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BHARTI KHER
(b. 1969)
Untitled
Signed and dated 'Bharti Kher 2006' (on the reverse)
2006
Bindis on aluminum composite panel
95.5 x 47.5 in (242.5 x 120.5 cm)
$ 60,000 ‒ 80,000
Rs 38,40,000 ‒ 51,20,000
PROVENANCE:
Acquired from Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
Private Collection, Germany
The
bindi
has been the defining element of Bharti Kher’s works, which are
often composed of surfaces entirely covered in large and small
bindis
. In the
present lot, she uses her material of choice, the ubiquitous
bindi
, to create
an abstract composition which may evoke the Milky Way or the even
larger universe. The smallest element, the dot on the forehead, fraught with
symbolism, is taken out of its loaded context to reference a reality that lies
beyond gender, beyond societal structures, and beyond life on earth. True
to her words, the big picture is learned from the small one.
The present lot has similarities to a series of wall‒mounted panels created by
Kher in 2006. Also comprised of multi‒coloured
bindis
, they were exhibited
at the Jack Shainman Gallery in New York, in 2007. “Employing the bindi
as a central motif in her work, Kher uses this tiny object to transform
the surfaces of both her sculptures and her paintings. Sensual abstract
designs created by the bindi swirl together to form extraordinary textured
surfaces... and the visually arresting compositions of the paintings.” (“Bharti
Kher”,
An Absence of Assignable Cause
, 15 November – 22 December 2007,
Jack Shainman gallery, online)
“Everything starts from the home, your journey and your
consciousness. We always see the big picture and sometimes there
is more to learn from the small one.”
BHARTI KHER
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95