A show that addresses the theme of derivation in today's art

‘Spiral Jetty’, a group show at New Delhi based gallery Nature Morte features works by Anita Dube, Abhishek Hazra, Josh P.S., Pushpamala N., Jeffrey Schiff, Seher Shah, and Mithu Sen. It refers to American sculptor Robert Smithson’s famous earthwork. Constructed in 1970, it comprised countless boulders arranged in the Great Salt Lake’s shallow waters.

The title also denotes the form of the spiral, which turns inward, reflecting upon itself. The exhibition addresses the theme of derivation implicit in contemporary art. In fact, usually employed in a pejorative sense, ‘derivative’ is a condition of all human endeavors, as all aspects of science and culture tend to build on available historical data.

For today’s aware and progressive artist, derivation represents a condition that needs to be acknowledged as well as confronted, certainly not disregarded or denied. The exhibit brings together works of seven renowned artists who handle a wide variety of mediums, such as painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, video and installation. Elaborating on the core theme and the works, a press release states:

“Much contemporary art today is both highly self-conscious of its antecedents and refers directly to its own patrimony or influences in its making. The artists refer to pre-existing forms or images, recycling these into new creations. In some cases, the source materials that have been recycled are obvious, as in Josh P.S. paintings that re-create in an epic scale small sepia-toned photos from the colonial era, and Seher Shah's prints, combining found architectural photos with her reconfigured drawings.

“They consciously evoke the whole art movements or schools of thought in a more abstracted mode like the sculptures of Anita Dube and Jeffrey Schiff. Abhishek Hazra and Mithu Sen, directly appropriate images from works by Yves Klein and Egon Schiele to create entirely new pieces that decipher the relationship between these historical artists and our current context.”

Pushpamala N. in her ‘travelogue’ photographs dons traditional costumes from different cultures. Her portraits are shot in studios around the world. By combining her travel experiences with our reconceived vestiges of international travel, the artist makes a statement on the continuing aspiration for ‘authenticity’ despite a rapidly globalizing mass-culture.