Makers of Multiples: Relooking at Printmaking in India

Speakers: Waswo X. Waswo, Lina Vincent Sunish and Viraj Naik

January 10, 2013 | 6.30 pm
Auditorium, National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai

The exhibition ‘Between the Lines: Identity, Place and Power’ curated by the art historian Lina Vincent Sunish explores the history and practice of printmaking in India through the unique collection of prints collected over the years by the artist Waswo X. Waswo. This collection spans a calendar of over ninety years, a period considered the general time frame printmaking has existed in India as a fine art and a medium for artistic expression. While bringing together works of several generations of artists, the collection does not claim to be a comprehensive overview of the history of Indian printmaking. It reflects the personal taste of the collector and certain passion for the medium.

Not bound by chronology, the exhibition explores the works for their imagery, expressive qualities and socially reflective stances of the individual artists rather than being limited to the evaluation of their ‘print type’ status. The medium of printmaking, being associated with outdated modes of production, and with the idea of multiple editions, has sometimes faced criticism as well as discrimination. The other operating structures that enter into the dialogue are the history of art institutions, the quality of art pedagogy in India and the art market which has changed the dynamics of art production/consumption in India.

The role of a collection itself is significant as is the stance of the curator as each allows for the exhibition to become an educative context to evaluate the place of printmaking in Indian Art while seeking to engage with individual achievements. This discussion with Waswo X. Waswo (artist/collector), Lina Vincent Sunish (art historian/curator) and Viraj Naik (artist) will examine the issues involved in the practice of printmaking, the notions of authenticity, the role of institutions and galleries and the future trajectories of this artistic medium.

A special interview between noted printmaker Anupam Sud and Waswo X Waswo will be screened as part of the program. Anupam Sud is one of the finest intaglio printmakers in India and one of the founder member of ‘Group 8’, formed in 1968, to promote and sustain printmaking as an independent expressive art form.