MARGUERITE CHARUGUNDLA
Acknowledgements
When we decided to republish this book, it felt
We also would like to extend our appreciation to
right. When was a better time to publish the second
Khalid Mohamed and the late M.F. Husain for having
edition than on the occasion of the exhibition The
allowed us to reprint the spread on Lightning from
Progressive Revolution: Modern Art for a New India
his publication.
and M.F. Husain: Art and the Nation, organized and
showcased by the Asia Society Museum of New York.
publish this book in conjunction with the exhibition
It was the first comprehensive exhibition dedicated to
of M.F. Husain: Art and the Nation, March 20 through
the artworks of the Progressive Artists’ Group. Thanks
August 4, 2019 at Asia Society Museum of New York
to the curator and museum director, Boon Hui Tan and
and part of the Progressive Revolution: Modern Art
guest curator, Dr. Zehra Jumabhoy for such a major
for New India and the Triennial. Also many thanks
undertaking and making this exhibition possible
to Boon Hui Tan and Asia Society for allowing us to
and a great success.
include Boon Hui Tan’s essay about the Progressive
Artists’ Group and the mural Lightning.
The publishers would like to express their
Thank you to Asia Society for allowing us to
appreciation to all those who have generously given
their time, made their resources available, and given
to the General Manager and staff of the Maurya
valuable feedback to make this book a success.
Sheraton Hotel (New Delhi) for accommodating
M.F. Husain’s request to close down the lobby in order
Our utmost gratitude goes to the contributors,
We would like to extend our special thanks
Susan S. Bean, Daniel Herwitz, Prasannan Parthasarathi,
to show the Lightning mural in its full glory.
Gayatri Sinha and Boon Hui Tan, for their brilliant
essays, as well as Tom Keehn, for his personal commentary.
instrumental in making this process easier and
Many thanks are in order for the Peabody
productive, without whom this book would not
Essex Museum for allowing us to use images from
have been possible, which includes the lighting and
their collection for Susan Bean’s essay.
music engineers, the photographers, the organizers,
Lightning was the subject of a publication for
the first time in the book titled Where Art Thou: M.F.
There are number of others who were
the editors, the graphic designers, illustrators, event coordinators and art handlers.
Husain—an Autobiography with Khalid Mohamed. 9
