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Among the several I admire, Tyeb Mehta and Akbar Padamsee come immediately to mind from among the older generation of painters. Among my contemporaries I like Vivan Sundaram and Barve and from the younger lot I go for Atul Dodiya and K. Bose.
"Installation" or freedom from material is the expression of the 90s. A kind of revolt against aesthetics itself and commercialism. Artists paint, burn and even break pieces of wood, stone or plastic and install them anywhere, but do not hang them on the walls as they would a normal work.
As a serious artist I see this trend with some amusement because I don't think it is that important. Moreover it shifts the focus to a wrong direction
Nonetheless, I do believe that these auctions are a good thing because, rightly or wrongly, more people come into the sphere of art appreciation, and after a few years many of them one hopes, will grow into a discerning audience.
Untitled, watercolour, 1993. (93.8 Kbytes)I would always want my painting to go to a collector who understands my art rather than someone who is buying it only as investment. A discerning audience is always more rewarding than having people invest in my work indiscriminately.
Source: Interview with Laxman Shreshtha in Times of India, Bombay. Nov 29, 1995.