Osian's Auction Catalogue ABC Series III | March 2007

ABC Series III 61 ‘Vasudev’s copper relief works stand out because the medium itself is turned into a dramatic spectacle. The inert metal turns into an elastic space and within this canvas is enacted a complex drama, a narrative replete with myth, layers of allegory, the richness of which is onlymatched by the extravagance of metal. Vasudev revels in the plushness of copper. He hammers, pounds and beats it to create a multitude of textures. Sometimes you witness a surge of movement, highlighting the play of light and shadow in warm copper tones, and sometimes rough, tactile surfaces emerge as if to stress a point. Then there are the more intricate textures, almost like a lyrical maze, that delight with their artistry. The embellishment creates surfaces so supple that it is hard to imagine how impassive sheets of metal could billow and swell, fall and drape a universe of ideas so uidly. The meticulous detailing, together with the richness of metal, make some of the compositions look like rare pieces of heirloom jewellery.’ – Manju R. Pillai rpt. in Copper Extracts Soliloquies in Sheet-Metal Vasudev Gallery Sumukha/JAG 2003 ExC. 63 S.G. VASUDEV (b.1941) i. Fantasy Relief in copper, 1975 18.1 x 12.1 in (46.1 x 30.8 cm) ii. Maithuna Relief in copper, 1975 13.8 x 12.4 in (35.0 x 31.4 cm) INR 500,000 – 625,000 USD 11,300 – 14,100 (Set of 2)