Art Market Monitor

Global Coverage ~ Unique Analysis

  • AMMpro
  • AMM Fantasy Collecting Game
  • Podcast
  • Contact Us

India's Outsider Art

August 18, 2009 by Marion Maneker

Pundole Gallery

The New York Times Globespotters blog ventures into the world of Rural art in India which has a status akin to folk art in the West. But how to label it? That’s the questions:

the exhibits raise an interesting debate: some resent the easy labeling of rural artists as” folk” or “tribal,” arguing that such categories pigeonhole artists and prevent them from getting the respect they deserve.

“We have to look beyond the tribal label,” said Khorshed Pundole of the Pundole Art Gallery, who has been collecting these artists along with her husband and co-owner Dadiba Pundole over the last five years, said. “Their concerns are the same as ours: global warming, pollution, the destruction of ecosystems.”

In recent years, contemporary non-metropolitan artists (the clumsy but preferred term for the artists formerly known as “folk”) have attracted interest at art fairs, though art critics say they are still immensely undervalued. A painting by Jangarh Singh Shyam sold for 2500 euros (about $3500) at a recent Paris auction, while a Bhuri Bai work sold at Sotheby’s for $5000.

The works do tend to draw on common images. At the Pundole show, the tree of life is a common motif. Playful turtles, crocodiles, herons, tigers, snakes and boars are stippled in brilliant colors and intricate patterns. Many paintings seem to be inspired by the clash between man and nature; others draw on traditional embroidery techniques and folk tales.

Rural Art Gets Respect at Two Mumbai Exhibits (Globespotters/New York Times)

More from Art Market Monitor

  • Can Machine Learning Beat the Warhol and Rothko Markets?Can Machine Learning Beat the Warhol and Rothko Markets?
  • Sotheby’s Earnings Call Boosted BID 20%Sotheby’s Earnings Call Boosted BID 20%
  • Does the Art World Really Hate Bravo's Show?Does the Art World Really Hate Bravo's Show?
  • 280,000 Viewers Watch Christie’s Live-Streamed $341 M. Evening Sale Featuring Rothko, Twombly and a T. Rex280,000 Viewers Watch Christie’s Live-Streamed $341 M. Evening Sale Featuring Rothko, Twombly and a T. Rex
  • The Fate of Lehman's ArtThe Fate of Lehman's Art
  • Christie’s Middle Eastern Art Comes to London with El GazzarChristie’s Middle Eastern Art Comes to London with El Gazzar

Filed Under: Emerging Markets

About Marion Maneker

LiveArt

Want to get Art Market Monitor‘s posts sent to you in our email? Sign up below by clicking on the Subscribe button.

  • About Us/ Contact
  • Podcast
  • AMMpro
  • Newsletter
  • FAQ

twitterfacebooksoundcloud
Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
California Privacy Rights
Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Advertise on Art Market Monitor
 

Loading Comments...