Nek Chand's Outsider Art


Book Description

Over forty years ago, Chand worked as a road inspector in northern India. Each evening after work, he mounted his bicycle and carried - by the hundreds - stones that he found in the foothills of the Himalayas. In an abandoned jungle clearing, He built sculptures by combing these stones - which he believed possessed a soul - with urban debris: corroded wires, used sheet metal, detached bicycle parts, broken bracelets, and abandoned tubes and tires. He created a "kingdom of gods and goddesses," peopled by characters and animals. Today this kingdom covers more than thirty acres.--Back cover.




Rock Garden in Chandigarh


Book Description

ROCK GARDEN IN CHANDIGARH - A Critical Evaluation of the Work of Nek Chand is original research thesis for which its author SS Bhatti was conferred the degree of Master of Architecture [M. Arch.] in 1983 by The University of Queensland, Australia. As one of the three examiners had succinctly observed "The book is valuable one which records and analyses the work of a great, courageous and enormously energetic artist. Mr Bhatti has recorded his painstaking examination of Nek Chand's creation, the Rock Garden in Chandigarh." It is a definitive treatise on what is now called "Outsider Art," so much so that articles based on it and published internationally by the distinguished scholar eventually made Chandigarh's Rock Garden world-famous and its creator Nek Chand a global celebrity. For its sheer thoroughness, insightful analysis, perceptive synthesis, and pragmatic comprehensiveness this book is the first one of its kind, and provides enormously delightful and profoundly enriching reading. It embodies what, according to another examiner, is "A positive reaction to a book that has been written with a thoroughness that makes it a most valuable record and commentary on an exceptional work of art." It would be wrong to regard the relevance of this (pioneer) work as being confined to the field of architecture and landscape architecture. It has something to say to urban and social planners as well as to artists of all kinds. The major thrust (of investigation) is in the objective recording, and this is both a valuable task and one performed with great care and comprehensiveness by the researcher.




Rock by Rock


Book Description

This luminous picture book tells the fascinating true story of artist Nek Chand and how his secret art project—hidden away in a jungle—became one of India’s most treasured wonders, second only to the Taj Mahal. In the bustle of the busy streets of Chandigarh, India, Nek Chand saw something no one else did. Where others saw rocks and stones, Nek saw the boyhood village he missed so dearly. Where others saw broken plates and glass, Nek saw laughing men. And where others saw trash, Nek saw beauty. Nek Chand’s incredible rock garden, built from stone and scraps and concrete, began as a way for him to express his long-felt grief at having to leave his boyhood village due to the violence caused by the partition of India. What began as a secret and personal (not to mention initially illegal) project became so much more, not only to Nek but to all of India.




The Secret Kingdom


Book Description

The incredible story of the world’s largest visionary environment: the Rock Garden of Chandigarh, kept secret by outsider artist Nek Chand for fifteen years. After the partition of India in 1947, Nek Chand Saini settled in the city of Chandigarh, with nothing but stories brought from his homeland. Dismayed at his stark new surroundings, Nek began collecting river rocks, broken glass, and cracked water pots found on the roadside. He cleared a section of jungle and for seven years he stockpiled odds and ends. They were castoffs and rubbish to everyone else, but to Nek, they were treasures. He began to build a labyrinth of curving paths, mosaics, and repeating patterns: his very own tribute to the winding village of his youth, a hidden land of stories. Nek kept his kingdom secret for fifteen years, until a government crew stumbled upon it and sought to destroy it. But local fans agreed in awe: the Rock Garden had to be protected. Author Barb Rosenstock introduces readers to the outsider artist’s stunning creation, while Claire A. Nivola’s illustrations bring to life the land’s natural beauty and the surreal world Nek coaxed from his wild landscape.




The Collection, the Ruin and the Theatre


Book Description

Acknowledged by many as one of the modern wonders of the world, the twenty-five acres of sculptures that make up The Rock Garden in the Indian city of Chandigarh has received worldwide attention through a number of exhibitions in Europe and the USA. Published to accompany an exhibition of the same title at the Royal Institute of British Architects Gallery in Liverpool, this beautifully illustrated and meticulously researched catalogue brings to light Nek Chand's incredible artistic and cultural achievement.




Self-Taught and Outsider Art


Book Description

A collection of self-taught and outsider art with a European representation of artists.




Art Brut


Book Description

In the early 20th-century, European avant-garde artists began to look beyond the accepted canons of Western art in a search for new sources of inspiration. "Primitive" art, drawings by children, the art of the insane, and graffiti all opened up new avenues for experimentation and artistic creation. At the end of World War II, leading French artist Jean Dubuffet became interested in the works being produced by psychiatric patients and by other social outcasts. In 1948 he founded the Compagnie de l'Art Brut to document the collections he had begun, and in 1976 the collection moved to its permanent home in Lausanne. This critically acclaimed book traces the history of the concept of Art Brut, a movement which has had a profound effect on artistic and social history. The account is completed by biographical notes on the featured artists and an extensive bibliography. This revised edition contains up-to-date information about modern exponents of Art Brut and the collection itself, including two new images of artist Judith Scott's work. All the works reproduced, most from the collection created by Dubuffet, have retained their subversive freedom, which continues to fascinate and inspire artists and collectors today.




Rock Garden : A Vision of Creativity {Memoirs of Nek Chand}


Book Description

Rock Garden is the single most important contribution by an Indian to world culture in the 20th century. In creating the Rock Garden, Nek Chand has transformed waste into beauty and has offered the world an extraordinary environment comprising a magical landscape of plants and architecture with hills and valleys, meandering walkways, towering waterfalls, arches and doorways which open up to unexpected vistas. Nek Chand's artistry, skill and resourcefulness are evident at every turn. He has sharpened sensibilities and heightened imagination. In addition to these qualities, he possesses abstract imagination and remarkable intuition for planning new structures according to space and lay of the land. His creativity is something to rejoice, his innate spirituality something to respect and above all the humbleness of a great man brings humility on all in the face of such astounding achievements. A visit to Rock Garden provides once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to peep into an exotic land of dreams and architectural brilliance. The narration of Nek Chand's life, struggle and memories as given in the book is exceptional because of perfect understanding of Nek Chand's mind his creative activity. At appropriate places, the exact words of Nek Chand are given in quotes. The book presents the essence of his thought. It has been designed as to give a complete picture of the garden from beginning to end. Many pictures of the garden are interspersed which will interest the readers. The pictures of Nek Chand himself in relation with the garden show his interrelation with his creation. As one unfolds the book, one is filled with scenes of fantasy and romance. The visuals in the form of various phases of Rock Garden are excellent and give clear view of Rock Garden even if you have not visited it. The book will be well received by readers.




The Mouse Charmers


Book Description

The advent of Internet has been a significant gamechanger for our generation. Mouse Charmers are a new breed of entrepreneurs in emerging India powered by the Internet and the opportunities that it offers to create new markets and to cater to old markets in new ways. Some of them have already achieved success where they can be called iconic and inspiring while others have powerful ideas that put them on the same path. Anuradha Goyal tells the stories of digital entrepreneurs like Flipkart, Zomato, ImagesBazaar, IndiBlogger; how they started out, the innovations and technologies involved, their business models, and unique marketing strategies. Inspiring and useful, The Mouse Charmers is an essential guide for aspiring entrepreneurs.




The Owl House


Book Description

Having spent her childhood at the Owl House and returned to nurse her ageing parents, artist Helen Martins totally transformed its interior and garden. Described as an integrated environmental artwork, the Owl House has become a popular off-the-beaten-track attraction for tourists.