Thursday, June 10, 2010

‘The Progressives & Associates’ at Grosvenor, London

The Progressive Artists Group's emergence was essentially a reaction to the then dominant streak in the form of the Bombay Art Society. It had dismissed FN Souza as amateur and even rejected KH Ara’s work ‘Independence Day Procession’.

The two artists along with HA Gade launched a group. They both brought other eminent artists to the fold. Souza brought MF Husain whereas Ara and Gade brought in SK Bakre and SH Raza fold. Formed in 1947, the group started exhibiting their works to a wider audience. Outlining the group’s philosophy, Raza had stated:
“What we had in common besides our youth and lack of means was that we hoped for a better understanding of art. We had a sense of searching; we fought the material world.”
There were regular meetings and discussions held that built a fraternal feeling, warmth and also an exchange of ideas. They criticized each other’s works and eulogized about it. This was a phase when there was hardly any modern art in India. It was a phase of utter artistic confusion that Raza had described it as follows:
“We were torn between western academic ideas and traditonal Indian art springing from Renaissance. The works of the French Impressionists and the German Expressionists inspired us and we were particularly indebted to Irving Stone’s book Lust for Life, on Van Gogh’s life.”
The Progressive Artists, as they termed themselves, rejected the Bengal school’s ‘revivalistic’ methods. They also opposed the academic styles followed at the schools that were set up by the British. With a thrust towards modernism, the late artist Souza noted in the catalogue of their debut exhibit:
“Today we paint with absolute freedom for content and technique, almost anarchic, save that we are governed by one or two sound elemental and eternal laws, of aesthetic order, plastic co-ordination and color composition.”
The new exhibition at London based Grosvenor Gallery has some significant works by the PAG artists, although not all works necessarily from the Progressive period. It's worth a look!

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