Additionally, there were glimpses of imposing forts and domes, peaceful households (mother with the baby, father selling spices) and oriental scenes (Rajputs in turbans, Gujjar tribesmen in dhotis). The people looked content in their appointed places, resigned to the limitations of their caste, tribe, and gender.
This depiction is not true. Delhi, or for that matter India, is a place where people are impatient, angry, and seething with rage. There are a thousand mutinies underway in roadsides and slums. This truth, however, is absent in Mrs. Fraser's world-bubble, which is suffused with a calm, karmic acceptance of one's predestined fate, blissfully ignorant of the conflicts and struggles of everyday living.
One painting of Mrs. Fraser, Delhi Panorama, deserves a special mention. It has gods of various religions illustrated next to each other (relax; there is no Muhammad's illustration, only Kaaba). This is ironic considering she is portraying a society where inter-religious riots are frequent, and at times socially acceptable.
Okay, enough of the squabbles. True, the artist's utopian reality was unconvincing, but her intentions sparkled in their sincerity. The figures were enchanting, the details accurate, the strokes credible, and the colours sober. Nonetheless it was difficult to ignore that the collection betrayed the dismal authenticity of the outside world, and yet, such willful escapism could not be the reason to dismiss the compositions. Mrs. Fraser's interpretations of this great city were inspired from real-world observations. These were her eye-views. They had to be noticed.
(Titles are within the brackets)
The Exotic View - A Mahout (Elephant)
The Exotic View - A Holy Cow (Holy Cow)
The Exotic View - A Pigeon Player (Kabutar Bazi)
The Happy India - A Bollywood Babe* (Bollywood Babe)
*Notice the gods on top. (Is Bollywood secular?)
Article comments
1 - Ashok Nayak
Fortunately I have visited this wonderful Art Exhibition recently.Being an Art consultant at Ashok Art Gallery,It was my regualr rutine visit,but i've found the beautiful Art works of Artist Fraser at Triveni Kala Sangam.The Artist has fantastic tallent and those drawings really says something.It's a fantastic show.
Ashok Art Gallery
2 - Vikramaditya
For the most part, this poorly written appraisal of the works on display highlights only the writers lack of coherence. the main line of argument seems to be the classic 'she's-not-indian-hence-doesn't-get-india'. Fraser's work shows a level of prescience, and an exoticised perspective it may be, tourist friendly and all, but nevertheless it shows us sights that most of us, Indians, are surrounded by and blind to. an eye-opener i thought, and not one to pettily rejected as pretty and shallow. and as a collection of vignettes, it works wonderfully. besides, the other artist who's collection is on display alongside Fraser's is more worthy of the 'exotic' tag.