G. Ravinder Reddy (b.1956)

Acquired from New Art World, London, May 2007

Wolverhampton, Initial Access, Passage to India, 15 March - 2 August 2008

Manchester, Manchester Art Gallery, Facing East, 4 February - 11 April 2010

Kedleston Hall, Meadow Arts, Shakti, 21 June - 31 October 2013

 

Very small losses in the gold paint revealing the red underneath. This is present across the work and inherent to the medium. There is minor discoloration and fingerprint smudging in areas of gold paint. Very minor pinhole sized losses in areas of paint on her hair ornaments. Good overall condition as viewed.
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G. Ravinder Reddy’s monumental and voluptuous female heads are inspired by the forms of classical Indian sculpture but their execution is clearly contemporary in nature. Painted in vibrant colours with lustrous gilded gold surfaces and elaborate coiled coiffures accentuated with flowers, the sculptures are imbued with a sensual tactile quality. Taking the canon of classical Indian sculpture into account, 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 colossal 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. These sculptures are moulded from the features of the Dalits and labouring classes. The monumental size of the head serves to elevate the status of the subject and confront the prejudices of modern South Asian society - the archaic caste systems and the desirability of pure bloods lines and Aryan features. 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 is therefore turning his subjects into humorous and fetishized objects. His works are mostly depictions of women and by virtue of their prominence and imposing stature he is essentially celebrating these people.