Keshav Malik: A Critic’s View

An art critic’s role in aiding the art community’s education is often understated, if not underrated, until the vacuum of their absence starts pinching. The vacuum left by India’s veteran art critic late Keshav Malik is significant, so is his contribution spread over five decades. Keshav Malik was a well-known poet, art and literary critic, arts scholar, and curator. He contributed significantly as art critic for the Hindustan Times and The Times of India. He has published eighteen volumes of poetry and edited six anthologies of English translations of Indian poetry.

‘A critic’s view’, a book published by Art & Deal, New Delhi is a collection of art reviews written by Keshav Malik during 1965 to 2013, which covers 37 Indian artists that form a tall order. The total number of articles counts to a whopping 203. These reviews were originally published in major newspapers The Times of India, The Hindustan Times as well as in notable publications including those from the Lalit Kala Akademi, the National Gallery of Modern Art as well in publications of notable art galleries and art institutions of repute. Such a large body of art writing over a long period serves as a historical account to recollect the developmental phases of eminent and seniormost artists of today.

Apart from the reviews, an essay titled ‘The Indian Contemporary Art and its Environment’ written by Malik would be of particular interest for everyone interested in understanding the dynamics of the art environment in India. It was written as part of the catalogue of the traveling exhibition ‘The human condition: Meditations on Man’ which traveled to Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Poland, Belgium during 1973-74. It is a noteworthy contribution by Malik that he not only wrote this befitting commentary on contemporary Indian art, but he also accompanied the exhibition and delivered talks in these countries on this subject.

The collection has reviews of the works of the old masters such as Rabindranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, Ramkinkar Baij, as well as the major artists of the Indian modern and contemporary art such as Amrita Sher Gil, M F Husain, H A Gade, K C S Paniker, K G Subramanyan, Akbar Padamsee, Satish Gujral, K K Hebbar, V S Gaitonde, S H Raza, Tyeb Mehta, F N Souza, Ramkumar, and N S Bendre to name a few.

Malik’s writing as art critic used to have a poetic perspective and grace, rather than art historian’s view. He used to be particularly conscious of being constructive while bringing out both strengths and weaknesses of a painting. Some remarks of Malik from earlier times may be particularly interesting for art critics and art historians alike. In a 1965 review of M F Husain’s exhibition at the Dhoomimal gallery, Malik makes a reference to some of Husain’s work as “Little Klee like works”, thus indicating a possibility of the Swiss – German artist Paul Klee’s influence on M F Husain. Another historically interesting reference would be Malik’s review of Husain’s exhibition at Chanakya Gallery in 1969. Malik makes a remark that “Technology defeats Husain’s art”, as Husain seems to respond to NASA’s moon landings in that year, through his paintings.

Malik in his 1971 review of Vasudev Gaitonde’s works, uses these adjectives: Polished, Discreet, Impeccable. “With minimum means maximum effects” he says about Gaitonde. Two decades later in 1992, Malik describes Gaitonde’s work as “Rare music” and “Austere, rarefied but no pretext”, hinting that the painter is evidently following a Zen master. Such short remarks reveal Malik’s depth of empathy with artists and their art.

Mr Siddhartha Tagore, Publisher Art & Deal, mentions in his publisher’s note the importance of art critic’s contribution of assisting artists and art enthusiasts in developing their skills. He describes Keshav Malik as a man of many accomplishments, being a poet, art critic, curator, and scholar. Malik co-founded the Poetry Society of India. His contribution to art criticism led to him being awarded a Padmashri in 1991.

The book is painstakingly edited by Usha Malik, late Keshav Malik’s wife. She was instrumental in carefully archiving every piece of publication authored by Keshav Malik. A note by Jyoti Tokas, curator & I/C Dy Director at NGMA, New Delhi briefly summarizes the contributions of Malik to the art world.

While the voice of art criticism turns feeble in the recent times, this volume will prove to be a beacon for art critics, artists, art historians and art lovers of today’s generation.

To order ‘A Critic’s View’ by Keshav Malik, click on the link below.

https://www.amazon.in/CRITICS-VIEW-Art-Reviews-Artists-1965-2013/dp/8196283709

Vineel Bhurke