VISTAR

S H RAZA | ‘VISTAAR’ | RANJIT HOSKOTE, ASHOK VAJPEYI, YASHODHARA DALMIA & AVNI DOSHI

Syed Haider Raza, (1922), is one of the most prominent Indian artists. As the original member of the Progressive Artists group, Raza shaped the face of modernism in India with his own unique vision and style. Vistaar offers an in-depth look at the life and career of the artist, and includes over a hundred reproductions of his work from the 1950s until the present day, guiding readers through the evolution of his aesthetic of the Bindu. A collection of pages from Raza’s journals and studio sketches articulate insights into the mind of the artist. Included is an essay by Ranjit Hoskote, which delves into the conceptualization of Raza’s paintings. Ashok Vajpeyi considers the nature of the artist’s journey in his essay. Yashodhara Dalmia discusses Raza’s memories and personal histories in a conversation with the artist. The visual history of Raza’s art is woven together through an analysis by Avni Doshi. The book has been published by Afterimage, a publishing initiative of Art Musings.

USER-MANUAL-1

BAIJU PARTHAN | ‘A USER’S MANUAL’ | RANJIT HOSKOTE

Baiju Parthan (1956) who entered the contemporary Indian art scene as a self-declared ‘outsider’, is today an acclaimed painter. He is also one of the pioneers of intermedia art in India. Written by the noted art critic, poet and curator Ranjit Hoskote, Baiju Parthan: A User’s Manual takes the reader on a tour through the artist’s diversely populated imagination. It maps Parthan’s journey from his childhood, through his student years, to his gradual improvisation of a niche for himself in the contemporary Indian art scenario. This book records Parthan’s participation in the countercultural hippie scene, his encounters with spiritual teachings and shamanic lore, his formal experiments and his engagement with media flows and alternative reality environments. It includes a monographic essay on the artist by Hoskote as well as a freewheeling conversation, between artist and author, extracts from Parthan’s journal, a section on his intermedia works and a selection of the artist’s occasional writings. The book has been published by Afterimage, a publishing initiative of Art Musings.