The Stylized violence of Tyeb Mehta

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

The thirteen highest results found in Artvalue for Tyeb Mehta has been obtained over the past three years. So he is an artist who is being discovered by the international community. The presence of two works in the Indian art sales held this month in New York is an opportunity to look more closely at what this painter is doing.

His work manages to combine a sense of violence with a high degree of stylization.

At Sotheby's on September 18 Lot 32 is an important acrylic on canvas. Painted in 2003, this large (182 x 149 cm) Fallen Figure with Bird shows a tangle of forms from which nervously emerge concentric hands, beaks and feathers. The lack of vertical or horizontal marks expresses the anguish and fall. This work was chosen for the cover of the catalogue. It is estimated $ 1 million.

Oldest (1979), thus more similar as what we usually see from this artist, the oil on canvas to be sold by Christie's, lot 121 on September 16, 150 x 105 cm, shows three yellow heads above a tangle of body dominated by a bust, two legs and three arms, forming an incongruous and frightening package. Christie's expects $ 600 K.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

The value of Mehta, like Gupta whom I mentioned in another article related to the same sale at Christie's, is growing. Lot 121, with its three yellow heads, got 900 K$ including fees.

I expect even more with the outcome of Sotheby's, for a much more recent work.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

I was right to wait impatiently for the outcome of Sotheby's. With $ 1.5 million charge included, this terrible Fallen Figure with Bird brings the contemporary period of Mehta in the summits of the art market. It is deserved.