Pitalkhora, Ajanta and Ellora--the Art of ancient India

I have been exploring and revisting the ancient art of India in North and West India. Specifically I visited Deogarh In Uttar Pradesh near Lalitpur. Very difficult to arrive at Deogarh no regular transport not much for stay and no arrangement for food. But then if you have your angel with you does it really matter.The place has the temple from Gupt period 5th century the golden Age of India. the temple 'Dasavtara' is the first stand alone temple with a shikhara.
Next I moved to Ajanta in Maharastra to savour yet again the great murals and sculptures from Satavahana and Vakataka period.
Further away to Ellora where a spent three days (not enough for my studies.


                                                      A rare mural from Pitalkhora Caves

The Nature at Deogarh UP

the river is Betwa that divides UP and Madhya Pradesh

                                                         


                                                          Ajanta Murals--the golden height of Indian art

Last I explored Pitalkhora Caves near Kannad that is about 50kms from Ellora.

A question to Niall Ferguson-- did slavery and Colonialism of 'Christian' West not devavour the Rest?

India has the oldest surviving religion of the world and a billion plus population being moved by it in search of the material and spiritual. The 'Renaissance' led by Papal authorities encouraging and actively canvassing slave trade, and Colonialism of all non-European cultures was the bane of humanity and Humanism.
Later the onslaught of proselytizing white 'Christianity' subsumed under Rome the singular right to be 'Christian Church'. Even now the Christianity is projected as a Western religion, which is not true--neither Jesus nor the earliest practioners were Western. It was the Byzantium and the Eastern Church as also the Syrian Christians and other Eastern strains that propagated Christianity as non-racist. But the dominance of Roman Church  (and later Anglican Church in Colonies like India) brought about a racial stranglehold of Christianity and it did not dither in making  Western White 'Christian'  Man as  a model of the 'Humanity' while helping to decimate other cultures in Americas, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa. The Idea of God as monotheistic is not dangerous but the danger is in fascistic forcing others to 'One particular monotheistic God' to the exclusion of others--polytheistic or monotheistic.


I rebut Niall Ferguson's

Civilization: The West and the Rest

  self-gloating Western superiority hereunder from my book Mona Lisa does not smile anymore (ISBN 978-81-8465-512-4)


"The voyages of exploration were the dawn of Racialism and Colonialism. In the year 1600, the Indian economy amounted to 22.54 per cent of the world GDP, while Britain and Western Europe's combined economies amounted to 21.82 per cent. By 1870, India's share was down to 12.25 per cent, while in Western Europe it increased to 32.71%. At its prosperous best Mughal Empire produced 24.5% of world GDP in the year 1700. By the time British colonists occupied India and other nations their GDP rose to 23.8% of the world in 1870. "
It is clear West climbed over the bodies of the Rest to attain material surpluses that through Cos like East India Company ushered in development of West from the loot of the Rest.
The complete lack of moral unease in subjugating so many and killing no less through slave shipping, indentured labour, Colonization and a Church that helped in these grand ventures of the West  is what Ferguson's book tries to white wash. The writings of likes of Ferguson are unabashed revival of Colonialism in the garb of  (partisan) academics of the West. His  arguments smack of blatant racism.  But so much is dark and gory under the white loaded brush of West that Ferguson can not whitewash it.

Black Mona Lisa painting  by Viktor Vijay

In art is Eternity, if you have the vision

yes

http://victor-vijay.blogspot.com/2011/03/whitehot-magazine-of-contemporary-art_21.html

http://victor-vijay.blogspot.com/2011/03/whitehot-magazine-of-contemporary-art_21.htmlhttp://victor-vijay.blogspot.com/2011/03/whitehot-magazine-of-contemporary-art_21.html

The Cultures and art of the East--India

"Some day the history of colonization and slavery of the world would be written by the progeny of the sufferers or by disinfected intellectuals of white race. Jesus who himself was not of white race would have felt pained  and distressed in soul that in His name innocent humanity would first be demonized as heathen, barbarian and then  be  ‘civilized’ through a  demonic clergy, colonial master act and  slave trading ‘Christians’ for 500 long years." (page 107) excerpts from the book

 Painting by Viktor vijay from book  Mona Lisa does not smile anymore

Compare Indian Art and European art

Black Mona Lisa Viktor Vijay, Indian art compared with European art

Art Reveal-- contemporary Indian Art n artists: Mona Lisa does not smile anymore- art of India

Art Reveal-- contemporary Indian Art n artists: Mona Lisa does not smile anymore- art of India: "In Goa and Portugal history and development the authors Charles Borges and Hannes stubbe argue that conversions were not done by violence a..."

yes

Mona Lisa does not smile anymore- art of India

In Goa and Portugal history and development the authors Charles Borges and Hannes stubbe argue that conversions were not done by violence and threat. (Page 292). All the armed guards with the missionaries roamed Goa villages to capture and convert Hindus were not on a picnic. The laws and conditions made Hindus and Muslims to live in utter deprivation and discrimination; it was force of a subtle kind used against Hindus and Muslims to die or to convert. Hindus who had to pay very high taxes hypothecated their lands to church proxies. They also went to neighbouring states and cultivated the lands of Muslims to avoid pauperization resulting from discriminatory tax policies on Hindus. Many of these Hindus were killed in Inquisition for going to work in a neighbouring state.

The writings of missionaries are replete with words like heathen, barbarians, and proselytizing was the reason for deprecating all that was Indian culturally and in religion. It was a fresh assault on India and its culture and religion that would last till the year1947.

On all graves howsoever old flowers grow

But do not forget those, who lie beneath

So called Renaissance brought tremendous suffering, relocation, destruction of ways of life, culture, death, loss of freedom, disease, insults, loss of economic means of survival, for Asia and others.

The number of people killed and those who lost their freedom were in millions and the mercantilist greed and religious bigotry of Christendom of the time played an important and decisive role in the tale of horror.

artists and their art In present--good bad and indifferent

" Even in art many desire the linearity of the familiar. There are artists who feel satisfied to repeat, for it puts no burden of searching in dark. Their works toss in the muddy water of superficiality and are akin to a brand. Collectors try to recognise the signature style more than the soul of art work. What pity, are we as artists cocooned to be Sisyphus. Picasso worked in different styles all his life. Gerhard Richter the German artist was criticized for what is called sailing in two boats. He paints very abstract works and at the same time makes cataract-eye-view photo-realist portraits. Do we have only one sided possibilities as humans and are doomed to act in one particular fashion? Are we one dimensional man? Are we artists a factory machine, destined to produce similar products?

Why do some artists feel snug in painting by a mould?"

excerpts from the book on Indian and Western art Mona Lisa does not smile anymore (ISBN 978-81-8465-512-4)

Why Picasso has his finger on the 21st century's pulse

http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/comment-permalink/9875527

My comment on Picasso's relevance for Modern art in the Link above.

/www.lflblog.com/sothebys-contemporary (On Indian art market)

/www.lflblog.com/sothebys-contemporary

Visit above site to learn about working of Indian art market in my article Tulips and art-Indian art market

http://editor.wn.com/page/wn/Compare/

http://editor.wn.com/page/wn/Compare/

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Chance Consciousness Art--A fresh foray in Indian art

Man Who Fell acrylic on canvas 42"X34" Viktor Vijay

Art is celebration of Life

Georg Brandner, Nora, Mrs and Mr Baljit S. Chadha, Viktor Vijay

Sdn Manmohan Chadha welcoming Georg Brandner

Sdr Baljit S. Chadha Studio Vasant welcoming Nora

I have tried to explicate my art philosophy and my present art in my book Mona Lisa does not smile anymore. The global context of my art is in the socio-cultural-religious philosophy of India that has religions that prohibit violence even to insects or violation of humanity. Mahatma Gandhi's life and philosophy was a sterling example of this inclusive culture. My art is contextual to a belief in higher order of universe that humans call 'Chance' and an inner certitude based on a higher consciousness. Through art we search for a higher purer Man. The German Expressionism denigrated by Hitler and Fascists confronted us with the uglier side of humanity. Otto Dix was a great savant of this art. Living for few weeks in Dresden I was confronted by his Der Krieg (The War) triptych in Neue Meister and it rattled me to my guts. My art is obliged to German Expressionism for laying bare the uglier side of humanity. it was perfect for me therefore to seek out Abstract Expressionist Georg Brandner of Styria Austria to open my recent exhibition CHANCON Art in Delhi.

Indian art a fresh look--Mona Lisa does not smile anymore

'The art of India sought inspiration in philosophy of non-violence and inclusiveness. West instead suckled on the grandeur of the highly regimented war mongering Roman Empire. The art of Cholas, Chalukyas, Vijaynagar, Budhists and the Jains in India is far superior to the works of so called Renaissance Europe. This book presents a case of how Human context of art was predominant in Indian art while art of Europe was based on a slave owning, colonial and racially charged society.' Viktor vijay in Mona Lisa does not smile anymore

Indian art Market link http://www.lflblog.com/sothebys-contemporary/

Contemporary Indian painting Search by Viktor Vijay

acrylic on canvas, 58"X78" 2010

Find my in depth study on contemporary Indian art market at http://www.lflblog.com/sothebys-contemporary/

viktor vijay on Sotheby's and Ohio University web site

A new art Movement Chance Consciousness Art by contemporary Indian artist Viktor Vijay

Mother (Viktor Vijay) contemporary Indian art

58"X78" acrylic on canvas

Dreaming Humanity (Viktor Vijay) contemporary Indian art

Contemporary Indian artist Viktor Vijay Delhi on Sotheby's contemporary n Ohio university site.

You may find my articles on Ohio university Akron college web sitehttp://www.akroncollege.com/2010/11/20/tulips-and-art-indian-art-market/ and on Sothebys Contemporary web siteshttp://www.lflblog.com/sothebys-contemporary/

A book on Indian art--Mona Lisa does not smile anymore

Black African Mona Lisa painting by Viktor Vijay contemporary Indian artist

Mona Lisa does not smile anymore

Excerpts from the book by Viktor Vijay Kumar

“If I had to choose between an erudite Aristotle and an unknown ‘soulless’ black slave I would choose the latter. The ascendancy of the West was on a heap of bodies of slaves and trampled humanity through colonization.”

“Slavery, Colonization, European Imperialism, corruption of Church, was the hall mark of Renaissance. Intolerance was another feature of so-called-Renaissance. Jew and Muslim communities were expelled from Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella—the Spanish royal ruler couple. European occupation of Americas and rationalisation of over-lording of other cultures and communities was regarded as the right of ‘Christians’ over ‘non-believers’. They regarded themselves as the superior masters over the destiny of other communities. Christian Church played a predominant Euro-centric role in the creation of tools of Colonialism.”

Chance-Consciousness Art CHANCON-Viktor Vijay's latest solo exhibition

I have been long thinking of a book alongside my present exhibition in Visual Art Gallery Habitat Centre Delhi India. Why not to talk of the philosophy and the personal journey in creating my art? While curators, and critics have there job cut out, why not to tell art lovers and people related to art what happens when i think, travel, feel, love and live myriad moods to my painting and creation. I went ahead--as I painted and took breaks I took my lap top and wrote--wrote in the moment fresh from the streaking, flowing colours on the canvas; colours searching their own joys on the surface. Awakening inner consciousness and throwing in the dice of 'Chance' on the canvas I arrive to artistic expression.

Well it is never too bad to travel alone and to keep the company of the void and absences in creating bereft of the outer shell of thoughts and appearances.

This what i do in my art. You have here one of my works from the ongoing exhibition at Jagdev Farm at Ghitorni New Delhi till 28th Feb 2011.

Mona Lisa does not smile anymore

My book

Mona Lisa does not smile anymore

I publish my new book on art of India and Europe alongside my solo exhibition of paintings at Studio Vasant at Visual Art gallery upto 12 Feb and from 13th to 28 Feb 2011 at Chadha Jagdev Farms Road No 3 Ghitorni Village New Delhi. The book published by Studio Vasant New Delhi is soon to be available in leading bookshops in India and is distributed nationally by Variety Book Depot New Delhi. the book is about the spirituality of art India and the art of the West specially the 'Renaissance' period. Art of India has a sterling holism and inclusiveness of humanity while Western art lingers. the secular elements are predominant feature of the temple art of India.