Ratna Dipa- New Dimensions of Indian Art History & Theory (Essays in Honour of Proof Ratan Parimoo)

About the Book The field of 21" century Indian An Hinary archiving research, methodology, and the propagation of New Art History would be incomplete without the mention of Prof Ratan Parimoo, an ongenarian whose immense contribution is well-respected nationally and Internasionally having trained generations of arts professionals fanned out throughout the world, produced copious tomes and continues to crusade on with his new research.

This edited volume of richly illustrated 34 original research papers and essays on Indian art history and critical theory is prepared to honor Prof Ratan Parimon on the occasion of his 85 birthday by scholars, critics and art professionals who are his colleagues, contemporaries and students. All the expert collaborators of this volume have known him closely and continue to be inspired by his work.

The selection of papers is reflective of Prof. Parimoo's own scholarly interest and unprecedented diversity of subjects he has been engaged in writing about from documenting the earliest history of Modern Indian Art Movement in the 1960-70s to critical reappraisal of pioneering scholars such as Ananda Coomaraswamy, Stella Kramrisch and the Tagore family, to the study of Indian Painting, Sculpture, Architecture to Indian Aesthetics and Semiotics - the latter being his pioneering effort in opening up the theoretical interpretation of the content of Indian art.

The present volume arranged chronologically and thematically, begins with an introductory essay and acknowledgement by the volume editors, reminiscences from friends and colleagues including Deborah Swallow, Kenneth Robbins, Deepak Kannal, Jagdish Shivpuri and Naina Dalal. There are four thematic sections in which 34 papers have been placed for contextuality and brevity. This book will appeal to scholars, collectors, researchers, and art enthusiasts as the essays are accessible, annotated, technical terms are phonetically spelt and free of diacritical marks. A quick overview of the thematic sections and the scholarly collaborators' names are listed below:

Indian Architecture and Sculpture: RN Mista, MNP Tiwari, M A Dhaky, Choodamani Nandagopal, Srinivas Padigar, Madhu Wangu, Rajaram Sharma, Monica Zin, Rajesh Singh Indian Painting and Albed Arts, Jagdish Mittal, Asok Das, B N Go Devangana Desai, Gulammohammed Shakn, Kamal Giri, Nuzhat Kazmi, Nalini Balbir, Robert Del Bonta, Rita Sodha, Srinivas Sistla Modern and Contemporary Indian Art: Pratapaditya Pal, Michael Meister, Geeta Kapoor, Ajay Sinha, R Shivakumar, Janak Jhankar Narzary, Manisha Patil, YS Alone, Omprakash, Nita Omprakash, Suresh Jayram Indian Art Theory: Ranjeet Singh Rangeela, M Ramachandran, Ranjan Ghosh As an additional bonus, the book provides a complete bibliography of Prof Parimoo's writings, an interview about his professional and personal journey accompanied with historic photographs that brings the reader closer to the scholar as a human being.

About the Authors Dr Gauri Parimoo Krishnan, born in Vadodara, Gujarat is an art historian, curator and museum consultant. Gauri earned her PhD in Art History and Dance from The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India where she taught art history and aesthetics before moving to Singapore.

She has devoted more than two decades to the development of museum and heritage sector in Singapore. She was the lead curator of the South Asia collection from its inception in 1993 and developed the South Asian galleries at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM). Singapore at its inauguration in 2003. During her 17 years with the ACM, Gauri curated many seminal and block-buster exhibitions. Her major contribution is the development of the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC) from inception to fruition between 2007 and 2015. She planned and oversaw its development as its lead curator and Inaugural centre director. Gauri is a recipient of Singapore government's Commendation Medal and Public Administration Medal (Bronze) for her contribution to the arts and heritage sector.

Her major publications include The Power of the Her Female: Devangana Sculptures on Indian Temple Architecture, Ramayana in Focus: Visual and Performing Arts of Asia, The Divine Within: Art & Living Culture of India and South Asia, Nalanda, Srivijaya and Beyond: Re-exploring Buddhist Art in Asia and The Art of Naina Dalal At Contemporary Indian Printmaker. present she teaches Museum Studies and Curatorship in the School of Art, Design and Media at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She is the founding director of DMBG Consultants.

Dr Raghavendra Rao H. Kulkarni, born in Nilogal village near Badami, Karnataka is an art historian, educator and writer. He completed BFA in Art History from CAVA, Mysore University in 1989, and Masters' Degree in Art History from the Faculty of Fine Arts, The Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda in 1992. Further, he obtained a post graduate Diploma in Epigraphy in 1996 and PhD from Mysore University in 2001.

He has contributed research papers for many well known scholars’ felicitation volumes as well as presented papers in national seminars organised by universities. He has delivered invited special talks in Santiniketan, Banaras Hindu University, Kerala, Dharwad, and Gulbarga Universities and Lalit Kala Academi New Delhi. Overall, he has published 86 researched papers. He regularly contributes researched articles on various aspects of Indian art history in Indian Express.

He has extensively worked on various aspects of Karnataka painting and sculpture. His publications include Kinnala Art, Pre and Early Chalukya Art in Karnataka: Origin and Development, Early Sculptural Activities in Karnataka, and Vijayanagara Sculpture. He has authored monographs on well-known artists Yusuf Arakkal, 2009 and Art of G L N Simha, 2017. His editorial work includes Splendours of Ganjifa Art, and Annual Art Exhibition Catalogues of Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore since 2009 onwards. At present he is working as Professor & Head.

Introduction Art History as an independent discipline is a post-independence modernis phenomenon in India, which har its antecedents in western archaeological research and finorical methodology Over the years, number of Indian institutions, organisations and personalities responsible for laying the foundations have contributed immensely by adding new materials, methodologies and theoretical frameworks to the research and interpretation of Art Historical Studies. The range of topic that conventionally fall within the ambit of art history range from indology, archaeology, iconographical studies to anthropology and socio/cultural history durough art. To this gender, and politics of identity, individualism, and nationalism have found major attention. In recent decades. critical writings and modern critical theories, at times seen through gender, class and caste lenses have taken precedence over traditional and classical knowledge systems in the interpretation of antiquities, modern and contemporary arts. Even traditional art forms and skills appear in contemporary conteus with a twist invoking newer ways of crafting seeing and interpreting.

To the list of noteworthy pioneers of Indian art, an history, archaeology, and theory we are proud to add and recognise the contribution of Prof Ratan Parimoo, our life long guru who has dedicated his professional life in Vadodara, Gujarat being associated with the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda for five decades. He stands tall as an exemplary and dedicated painter, scholar, teacher, theorist, art critic, museum curatorial director, and a pioneer in many respects, with a seminal body of published works on diverse topics for posterity.

The idea of honouring Prof Parimoo with a book of friends, liber amicorum as they say in Latin, when he crossed his eightieth birthday came to some of his former students. We approached him with a proposal of presenting a volume of research papers Festschrift in his honor reflecting the current climate of art historical and visual culture research on related subjects. He kindly accepted our proposal. We approached our senior.

colleagues, long term friends of Prof Parimoo and the department of Art History, as well as young scholars graduated from the department to contribute original papers. This garland of gems of specially written papers honouring Prof. Parimoo will hopefully remain a significant contribution to art historical writing worldwide. It is our sincere hope that this volume written by experts and researchers as a rich tribute to our teacher will give him satisfaction, and delight to the contributors. As editors we take fulfillment in accomplishing this mission.

Prof Parimoo is one such personality among others who was pivotal in establishing and nourishing Art History as an academic discipline of Visual Arts at Vadodara's Faculty of Fine Arts, established in 1951 by the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, reforming and reshaping it into a full-fledged independent discipline offering undergraduate, post graduate and PhD programmes over time.

**Contents and Sample Pages**