Lot 183: RAVINDER REDDY (B. 1956)

UNTITLED (HEAD) Gilded resin fibreglass height 21 in. (53.4 cm)

As part of a series conceived largely during the 80's Ravinder Reddy's female heads have come to be recognised among the most iconic examples of contemporary Indian sculpture. 'Supersized' with distinctive features that combine the power of wide-eyed Hindu goddesses and the brilliance of idols from Nepal and Thailand, Reddy's heads can be seen as hybrids that bring together myth and reality, American pop art and Hindu temple sculpture, combining street kitsch and traditional folk imagery. Standing on its own, Untitled (Head) rejects the conventional pedestal and belongs to the forefront of sculptural practice that challenged the notion of Indian sculpture. Embracing the postmodern attitudes of multiculturalism and hybridization, Reddy's female heads also provide a commentary on 'Indianess', with regard to the discrepancies between North and South India through the uses of colour, ornamentation and exquisite hairstyles and can be read paradoxically as both traditional and modern.