The New Figurative Art and Modern Art from 1980s and 1990s

• • Painters like K. G. Subramanyan, Gulam Mohammed Sheikh, and Bhupen Khakar in Baroda were among the first to include narrative elements into their works
  • Through West Bengal, artists such as Jogen Chowdhury, Bikash Bhattacharjee, and Ganesh Pyne have depicted the state of society in their work. They looked at historical miniature paintings and popular art forms such as calendars and folk art to find inspiration
  • Figurative paintings of humans and animals may be seen in the work of printmakers such as Jyoti Bhatt (Devi), Laxma Goud (Man Woman, Tree), and Anupam Sud (Of Walls) as a method to depict the conflict between men and women in a society rife with societal inequalities
  • Arpita Singh, Nalini Malani, Sudhir Patwardhan, and others have focused their attention on the condition of individuals who live in metropolitan areas, particularly in the United States
  • The Baroda Art School, which was established in the late 1950s and opened its doors in the 1980s, marked a significant shift in mindset
    • In the way artists saw their local environment, there was a shift in the way they approached their work
    • Many artists grew conscious of their responsibility as citizens in a democratic society during this time, and social and political issues made their way into the creative creation of the time
    • They figured out a method to incorporate reality and fantasy
    • Painter Gulam Mohammed Sheikh would depict the bustling pathways of the ancient market in Baroda while also conjuring a medieval village in Siena and the manner of Italian painters such as the Lorenzetti brothers in his works
  • K. G. Subramanya was particularly interested in mural art or figurative painting on huge public structures that could be viewed by the whole public, as opposed to private residences
    • He was drawn to the method of sand casting, which was well-known among the artisans of Rajasthan at the time. He gained knowledge from them on how to build large-scale relief sculptures or figurative paintings by repeating the fundamental unit of form over and over again
    • K. G. Subramanya did not want art to be restricted to art galleries but rather to be integrated into public structures so that everyone might enjoy it
  • In 1981, a famous exhibition titled ‘Place for People’ showcased the artist’s point of view on art and society. Bhupen Khakhar, Gulam Mohammed Sheikh, Vivan Sundaram, Nalini Malani, Sudhir Patwardhan, and Jogen Chowdhury were among the six artists who participated in the exhibition that was displayed in both Delhi and Bombay
  • The experiences of queer men and their struggle with middle-class morality were painted with the same earnestness by a painter like Bhupen Khakhar, who painted the local barber or watched repairman with the same earnestness
  • Undoubtedly, the Baroda figurative painters made a significant contribution via their diverse interest in and acceptance of common art forms that can be seen everywhere, from trucks on highways to auto-rickshaws, in back alleyways of tiny towns, and in little stores
  • Celebrities and iconic pictures from calendars, commercials, and cinema hoardings served as inspiration for the city of Mumbai. These artists went so far as to use photographic pictures printed on canvas to create their works

New Media Art from the 1990s:

• • • Artists started to explore new methods to express themselves in response to changing circumstances
    • Artists have produced a variety of media, such as easel painting and sculpture
    • The newly accessible medium, namely, video, was what drew their attention instead. Even photography seemed to be appealing since it permitted multiple copies to be sent to a large number of people at the same time
    • It gave a means of bringing together different mediums such as painting, sculpture, photography, video, and even television in one location
    • In this context, it is not unexpected that most early installation artists were from major cities, such as Nalini Malani of Mumbai and Vivan Sundaram of Delhi. They were among the first to work in this field. Their subject matter, on the other hand, was depressing and thought-provoking
    • The development of a new method known as “photorealism” was celebrated at the exhibition Bapu at the Rene Block Gallery in New York, which included work by Atul Dodiya
    • Many younger painters employed oil or acrylic paint to paint in the style of a picture or television screen, which was popular at the time
    • Santosh and Shibu Natesan employed photorealism to make social commentary on communal violence on the one hand. At the same time, they provided us with a peek of the new appearance that Indian cities had acquired as a result of technical improvements
    • Sheba Chachi, Ravi Agarwal, and Atul Bhalla, among many others, photographed those who live on the outside of society and are seldom seen in our daily lives, such as women ascetics, homosexuals, and so on

Contemporary art is continually evolving with artists and curators experimenting with technology and reinventing the function of art to better comprehend the world. Even social media has played a vital impact in shaping local art.

Conclusion

Painting regained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s, as indicated by the growth of neo-expressionism and the resurgence of figurative painting. And it is in this context that painters such as K. G. Subramanyan, Gulam Mohammed Sheikh, and Bhupen Khakar should be included.