In another indication of the growing prominence of contemporary Indian art, Bharti Kher has been recently invited to join the Absolut Vodka campaign. The artist addresses a number of sensitive issues like class and consumerism, and draws on her personal experiences to reflect on these. She is known for her appropriation of the motif of bindi, a red dot on the forehead of married women in India, looked at as a curious fashion accessory in the West.
Following in the footsteps of her celebrated artist-husband Subodh Gupta, she has interpreted deceptively simple-looking, albeit amazing Absolut Vodka bottle as part of its iconic ad campaign. Witty, yet sophisticated; contemporary, yet timeless; it has stretched the boundaries between art and ads, starting with the godfather of pop art, Andy Warhol. Damien Hirst, Stella McCartney, Francesco Clemente, Louise Bourgeois, and Gianni Versace are among the other celebrity contributors to this hugely applauded concept, all preserved at the Museum of Wine & Spirits, Stockholm.
A two-dimensional, six-feet tall bottle-shaped magnificent mirror installation by the renowned contemporary artist sports a swirl of bewildering bindis that she often uses as a metaphor for the third eye, to articulate and animate her intentions, conveying a range of connotations and meanings whilst transforming surfaces and objects.
When one stands before the dazzling design of Absolut Vodka bottle, blended in a bindi design with a contemporary touch, one can look at one’s own reflection in the broken mirror, well-framed in a vodka bottle’s shape.
It’s like seeing one own self inside - akin to a genie in a bottle. She elaborates: “I have used broken mirror to convey that it actually provides a chance to see your real self and that there’s nothing like considering it as a symbol of bad luck. It’s a reflection of your true self.” Her work will be displayed in different metros of India before being presented at the Indian Art Fair.
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