QThe Creative India Series 1 and 2 saw a great response in December 2011 and January this year. What are the expectations heading into Series 3?
We have structured the Creative India Series as one large integrated auction, which with four steps, will help rebuild confidence and consolidate both the Osian’s Auction House and the Indian art market in various ways, most importantly re-focusing on the respect for history as the key driving force for valuations in the art market. Hopefully, the momentum and growth will continue, and given the high quality of the Mumbai and Baroda sale, I hope things progress as per the rebuilding plans laid out for the next 24 months.
Q: After nearly a gap of 18 months, Osian has had four monumental auctions to organise. Could you give us a behind-the-scenes glim-pse into the work that goes into organising something of this magnitude? Has splitting up the auction into four series been advantageous?
The first major task has been to split the auction house from all other divisions within Osian’s. This was the biggest burden upon us and myself, as so many non-auction related activities were compromising the auction house’s bandwidth and energy, which a specialised team requires. With this new freedom, the auction house and its team will now grow rapidly, with less obvious conflicts of interest and a greater focus on its core strengths of creating knowledge, awareness and sustainable financial values. Regarding the behind-the-scenes activity, all you need is passion, a love for the Arts and a deeply refined, intellectual, due diligence and anything is possible.
People forget how much hard work and research goes into a great auction and its catalogue. From provenance, authenticity, title and condition reports to the logistics of the preview exhibition, the client outreach, the public and media interaction, security, and so many other related issues from framing to insurance, packing to warehousing, legal contracts to vast administration issues — a diversity of expertise is simultaneously required. That is why after over 200 years there are only two great world-class auction houses — Sotheby’s and Christie’s — the only duopoly in the global economy for such a vast market. A few more are evolving, but far too few. Maybe with the shift of collector power and influence to Asia from Europe and the US, the situation may change in the decade to come.
Q: The Bengal masters — who are thought to have been neglected in favour of the Bombay Progressive artists — had a great platform in terms of the dedicated Creative India Series 1 platform. Is there something similar that you’re hoping to achieve with the upcoming Series 3?
The Mumbai and Baroda masters are already much better respected from an art market point of view. Though of course there are still many blind spots such as S.K. Bakre, H.A. Gade, Jeram Patel, V. Nageshkar, Nasreen Mohammedi, Altaf, Gieve Patel, Navjot, Piraji Sagara, among many others. Nonetheless, our task has always been to place the complete historical significance into context and never to promote any individual artist outside of that historicity.
The Bengal auction was truly brave, even though I say it myself, but you have to always break the limits, create new standards and frameworks, pioneer the next step which becomes the norm. Sometimes the gap for transformation is 10 to 12 years, if not 20 to 30 years. For example, an eminent artist such as Piraji Sagara and his creativity is probably unknown to more than 90 per cent of the so-called collector fraternity.
Q: Could you share with us an interesting anecdote about any of the works in series 3, for instance, how the drawing for the furniture design “Fantasy Series” by M.F. Husain was sourced, or anything that might be of interest to art lovers?
Every artwork has its own story and journey, from the days of rejection by the short-sighted collector base to the empty exhibitions and neglect once it leaves the artist’s studio.
People fail to realise how lonely the life of an artwork is. Here is a living creation, in which the human mind and heart has poured all its energy, vision, expertise, creativity, and by and large, most of the artworks fail to share themselves with humanity, whether purchased or remaining unsold.
The sheer loss of knowledge and creative energy to human existence is just not grasped at all. Anecdotes are thus a waste of time. The greatest artworks are destined to live in dark basements or wooden boxes for years, coming out for air, maybe for a few weeks in a lifetime of neglect.
Q: Is there any work/artist among the ones being presented at the auction that you are particularly excited about?
Everything that passes through the doors of Osian’s and my hands is loved, that is the truth, even if they stay for a month.
Anyone who walks into Osian’s can feel that energy, the art is the background, the atmosphere, some are heroes, some are character supports, but each is given a space of respect and love. I will really miss losing the K.G. Subramanyan ‘Windows III’ if I must choose one.
The Creative India Series 3: Bombay and Baroda works will be open for public viewing from March 18 to 22, between 9 am and 9 pm, at Osians, Nariman Bha-wan, Mumbai.