Exuberant and politically charged, the current lot by pioneering Indian artist Satish Gujral hails from an incredibly unique period in the artist’s œuvre. Dated 1969, this visually arresting work firmly announces itself as a product of the late 1960s, with its bright colors, distinct shapes, bold outlines and deliberate choice of text granting the work a decidedly Pop Art quality. Out of the cheerful amalgam of protruding shapes and forms, emerges a stylized script, referencing pertinent subjects of the era. ‘Coca Cola’, an iconic symbol of capitalist consumerism, famously critiqued and ironically exalted by Andy Warhol in his Pop Art work. ‘Protest’, a hugely relevant and pressing issue in the 1960s, when Civil Rights, Feminist and Anti-War movements were at their heights. ‘Read Mao’, a reference to the Cultural Revolution of China which began in 1966. The dark undertones of the text are masterfully camouflaged by vivid color and a richly textured, kaleidoscopic surface, in a manner that recalls works by Robert Rauschenberg. The current lot, an exceptional example in Satish Gujral’s immensely diverse body of work, is also a compelling record of a distinct moment in t.mes
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