Alchemy Mapin Publishing

Alchemy

Contemporary Indian Painting and Miniature Traditions
Geeti Sen

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A miniature painting holds wondrous powers, beyond its defined space. A single image can summon up a world of adventures, enclosed chambers, gardens, rivers, lakes, forests, flowers, and an infinite variety of trees in bloom. Miniatures were conceived as sets of narrative illustrations based on classic texts such as the Gita Govinda, the Ramayana, the Bhagavata Purana, the Ragamala and the Rasamanjari. The representation of the nayaka and the nayika—the hero and heroine—is perhaps the most popular theme, focusing on dramatic enactment and the impermanence of emotions. Miniatures continue to hold their appeal well into the 21st century. Contemporary artists of importance have imbibed influences from miniature traditions, in technique, theme and colouration. This book explores a relationship between Indian contemporary painting and inspiration from medieval miniatures.
The author has selected to study the art of five significant artists—Abanindranath Tagore, Manjit Bawa, Waswo X. Waswo, Rakesh Vijayvargiya, and Nilima Sheikh—who have resourced and reinvented iconic traditions, with different perspectives and using different techniques. Accompanied with splendid illustrations, the essays bring to attention the Indian art of today, with the magical transformation of older concepts and techniques in miniature painting into contemporary practice.

Geeti Sen is a cultural historian, professor, art critic and editor, trained at the Universities of Chicago and Calcutta. Sen was the art critic for The Times of India, Mumbai, Assistant Editor at Marg, the prestigious art journal, art critic for India Today, New Delhi, and from 1990 to 2006, she was appointed the Chief Editor at the India International Centre, New Delhi. She is the author of several books, including Feminine Fables: Imaging the Indian Woman in Painting, Photography and Cinema (Mapin, 2002) and Bindu: Space and Time in Raza’s Vision (1992, reprint 2020).

Foreword
Introduction: Inspiration From Miniature Painting
The Reinvention of the Miniature: Abanindranath Tagore
Mythic Encounters: Manjit Bawa
Horizons of Intimacy: Waswo X. Waswo and R. Vijay
Resourcing the Narrative: Nilima Sheikh
Afterword
Bibliography
ISBN 9789394501638
Pages 148
Number of illustrations 69
Size 8 x 10.25” (203 x 260 mm), sc with gatefold
Date of Publishing Nov. 2024
Language(s) English
Co-publisher(s) Mapin Publishing
Rights Available World rights

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