New Delhi: Veteran artist Tyeb Mehta's book Images, Ideas and Expressions was launched in the presence of an august audience on Saturday.
The book has been compiled by Vadehra Art Gallery and features Mehta's works ? including his rough sketches and sculptures ? some of which date back to 1959.
Renowned theatre personality Ebrahim Alkazi, while launching the book at the ITC Maurya Sheraton hotel, said: "His work is very vast. He has been far ahead of anything going on around in the world of art. He towers above them."
Tyeb, whose Mahishasura sold for $1.6 million at Christie's this year, while thanking all those present for the launch, said: "I wanted Alkazi to launch the book because he spoke about my work in 1959 and I want him to do so today."
A galaxy of painters including MF Husain, Ram Kumar, Kishen Khanna, Anjolie Ela Menon and Ramu Gandhi was present on the occasion.
"I haven't seen the book yet, I'm dying to see it but yes, it was greatly overdue," says artist Anjali Ela Menon.
For Mehta the book "It happens with time, everybody has their own time," he says.
Every book on an artist has a collection of works, but what makes Images, Ideas and Expressions stand out is a section of poems written by the artist himself.
"Assume that this conversation will remain incomplete, colours will continue to spill over space," reads one of the verses.
Tyeb's creative palette continued to spill as art lovers were treated to Koodal, a Filmfare critics award winning film that Mehta made in 1970.
A black and white medley of Carnatic music woven into the starkness of the studied moment, this film traversed the visual and verbal idiom that is quintessentially Tyeb.
Comments
0 comment