Osian's Auction Catalogue Indian Modern and Contemporary Art | March 2008

110 83 Amitava Das (b.1947) i. Untitled Signed in English ‘Amitava, l.l. and dated in English ‘1972’ l.r. S/d in English ‘Amitava Das ‘72’ on verso Pen & Ink on paper, 1972 5.7 x 5.5 in (14.5 x 14.0 cm) ii. Untitled Signed in English ‘Amitava’ u.c. Pen & Ink on paper 9.3 x 7.3 in (23.6 x 18.5 cm) INR 320,000 – 400,000 USD 8,000 – 10,000 (Set of 2) ‘For Amitava, like others in his generation of artists in the 70’s at the College of Art, seeking a contemporary language was important…Growing aware of his temperament, he broke away from the dominance of optical realism to indulge in artistic autonomy – an art, free of duty.In Amitava’s art, there is a certain rapture of the technique. The act of the kinaesthetic gesture in creating, the mark-making remains an undiluted passion for him…. His drawings, scaled to sketchbook size, vary from truly tiny to six-eight inches frames. Amitava possesses a rare sensitivity towards paper and his drawings delight the viewer with aesthetic surprises and technical brilliance…One can, in fact, identify Amitava’s drawings, in which his lines behave as conceptual markers, as mappings, where lines and dots connect, criss-cross and wander in all directions wiring the urban space and its ongoing flux….Drawing becomes his personal calligraphy celebrating free-hand expression as a means to access the elusive and unconscious self.’ – Roobina Karode, rpt. in Art India, Vol.5, Issue 2, 2000 ; p43. ‘Perhaps there was more angst and struggle in the 70s. Anger or fear may be reflected in my work of that time…these gatherings of black. It could be angst. I am not a narrative artist. My elements are manifested in the gathering of blacks.’ – Amitava Das rpt. in You Shall Remain Hidden Selected Works on Paper 1970- 2007 Gallery Espace ExC 2007.