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Line of Control, 2008
Stainless steel and steel structure, stainless steel utensils 393 3/4 x 393 3/4 x 393 3/4 in |
Indian artists Sudobh Gupta is likened to Marcel Duchamp in nearly every article on him I have read, but I cant quite figure out why. Duchamp is famous for the creation of "Readymade" art, but I don't see Sudobh's art as Readymade.
Sudobh is a compelling artist and his work has gained him much notoriety, but if my understanding of the terms are correct I feel his work would be better said to use found objects rather than labeling his work readymade.
Many of the sculptures that have made him famous are comprised of stainless steel, everyday kitchen ware found in homes throughout India. Sudosh's use of these common place items speaks to the class structure in his homeland, elevating these items above there normal station to things of beauty and value.
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Gandhi's three monkeys (detail), 2007—2008
Bronze, old utensils, steel Balaclava head - 393 3/4 x 393 3/4 x 393 3/4 in |
Gandhi's Three Monkeys is a political statement using three large bronze heads in different headgear representing the monkeys in the Japanese proverb "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil". The addition of found bronze objects to these sculptures adds a interesting visual dynamic that I think speaks to the everyday common occurrence to violence. It makes it very real and tangible.
Sudobh, regardless of how his art is defined, is establishing himself as a notable figure in contemporary art.
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Spill - 2007
Stainless steel and stainless steel utensils
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'All these things were part of the way I grew up. They are used in the rituals and ceremonies that were part of my childhood. Indians either remember them from their youth, or they want to remember them.'[1] And: 'I am the idol thief. I steal from the drama of Hindu life. And from the kitchen - these pots, they are like stolen gods, smuggled out of the country. Hindu kitchens are as important as prayer rooms.'
Sudobh Gupta
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