The Progressive Revolution: Modern Art for a New India

Synopsis

Formed Just Months After The 1947 Partition Of India And During Tremendous Violence And Protest, The Progressive Artists Group (pag) Included Artists Seeking A Break With Their Country's Past And Its Cultural Constraints. For Nearly A Decade These Painters And Sculptors Explored Ideas About Art For A New Nation. Through Lush Illustrations And Scholarly Essays, This Volume Looks At The Brand Of Modernism The Group Espoused And Its Relevance And Importance To Contemporary Art. The Careers Of Artists K.h. Ara, B.r. Athaiya, S.k. Bakre, H.a. Gade, V.s. Gaitonde, M.f. Husain, Krishen Khanna, Ram Kumar, Tyeb Mehta, Akbar Padamsee, S.h. Raza, Mohan Samant, And F.n. Souza Are Presented In Three Sections. 'the Realists' Explores How Artists Turned Away From The Trauma Of Mumbai And Toward Folk And Rural Culture. 'india International' Demonstrates How The Progressives Mined Contemporary Artists Such As Mark Rothko, Paul Klee, And Pablo Picasso To Create Their Own Distinct Genre. 'masters Of The Game' Brings Together Works Created After The Pag's Dissolution And Shows How These Pieces Collectively Gave Visual Form To The Idea Of India As Secular, Heterogeneous, International, And United. A Valuable Examination Of The Ways Artistic Expression Can Preserve And Advance Its Cultural Heritage, This Volume Captures An Exciting Time In India's Art History. A Progressive Revolution? The Modern And The Securlar In Indian Art / Zehra Jumabhoy -- The Rise Of Modern Art And The Progressives / Yashodhara Dalmia -- Alkazi And The Progressives : Unraveling Multiple Strands Of Indian Modernity / Amal Allana -- The Secular Eye / Faisal Devji -- Indira As Muse In The Art Of M. F. Husain : Politics And Patronage / Gayatri Sinha -- Troublesome Entanglements : Art And The Asian Nation / Boon Hui Tan -- Plates. -- Progressives In Their Time : Shock Of The New ; People Of The New India -- National/international -- Master Of The Game : Sourcing A Lost Masterpiece: Souza's 1963 Crucifixtion / Conor Macklin. Zehra Jumabhoy And Boon Hui Tan ; With Additional Contributions By Amal Allana, Yashodhara Dalmia, Faisal Devji, Conor Macklin, And Gayatri Sinha. Exhibition Catalog. Published On The Occasion Of An Exhibition Held At Asia Society Museum, New York, September 14, 2018 - January 20, 2019. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 203-204) And Index.