‘Password’ by L.N. Tallur at Nature Morte

Nature Morte presents six new sculptures by L.N. Tallur first exhibited in his solo ‘Quintessential’ at Mumbai’s Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, curated by Dr. Tasneem Mehta) as part of its on-going program to invite talented contemporary artists to create new works in dialogue with the late 19th Century applied and decorative art collection.

This invitation was apt for L.N. Tallur, as he holds a degree in Museology . Born in 1971 in Karnataka, he received a BFA degree in painting from the Chamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts in Mysore in 1996, an MFA degree in Museology from the MS University in Baroda in 1998, and an MA in Fine Art from the Metropolitan University in Leeds, UK, in 2002. His solos have been held at Arario Gallery, Beijing (2010); Chemould Prescott Road, Mumbai (2009); Arario Gallery, New York (2008); Arario Gallery, Seoul (2007); Bose Pacia, New York (2000); and Chemould Gallery, Mumbai (1999).

An accompanying note to his new series mentions: "Most of his work tends to appropriates classical Indian sculptures or references various methods of the presentation and display of objects. He re-fabricated some objects from the museum’s collection to use in his own works, while also creating works that spoke about cross-cultural exchange and the construction of value."

Three works on view at the Gurgaon venue of Nature Morte employ reproductions of 19th Century vitrines, sourced from the museum’s collection. In all of the works, his sardonic sense of humor is evident, exploring his trademark manipulations of cultural artifacts to create sculptures that are both figurative and abstract, robust in their handling of materials but also cerebral in the issues they address, the release adds.

In addition to receiving an award from the Sanskriti Foundation of New Delhi in 2003 and being one of the nominees for the 2012 Skoda Prize, L.N. Tallur has featured at many group exhibitions across the globe. His large-scale installation entitled “Souvenir Maker” was recently exhibited at the Devi Foundation in Gurgaon and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Singapore.