Motherland - The Festive Tableau, from the Mother India project
2009 (print date 2012)
In her Mother India series, Pushpamala playfully reconstructs the mass-produced image of Bharat Mata, a personification of India (Bharat) as a mother goddess. During India’s fight for independence from British imperialism, the Bharat Mata image gained new traction and was used as a galvanizing symbol of nationhood. In these two photographs, the artist impersonates and embodies Mother India. In one, she is peacefully enthroned on a lion, and in the other she benevolently accepts the sacrifice of Bhagat Singh, a socialist and revolutionary who fought against colonial oppression. These works are direct citations of well-known calendar images, which were vital for devotional and commercial practices.
From the curtain to the paper mâché lion, Pushpamala incorporates props that call attention to the artifice of the photograph. She strives not for complete mimicry. Instead, she points to the constructs that underlie the production of these market-driven images.
Archival Inkjet print
45 x 30 in. (114.3 x 76.2 cm)
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Art Acquisition Fund
2015.25.1
Provenance: The artist; [Zürcher Gallery, New York]
