On the Money

A. Balasubramaniam, "Dark Sea" (2008), at Talwar Gallery (New York/New Delhi)

€45,000 ($70,000)

Call it a poor man’s Rudolf Stingel, but this cast-silicone-on-fiberglass abstraction, featuring wavelike impressions of the artist’s hand, is sensibly priced at €45,000 in an edition of 3. Two sold to Europeans during the opening hours of the fair, and the third is on reserve.

At about 95 inches wide and 16 inches deep, the wall relief sparkles in its surging, charcoal gray darkness. There’s also a distinctly meditative quality to the work, further enhancing its quietly abstract nature.

For comparison’s sake only, one could have spent in the range of $400,000 for Stingel’s 76-by-95 inch “Untitled (Plan B)” (2008), which sold at Paula Cooper during the first moments of the fair.

But like Kimura, the Bangalore-born and -bred Balasubramaniam just debuted in Miami in December, so his international standing is fast appreciating.

Courtesy Talwar Gallery