flavour to it.
Suresh Jayaram, executive director of Bid & Hammer and an artist himself said that although the auction would have art works from artists from across the country, the scales tip on the side of the south Indian artists.
“The artists from say Chennai and Bangalore are not as much in focus as the artists from other places. Also people in the capital are not so aware of the artists hailing from the southern part of India.
“Therefore the auction, which will take place in Bangalore and has been organised for the first time, would emphasise on the south angle,” Jayaram told IANS.
The preview, which took place in the capital Tuesday evening, will travel to Bangalore for a preview beginning Jan 21 and ending Jan 24, culminating with the auction on the same evening.
Among the classics, Raza’s “Charminar” took centre stage while Roy’s depiction of Krishna and the Gopis was quite an attraction as well.
In the contemporary art section, Ravi Kumar Kashi’s “What will people think” which showed a man and a woman kissing but their lips blurred, and love written in bold, captured the interest of many.
“The art works are an eclectic mix of some contemporary art as well as some classics. In all there are 131 art works with a lower estimate of Rs.100 million. Then there is another section of works of art from the Rocco, art nouveau, art deco and colonial periods that includes porcelain, silver, glass, frames and furniture.
“Basically the auction will offer something for everyone,” said M. Maher Dadha, chairman and managing director of Bid & Hammer.
The price range of the art works is Rs.30,000 to Rs.5 million.