bewitching black: prabhakar barwe’s tryst with textile & pop art
Born in 1936 in Nagaon, Maharashtra, Prabhakar Barwe was one of the foremost Indian modernists of his time. Grandson to famed sculptor V.P. Karmarkar and son to an artist as well, Barwe was introduced to art at a young age. With encouragement from his family, he pursued his passion at the Sir J.J. School of Art, graduating in 1959.
(Bewitching Black by Prabhakar Barwe | 1968 | Mixed media on canvas | 42 x 54 in)
Shortly after, he joined the Weaver’s Service Centre established by activist Pupul Jayakar. The centre’s aim was to promote weavers and artisans from the country and worked alongside many acclaimed artists to create textile designs. The artists would collaborate with weavers to create designs that would also financially support their careers. Artists such as Gopal Adivrekar, Ramesh Waghela and Anand Mohan Naik were also part of this endeavour. In 1961, the artist was posted to the Varanasi wing of the Centre, where he worked alongside artists such as K.G. Subramanyam, Gautam Waghela and Ambadas. The creative powerhouses would often gather to discuss and critique artworks and practices, nurturing and fuelling their individual practices. He returned to Mumbai in 1965 after which he continued to work with Weavers’ Service Centre for another two decades.
His stint in Varanasi was immensely inspirational for the artist as he was introduced to Tantric philosophy during the time. This would lead to him pioneering the neo-Tantra movement in the country, creating geometric shapes of great meaning and symbolism.
Even his return to Mumbai did not deter the artist from continuing to explore subjects like consciousness and energy in the abstract. His preoccupation with abstraction is evidenced in the presented lot as well. Lot no. 28 in AstaGuru’s upcoming auction is titled ‘Bewitching Black’. The mixed media on canvas work executed in 1968 that is composed of abstract forms surrounded by playing cards. During this time period, artists in the country had been introduced to the Pop Art movement and began to incorporate mixed media and vibrant colours into their works. The usage of fabrics is testimony to the impact working with weavers and creating designs on textiles had on Barwe.
During his lifetime, Prabhakar Barwe received several awards including the Academy of Fine Arts award (1963), Bombay Art Society award (1964 and 1968), Lalit Kala Akademi’s National Award and the Maharashtra state award (1976). He was also part of several group shows around the country and the world such as international biennales in France (1976) and Chile (1989), ‘Six Painters’ in Washington (1983) and Istanbul (1985). He also held an impactful solo exhibition in 1963 in Wisconsin, USA.
AstaGuru’s ‘Masters Legacy' Modern Indian Art auctions offers a chance to acquire unique masterpieces by some of the most eminent masters of Modern Indian Art like M.V. Dhurandhar, Nicholas Roerich, M.F. Husain, Jamini Roy, S.H. Raza, F.N. Souza, K.H. Ara, Bikash Bhattacharjee, Ganesh Pyne, Krishen Khanna, Rameshwar Broota. The collection of 40 works offer an in-depth look into the varied oeuvres of artists that changed the face of Modern Indian Art.
The auction is scheduled to be held on April 29-30, 2023. Please visit our website to view the entire catalogue.
About AstaGuru
AstaGuru was conceptualised in the year 2008 with the sole purpose of creating a safe and secure platform to conduct online auctions for Indian, Contemporary & Modern Art. The word AstaGuru is a thoughtful conjugation of ‘Asta’, of Italian origin, which translates to auction and ‘Guru’, Sanskrit connotation for ‘master’ that indicates our distinguished finesse at being the leaders of auctioneering art and artefacts in India as well as globally. With the world melting into one harmonious digital cosmos, AstaGuru has strived to successfully bridge the gap between prospective buyers and consignors by transcending the limitations of live auctions. AstaGuru imparts effortless transparency to the process of acquiring and selling art and rare collectables. Our diverse portfolio includes categories such as Jewellery & Fine Silver, Timepieces, Textiles, Celebrity Memorabilia, Rare Books, Numismatic, Philately and Vintage Cars. AstaGuru’s mobile app enables our esteemed bidders to follow and participate in our auctions seamlessly, and in real-time.
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