Even collectors, who have recently arrived on the scene, follow suit. As a result, the Progressives’ hold on the auction market has been rather firm. They occupy a large chunk of the secondary sales market, according to analysts. However, it is disconcerting that several deserving names have only remained at the peripheries of popular perception.
Thankfully, many Indian contemporaries have seen their fortunes worldwide take a positive turn. For this, they must thank the maverick London based collector, Charles Saatchi. It’s not that India does not boast of such influential names. For example, Anupam Poddar has certainly made a very vital contribution to the development of Indian contemporary art. But the media somehow is not so vigorous in pursuing and sharing his passion. Elaborating on this tendency, The Business Standard art writer Kishore Singh asks in a recent article:
“Can you recall the reticent collector (Devi Art founder) feeding the media interesting information about his recent buys? Sugar baroness Rajshree Pathy might well be more flamboyant (and also a bit more eclectic in her selection), yet her buys seldom make news (She owns a fantastic collection in her Delhi home and intends to set up an art university & museum in Coimbatore). Other known collectors like Rajesh Sawara and Ashok Alexander also have refused (or been deprived of) the spotlight.”What the Indian art scene probably needs is a pool of collectors that will drive the media attention towards new artists. Someone clearly needs to take up the mantle on their behalf. The time has come for the new shift…
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