Important milestones in Gallery Chemould’s journey

• Gallery Chemould, founded by Kekoo and Khorshed Gandhy, is one of India's oldest established (1963) commercial art galleries. It has the distinction of having represented major artists, such as Tyeb Mehta, S.H. Raza, Bhupen Khakkar, Nalini Malani, Atul Dodiya and Jitish Kallat, emerging from the first waves of India's modernist and contemporary art movements, in first-time solo shows.

• The Gandhy's began their long association with contemporary art during the late 1940s, in the early years of the modernist art movement in post-Independence India. Their role and involvement as facilitators and promoters in this cultural climate has come to be seen as integral to the existing scene around the visual arts in the country.

• The Chemould story started in 1941 with the establishment of Chemould Frames, Kekoo Gandhy's frame manufacturing business, through which he came to know the then young K. H. Ara, S. H. Raza, K. K. Hebbar and M. F. Husain. At a time when there were practically no venues for showing modernist art in the city Kekoo began to use his show room window to exhibit their works in specially designed frames while also promoting them to prospective clients. The show room thus became a site for small, informal solo shows such as that of M. F. Husain's in 1951.

• In 1947 Kekoo Gandhy became the Honorary Secretary of the Bombay Art Society, the most significant art institution in the city at that time. In 1963, Kekoo was offered the opportunity to run a small gallery space on the first floor of the Jehangir Art Gallery. He named it Gallery Chemould and started a select sponsoring art gallery. Through the 1950s, 60s and 70s Chemould promoted Ram Kumar, Tyeb Mehta, J. Swaminathan and Sabavala, and introduced to Bombay Bhupen Khakhar, Arpita Singh, Laxma Goud, Paritosh Sen, Bikash Bhattacharjee and Ganesh Pyne.

• Chemould's activities were spread to other parts of the country through branches in Delhi and Kolkata and through traveling exhibitions. Among the major exhibitions then organized by Chemould were: M. F. Husain's 21 Years of Painting in 1968, and the 1974 and 1987 Bombay Arts Festivals. Special Exhibitions to promote tribal and folk arts, such as that of well-known Warli artist Jivya Soma Mashe, were also conceptualized.

A homage to Kekoo Gandhy

A true mentor and patron

Guru, mentor, aficionado, patron, inspiration, critic  Kekoo Gandhy was diversely designated, defining the country's art scene through World War II, Independence, the Progressive Artists' Group and post-1960s civic struggles. Virtually all the talents of those years owe him their careers, from M F Husain, Tyeb Mehta, Ram Kumar and SH Raza to Bhupen Khakhar, Nalini Malani, Atul Dodiya and Jitish Kallat. Yet the benign, kurta-clad figure behind these prized discoveries modestly shrugged: "It's a matter of good fortune. I just happened to sow seeds and some fell on fertile ground."

Walking with a slight stoop, his six-foot frame would straighten as he excitedly relived his role as key witness to the birth of the Progressives. "They were lovely human beings, trusting, beautiful! I told myself, your mission is to promote them, be the link between the unknown and the rich."

-    Meher Marfatia, Mumbai Mirror

An art connoisseur who loved colorful works

Gandhy made it a point to attend every single art exhibition and event he was invited to. Unlike many other gallerists today, who prefer not to visit other galleries, Gandhy would go to other galleries to see new works and interact with artists. He loved to do that. Until last year, even weak and walking with difficulty, one would often see him at the Jehangir Art Gallery, pondering with equal interest the works of new and established artists. As an art connoisseur, he loved colorful works and told me that he liked my paintings. I was delighted. It was a big deal to be praised by Gandhy, one of the greatest art collectors and gallerists of his time.

-    Brinda Miller As told to Riddhi Doshi of The HT 

He shape the post-colonial Indian art

“Gandhy was a pioneer who helped shape the post-colonial Indian art world, both as a gallerist and as a committed builder and supporter of institutions in the domain of arts as well as in civil society,” said Mumbai-based art historian Ranjit Hoskote. When there were practically no venues in the city for showing modernist art, Gandhy would use his showroom window as an informal exhibiting space for artists such as Husain and also seek prospective clients for them.

-    Sankhayan Ghosh, The Indian Express

Louise Blouin Media group launches India-centric venture

India’s art scene is vibrant as one can conclude after sensing the mood at the country’s financial and commercial capital Mumbai. It continues to attract collectors, investors, connoisseurs, auction houses and galleries.

Above is the observation made by writer Nithin Belle in The Khaleej Times news report, titled ‘The future bright for Art world’ (Mumbai Musing) on eve of an upcoming India Art Festival at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (November 28- December 2). It will host roughly 40 galleries and over 500 artists from 50 across international cities, expected to draw thousands of visitors. The article outlines the ambitious plans of Louise Blouin Media group to tap India’s potential as a fast-rising art hub. It notes:

India is emerging as a major player in the art world and the works of many contemporary artists are fetching record prices at auctions around the globe. Not surprisingly, one of the world’s top cultural media groups, Louise Blouin Media (LBM), has also drawn up ambitious plans to tap this market. Montreal-born Louise Blouin, chairman and CEO of the eponymous media house, recently launched the India edition of Artinfo. Says Louise: “India is a fabulous country and I have been travelling extensively. There is great culture and I am excited about covering the events here.”

In fact, impressed about the cultural knowledge and the expertise available in the country, LBM has decided to set up an operation in Bangalore, hiring about 200 to 300 writers, art history experts, critics and the like. She says the Bangalore office will be involved in product development and will not be an outsourcing unit. “It is a big investment for us and I am excited about it,” says Louise. “Our first goal is to get the communication going for free across India,” adds Louise. “And our next mission is to take Indian news and happenings in the art world to our international sites.”

The portal also has Blouin Art Sales Index, which includes an art price database, indices relating to 3,000 individual artists and over 4.6 million fine art and design records. Louise also plans to start an Arabic and English version of the portal focused on the Middle East market.

An artist who treats paintings as psychological landscapes

Thomas Erben gallery in New York hosts a solo show by the New York-based eminent painter Haeri Yoo, who has based her works on a tangle of dichotomies with conflicting forces that struggle to form a precarious state of balance constantly. Channeling opposing impulses like delight and darkness, wonder and violence, or narration and abstraction, she looks to establish an animated visuality that gets enhanced through intense colors, oscillating between jarringly sweet and equally polluted.

Another aspect central to her work is the dynamic between spontaneity and control. The influence of calligraphy attributed to her Korean background is evident in the usage of swift brushstrokes that allows the medium of painting itself to dictate the visual conditions for all pieces. This intuitive element gets tempered with her intent, balancing intrinsic energy flow with restraint.

Haeri Yoo received her BFA from Kyungbook National University, Korea (1992) and her MFA from the Pratt Institute of Arts, NY (1997). She has exhibited at numerous venues and events, such as Korean Art Show, NY (2012); Five Miles, NY (curator Lilly Wei, 2011); the Chelsea Art Museum, NY (2010); Monica de Cardenas Gallery, Milan, Kresge Art Museum, MI, and the Seoul Art Center (all 2009); House of Campari, NY (curator Simon Watson), Smith College Museum of Art, MA (both 2008); and Queens Museum of Art (2004).  Her work was recently included in ‘Korean Eye’, Saatchi Gallery, where it will also be part of ‘Painters’ Painters’.

The artist has described her paintings as psychological landscapes, depicting the darker areas of the human experience such as vulnerability, cruelty and sexual subjugation. Initially, this was represented through distinctly figurative, carnal imagery, whereas in her second show she moved further into abstraction, fracturing the space of each painting into complex structures and chopping up the body almost beyond recognition.

In the new series on view, entitled ‘Running Pit’, the calligraphic brushstroke is given a stronger influence, and abstract space is simplified, with a boldness that does not sacrifice complexity. Where Yoo previously mutated reality into something resembling a Rorschach test for the darker sides of human behavior, her current work opens up toward the reality of painting itself.

Highlights of Abu Dhabi Art fair 2012

Abu Dhabi Art claims to be much more than a ubiquitous art fair. It strives to act a dynamic platform for fast-evolving modern & contemporary art from across the region through a series of public programs and exhibitions that bring together a careful selection of top international art galleries and artists from around the world. Now in its fourth edition, the fair again showcased an amazing variety of works; from those in a dedicated section for today’s emerging artists already having been proved popular with eclectic collectors to museum-quality pieces.

The exclusive selection of some of several leading galleries collates into a stunning show of artworks. The exhibitors and visitors represent renowned art dealers and collectors, apart from established artists, cutting-edge newcomers and a top selection of art from the region.

Saadiyat Cultural District

Unprecedented in scale and scope, Saadiyat Cultural District turns into a centre for global culture, drawing local, regional and international visitors with unique exhibitions, permanent collections, productions and performances. The UAE Pavilion, designed by Foster + Partners, was on display for six months at Expo 2010 Shanghai, showcasing exhibitions that highlight the history of the UAE. Now located in its permanent home beside Manarat Al Saadiyat, the pavilion will be a new landmark exhibition and events venue.

Design galleries and Art Zone

Abu Dhabi Art has featured design galleries since it launched in 2009 and has introduced a specific design section of the fair this year. This builds on its strong design program which included Design workshops for the public. One emerging gallery is selected to take part in Bidaya, which translated from Arabic means ‘the start, the beginning’. Art Zone is a specially designed art space dedicated to children & families to enjoy multiple art activity stations, plus art-making easel areas. It is a friendly, easy to access and inspiring art environment for families with children aged 2 to 12 years old.

Panel discussions

There were many panel discussions like that one that looked at the growing importance of the UAE and wider Middle East in the global art market. Another one with the artists in this year’s Art, Talks and Sensations involved Subodh Gupta, Camille Henrot, Fabrice Hyber, Tim Noble & Sue Webster, Matthieu Orlean and Camille Zakharia.

Mixed signals from Christie's auction

A magnificent Monet water lilies work went for almost $43.8 million while a painting by Kandinsky got an artist's record (close to $23 million) as Christie's auction house launched the season with a new sale. It witnessed several mid-level works of art failing to attract buyers.

One of Monet's iconic and much celebrated water lilies from the year 1905, ‘Nympheas’, was done during his stay at Giverny. It had been estimated to fetch $30- to $50 million. It managed to hit the middle range with a price of $43,762,500 (inclusive of commission). ‘Studie fur Improvisation 8’ by Wassily Kandinsky hit the lower end of its $20- $30 million price estimate, and still set an auction record for the renowned Russian artist. The vibrant artwork was on offer courtesy the Volkart Foundation from Switzerland.

Almost 30 percent of the artworks failed to find buyers when bids did not manage to reach the reserve. In all, the even took in just under $205 million, thus missing the mark of $210 million (the low pre-sale estimate). The high estimate incidentally was $315 million. Nonetheless, Christie's claimed it was satisfied with the overall results. The head of its Impressionist & Modern Art division, Brooke Lampley, was quoted as saying: "It was very, very strong sale, with great results" for top lots including the Monet, and a Brancusi sculpture ‘Une muse’, which sold for $12.4 million. Classic Impressionism performed really well tonight."

Lampley added that unusually high percentage of some discretionary selling (collectors deciding to sell, versus estate sales because the actual owner is deceased) at the sale was a sign that art collectors are feeling quite confident in the market currently. They are opting to sell, a testament to the growing strength of art as a bankable asset class.

The atmosphere in the sales room though was rather muted and for artworks that sold, overall bidding was just about steady and far from hectic and unbridled. Officials attributed the high percentage of works failing to sell chiefly to one single collection; its owner was not willing to bring down the reserve prices. In all, total six lots went for over $10 million each.

Sotheby's Impressionist & Modern Art auction

A portrait of his mystifying mistress by Picasso done in 1932 went for about $41.5 million at Sotheby's, helping reach a total of $163 million for its latest sale of ‘Impressionist & Modern Art’. It fell short of market expectations, nonetheless. Here’s a quick recap of the even as reported by the news agency ‘Reuters’

Picasso in spotlight

The auction featured nine works by Picasso led by ‘Nature morte aux tulipes’. Nearly one-third of the total 67 lots on offer were unsold. The auction missed its $170 million low pre-sale estimate. The two portraits of his iconic muse Marie-Therese Walter done by Picasso, ‘Femme a la Fenetre’ and ‘Nature morte’, managed their pre-sale estimates. The former fetched $17.2 million including commission.

Another Picasso, ‘Femme a la robe verte’, estimated at $6- $8 million, went unsold. While several artworks went within their estimated range and a few going significantly higher, there were casualties including another Picasso work, ‘Plant de tomate’, estimated at $10- $15 million. It couldn’t reach a $9 million bid. However, strong prices were recorded by his ‘Le Viol’ that soared to an impressive $13.5 million against an estimate range of $5 million, and ‘Champ de ble’ by Monet that went for nearly double the original estimate.

'Market in search of quality'

The sale demonstrated "that in this market there continues to be a search for quality," said Simon Shaw, Sotheby's head of Impressionist and modern art in New York, adding there was "active participation from today's truly global art market," but in a nod to the spotty results, conceded "there remains some scrutiny over estimates." David Norman, Sotheby's co-chairman of Impressionist and modern art, cited "increasing participation from South American, Asian and Russian bidders" that marked the sale.

The auction, coming a day after a rather affair at rival Christie's, is likely to slightly unsettle the art market to ahead of upcoming sales of post-war and contemporary art, a segment that has seen sharply escalating prices over the last decade or so. The results of both prominent sales were quite similar, from the their top lots' prices and percentage of artworks sold to buyers' rather carefully controlled bidding.