'This book scans the work of a particular group of Indian sculptors for what might be distinctive about contemporary Indian sculpture in general. It discusses the historical and social background, philosophical premises and technical arguments which might have contributed to the development of this unusual body of work. It seeks to provide some understanding of the framework and practical directions in which contemporary Indian art is moving and hazard some answers to its whys and wherefores.

The book consists of a major essay on the subject and biographical presentations of seven sculptors who form a distinctive school. The major essay recounts the historical tradition of Indian sculpture, discusses the impact of Western art upon it and focuses upon the efforts of this group of sculptors to work off the weight of Western ideas.

The work of this particular group of sculptors is described as an intelligent attempt not just to subvert the hegemony of Western methodology and tradition on Indian art but also, and more importantly, to formulate an expanded discourse founded upon the resources latent in traditional Indian thought and sensibility.'

(front flap)