Tuesday, March 29, 2011

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

Saturday, March 19, 2011

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






Sunday, March 13, 2011

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.



Friday, March 11, 2011

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)

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

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.

Monday, March 7, 2011

/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

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

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.