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Lot 81

 

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Manjit Bawa shared with his modernist peers a common vision to create a new language for Indian art, one that drew from the country’s indigenous traditions as well as movements and techniques from the West. Yet he steered clear of prevalent art movements, determined to develop a painterly style that was undeniably his own, one that is exemplified by the present lot. He prioritised aesthetics over narrative, with minimalist compositions, fluid... Manjit Bawa shared with his modernist peers a common vision to create a new language for Indian art, one that drew from the country’s indigenous traditions as well as movements and techniques from the West. Yet he steered clear of prevalent art movements, determined to develop a painterly style that was undeniably his own, one that is exemplified by the present lot. He prioritised aesthetics over narrative, with minimalist compositions, fluid forms, and a vibrant colour palette that became his trademark. He explained, “Like Rabindranath Tagore, I would like to say that to me, this visible world is a vast procession of forms. And furthermore, my artist’s pen wishes to recapture this play of forms-not in any emotional, sentimental or intellectual manner, but purely for the sake of assembling different forms together…” (Artist quoted in “My Tryst With the Flautist”, Manjit Bawa, Mumbai: Sakshi Gallery, 2002, p. 6)

The artist’s subject matter was influenced by Indian culture, mythology, and Sikh oral traditions. He also had a deep, lifelong fascination with nature and frequently incorporated animals like goats, bulls, and birds into his art, either on their own or in relation to human figures. His commitment to perfecting his art through constant practice and his interest in Sufi philosophy lend his works a transcendental quality. As seen in the present lot, the artist pared down the subject of his paintings to their essential form and placed them against flat, vibrantly coloured backgrounds, which makes them appear to float in suspended animation. Devoid of narrative, these compositions straddle the line between reality and the surreal. The flowing lines and departure from conventional perspective indicate the influence of Indian miniature painting on his work. As artist Jagdish Swaminathan once wrote, “Manjit’s figure is at once an assertion of a tradition and its negation. It hardly owes anything to the realism of the West and its expressionistic aftermath. If any linkage has to be traced, perhaps, it could be related to the Pahari miniature tradition or even to pre-miniature Pahari painting. There is a certain bonelessness, a pneumatic quality to Manjit’s figure which echoes both folk Pahari painting and the tantric frescoes of Himalayan Buddhism.” (Jagdish Swaminathan, “Dogs Too Keep Night Watch”, S Kalidas, Bhavna Bawa et al, Manjit Bawa: Let’s Paint the Sky Red, New Delhi: Vadehra Art Gallery, 2011, p. 36)

The subtle tonal contrasts that Bawa used to convey depth and volume in his figures, as well as in the flat homogenous colour fields of his backgrounds reflect his training in silk screen printing. However, it is his distinctive choice of colour that truly anchors his art to India. As the artist himself has expressed, “...the prevalent use of dull, fashionably ‘European’ colours-blue, grey, beige-are foreign to my imagination or vocabulary. Childhood impressions of fleeting russet sunsets remain forever inside my mind’s eye; like the vibrant pinks, greens, yellow, purples and other colours that paint our Indian landscape in bold shades, I seek to make them an integral part of my language.” (Artist quoted in Ina Puri, Manjit Bawa…in His Own Words, New Delhi: Roli Books, 2000, pp. 12-13)

Bawa’s dexterity with the brush was rooted in his skills as a draughtsman. He began drawing at age 13, and once remarked, “Drawing was always my greatest strength and I loved the process so much that my hands always seemed to move of their own accord…leaving flowing lines in their wake.” (Puri, p. 12) Even as an adult he maintained a sketchbook of drawings, many of which would evolve into complete works in themselves or serve as the foundation for future paintings. Capturing the essence of his artistic brilliance, critic S Kalidas writes, “Manjit’s art was not so much narrative as it was tersely idiomatic. Short staccato phrases pregnant with as many possibilities as the reader could read into them... Yet, with just the right gesture or a twist of the rubbery body his magical paintings could encapsulate whole Puranic legends and folk tales with a subversive sense of humour.” (S Kalidas, p. 19)

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