Correct Option
The correct option is 2 only
Explanation
The 'Baroda Art School' refers to a movement associated with the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. Gaining prominence in the late 1950s and 1960s, this school is historically significant for championing "Narrative Figuration." This movement sought to move away from the abstraction favored by the earlier Progressive Artists' Group, focusing instead on indigenous storytelling and the human figure.
Statement-wise Analysis:
- Statement 1 is Incorrect: The movement emerged in the late 1950s and consolidated in the 1960s. It marked a decisive shift where artists began to focus on their immediate surroundings, social realities, and personal histories, prioritizing figurative representation over abstract formalism.
- Statement 2 is Correct: Gulam Mohammed Sheikh is a central figure of the Baroda School and is renowned specifically for his narrative style. His works often feature complex, multi-layered stories and historical references. He advocated for the narrative mode in painting, contrary to the claim that he avoided it.
- Statement 3 is Incorrect: The Baroda School artists did not reject popular art forms. Instead, key figures like Bhupen Khakhar actively embraced and incorporated elements of popular visual culture-such as calendar art, oleographs, and film hoardings-into their work. They bridged the gap between "high art" and "kitsch" or bazaar art.
Key Takeaway:
The Baroda School is defined by the Narrative Figuration movement, which emphasized storytelling, the human figure, and the integration of local, popular urban culture into modern Indian art.