Osian's Auction Catalogue Masterpieces and Museum-Quality III | March 2004

137 MASTERPIECES & MUSEUM-QUALITY III “ How Shantibai has enriched the range of elements in his works makes observing them so much fascinating…with the inclusion of imprints of iconic plaques and manuscript blocks further dimension of physical and spiritual reality are connoted due to their own ‘objectness’. In the hey day of the abstract movement during 1960s and 1970s, a significant question had been going round, as to what should be the features of ‘Indian abstraction’? Perhaps intuitively Shantibhai had been searching the answer and seeking the right pictorial form. Moulds of icons of gods and goddesses from Hindu pantheon as well as Vajrayana Buddhist deities of Nepal and Tibet, provide an Indian context, at the same time remind of the ‘collage’ and ‘found object’ (French: objet trouve ) aspect of modern art. The entire panels of calligraphic script have similar purpose but also suggest reverberating recitations of mantras and stotras…An ustad’s voice quality and gharana will always belong to and remain with him which determine the consistency of the style of his singing. It is the depth of resonance of the ustad’s voice that will grow over the passage of time. It is with this kind of phenomenon that the consistency in Shantibhai’s work can be compared.” (Prof. Ratan Parimoo, rpt. in Krishna Avatarana Paintings by Shanti Dave EXC . Sarjan Art Gallery, Baroda 2001.)