Holiday crowd at United Art Fair

The first public day of the United Art Fair today witnessed a sizable holiday crowd, which came to see the big display of artworks.
The Fair, that began with a special VIP Preview on Saturday saw visitors with children and grandparents in tow taking in the spread of paintings, photographs, sculptures, graphic arts etc.
Artists, predominantly young and middle aged, most of them showcasing for the first time also mingled among the visitors, explaining the nuances of their art and sometimes discussing prices.
S K Sahni, a Delhi-based artist who was previously a keeper at the National Gallery of Modern Art and who has been exhibiting for 40 years showcased his abstract geometric design acrylic on canvases at the Fair.

"I have got a good display at the Fair with lot of space and lighting...I appreciate this initiative of organising the art fair," said the 76-year-old, perhaps one of the handful elderly artist participating in the event.
The Fair, dominated by artists in the 30's and 40's age group, selected by a panel of five curators and its founder director Annurag Sharma.

"Today art is taking a different direction. It's not in one line. Art galleries today are controlling the Indian art scene, they are not art-driven but money-driven," Sahni said.
For 32-year-old Tauseef Khan, the day was good as he managed to sell two of his works, priced at Rs 1.25 lakh each.

"I like to paint antique things. I am intoxicated by old monuments, buildings and sculptures. I wanted to show my audience old, historical buildings to enlighten them about Indian history. I have already sold two of my works here," Khan told PTI.
Khan's new series of paintings renders history as reflected through prisms of glass and memory as a distortion of perception. At the fair he showcased the London Bridge, Humayun Tomb, Jantar Mantar and Old Fort painted through the prism of wine glasses and perfume bottles.
"Each of the painting took me at least three months to make and I had shown the paintings at the last edition too," said Khan, who studied painting at Triveni Kala Sangam.

Asked whose artworks he like the most Khan pointed to those by American Indian artist Judy Blum Reddy.
"I liked Judy Blum Reddy's artworks. The wood-carvings look nice and I like her medium of painting," said Khan.