Lot 44: G. RAVINDER REDDY

B. 1956
HEAD-06

measurements
53 1/2 by 35 1/2 by 52 in.

alternate measurements
136 by 90 by 131cm.

gold gilded, painted on polyester resin fibre glass

NOTE

G. Ravinder Reddy's monumental female heads are inspired by the forms of classical Indian sculpture but their iconography is firmly rooted in the urban setting of contemporary India. Reddy engages the dialogue of contemporary art practice by drawing from tradition in conceptualizing his form but then moving away and treating the image as a material object, visualized with a sexual undertone. In a larger sense this may perhaps be interpreted as the artist's comment on the transformation of Indian culture into a commodity in the present era of globalization.

Reddy's works address the notion of desire by literally, "... transforming the icon into a voluptuous object of contemporary delight -- humorous, parodic, and boldly accessible." (Geeta Kapur, Traditions Tensions: Contemporary Art in Asia, 1996, p. 61). Painted in vivid colors with lustrous gold surfaces and elaborate coiled coiffures accentuated with flowers, the sculptures are imbued with a sensual tactile quality. The gold and red tones are reminiscent of the texture of painted wooden images seen in South Indian temples, while the pronounced curves of the form reference the rhythmic interplay of the convex and concave surfaces of the stone sculptures that adorn temple walls.

The gargantuan face of the woman with her painted red lips, large kohl-lined eyes and bright, shiny hair accoutrements exudes a raw magnetic appeal transfixing and drawing the attention of the viewer, yet her dispassionate gaze creates an impersonal space around her. As artist Geive Patel says of Reddy's heads, "their sensuality is serene, in most instances the sexual impulse does not speak of excitement, but of fulfillment." (ArtIndia, vol. II, issue II, 1996, p. 81).