The inimitable Kishore Singh returns to the subject of art and the art market. He’s been away far too long. But in a post that celebrates signs that”the last few months have seen some of the euphoria of 2005-08 being revived, with entrepreneurs sniffing an opportunity and eyeing art as the big-ticket prospect for their futures.”

“Who,” I’ve been asked by at least a dozen hopefuls in the last dozen weeks, “will the next Raza and Husain be?” The corollary to that question is always, “Who will identify these new Razas and Husains?”

That question — or those questions — mark the transition phase of Indian art from talent (“isn’t it assumed?”) to the market where value alone is king. In asking where the next batch of masters will be hatched, these youngsters are anticipating not a new blitzkrieg of genius but returns on their investment. To state the truism that the next batting order to follow will be from the already acknowledged middle order may appear somewhat obvious, but what these market players want is for someone to identify — and hand over to them on a salver — a list of names from among those who have just started to practice their craft.

The Tide Turns (Business Standard)