However, there is one irksome element to the ad. The end of the ad shows a slide which states that the commercial is in fact a Public Service Message from Lays. To double check, I looked up the definition of Public Service Message and here’s what Wikipedia says (all the other definitions were a close match):

A public service announcement (PSA) or community service announcement (CSA) is a non-commercial advertisement broadcast on radio or television, ostensibly for the public interest. PSAs are intended to modify public attitudes by raising awareness about specific issues. The most common topics of PSAs are health and safety.

It is obvious and totally understandable for a company to defend its product against bad press but does that constitute a  public service message? So I went and looked up the definition of ‘misrepresentation’ and this is what Dictionary.com had to say:

an intentionally or sometimes negligently false representation made verbally, by conduct, or sometimes by nondisclosure or concealment and often for the purpose of deceiving, defrauding, or causing another to rely on it detrimentally; also : an act or instance of making such a representation

Maybe not that bad… you decide. You can share your thoughts in the comments section below.

A Good Deal Hunter wore this t-shirt to work the other day which said ‘333 – I’m Only Half Evil’. The idea for this post occurred to me then and although I was hoping to find a greater variety of funny t-shirts on the net, here are the cream of the few I could find. Let us know what you think in the comment section below and share any great tag lines you’ve read on t-shirts. Enjoy!

World renowned auction house Christie’s is holding a sale of South Asian Modern and Contemporary Art on 10^th June. The auction focuses primarily on works of Indian and Pakistani artists from the second half of the 20th century, which saw a rebirth after the 1947 partition of India.

Among the Pakistani art featured is ‘Red Carpet 4’ by Rashid Rana, known best for his engaging, politically motivated, multi-media works. According to an article published in ArtDaily.org, Red Carpet was inspired by Benazir Bhutto’s return from exile and reflects the bloodshed following a suicide bomber’s attempt to assassinate her. It symbolizes how, despite the sharp contrast of what is good and what is violent in our daily lives, the two reside side by side. Red Carpet is composed of hundred of images of goats being slaughtered arranged in a striking resemblance to the traditional carpet designs woven in the region.

The Pakistani artists featured in the auction and the estimated bids for their work have been mentioned below, along with the highest expected sale and a list of all featured artists.

Pakistani Artists with Bid Estimates

Rashid Rana (b. 1968), “Red Carpet – 4”, estimate £135,000 - £200,000

Zahoor ul Akhlaq (1941-1999), “Untitled” estimate £12,000 - £18,000

Jamil Naqsh (b. 1939), “Untitled (Woman with Pigeons)”, estimate £7,000 - £9,000

Mudassar Manzoor (b. 1979), “Untitled”, estimate £4,000 - £6,000

Talha Rathore (b. 1969), “Traversing Territories – I”, estimate £3,000 - £5,000

Shahzia Sikander (b. 1969), “Maligned Monster II”, estimate £1,500 - £2,000

Waseem Ahmed (b. 1976), “Untitled (Burqa Series)”, estimate £1,000 - £1,500

Highest Priced

Maqbool Fida Husain (b. 1915) India, “Ragamala Series”, estimate £400,000 - £600,000

List of Featured Artists with Bid Estimates

Maqbool Fida Husain (b. 1915), Ragamala Series, estimate £400,000 - £600,000

Rashid Rana (B. 1968), Red Carpet – 4, estimate £135,000 - £200,000

Syed Haider Raza (B. 1922), Permanence, estimate £120,000 - £180,000

Tyeb Mehta (b. 1925), Untitled, estimate £80,000 - £120,000

Akbar Padamsee (b. 1928), Village aux Quatre Maisons Oranges, estimate £80,000 - £100,000

Maqbool Fida Husain (b. 1915), The Preacher at Mecca, estimate £80,000 - £120,000

Subodh Gupta (B. 1964), Leap of Faith, estimate £70,000 - £100,000

Syed Haider Raza (B. 1922), Germination, estimate £70,000 - £90,000

Syed Haider Raza (b. 1922), La Terre, estimate £60,000 - £80,000

Manjit Bawa (1941-2008), Untitled, estimate £50,000 - £70,000

Manjit Bawa (1941-2008), Untitled (Goat), estimate £45,000 - £60,000

Jagdish Swaminathan (1928-1994), Untitled, estimate £40,000 - £50,000

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Untitled, estimate £40,000 - £60,000

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Untitled, estimate £40,000 - £60,000

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Untitled (The Church), estimate £40,000 - £60,000

Ram Kumar (b. 1924), Untitled (Benares), estimate £40,000 - £60,000

Maqbool Fida Husain (b. 1915), Untitled, estimate £40,000 - £60,000

Maqbool Fida Husain (b. 1915), Untitled (Horses), estimate £35,000 - £55,000

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Untitled (Portrait of an Elder), estimate £30,000 - £60,000

Jagannath Panda (b. 1970), Love Terrace – II, estimate £30,000 - £40,000

Nalini Malani (b. 1946), Sita/Medea 1, estimate £30,000 - £50,000

Navin Rawanchaikul (b. 1971), Lost Kingdom of Navin, estimate £30,000 - £40,000

Rameshwar Broota (b. 1941), Untitled, estimate £30,000 - £50,000

Maqbool Fida Husain (b. 1915), Untitled (Devdas Series), estimate £25,000 - £35,000

Ganesh Pyne (b. 1937), Flame & The Wings, estimate £25,000 - £35,000

Jagannath Panda (b. 1970), Untitled, estimate £22,000 - £28,000

FRANCIS NEWTON SOUZA (1924-2002), Untitled (Head), estimate £20,000 - £30,000

Maqbool Fida Husain (b. 1915), Untitled, estimate £20,000 - £30,000

Pushpamala N. (B. 1956) and Clare Arni, The Ethnographic Series; from the project ‘Native Women of South India: Manners, estimate £15,000 - £20,000

Vivek Vilasini (B. 1964), Last Supper – Gaza, estimate £15,000 - £20,000

George Keyt (1901-1993), Untitled (Six Dancers), estimate £12,000 - £15,000

Syed Haider Raza (b. 1922), Triangles, estimate £12,000 - £18,000

Zahoor ul Akhlaq (1941-1999), Untitled, estimate £12,000 - £18,000

Jamini Roy (1887-1972), Untitled, estimate £12,000 - £18,000

Syed Haider Raza (b. 1922), Untitled, estimate £10,000 - £15,000

Bari Kumar (b. 1966), Say Something, estimate £10,000 - £15,000

Atul Bhalla (B. 1964), Wash Water Blood, estimate £8,000 - £12,000

Jamini Roy (1887-1972), Untitled (Mother and Child), estimate £8,000 - £12,000

Nasreen Mohamedi (1937-1990), Untitled, estimate £8,000 - £12,000

Jamil Naqsh (b. 1939), Untitled (Woman with Pigeons), estimate £7,000 - £9,000

Paramjit Singh (b. 1935), Untitled, estimate £7,000 - £10,000

Avinash Chandra (1901-1993), Untitled, estimate £6,000 - £8,000

J. Sultan Ali (1920-1990), Vrishabha, estimate £6,000 - £8,000

Velu Viswanadhan (b. 1940), Untitled, estimate £5,000 - £7,000

Gulam Rasool Santosh (1929-1997), Untitled, estimate £5,000 - £7,000

Indrapramit Roy (b. 1964), Deep Dusk II, estimate £5,000 - £7,000

Indrapramit Roy (b. 1964), Rear Window, estimate £5,000 - £7,000

Atul Dodiya (b. 1959), Shabari in her Youth IV, estimate £5,000 - £7,000

George Keyt (1901-1993), Untitled (Radha and Krishna with Parrot), estimate £5,000 - £7,000

Syed Haider Raza (b. 1922), Paysage, estimate £5,000 - £7,000

Syed Haider Raza (B. 1922), Untitled, estimate £5,000 - £7,000

Arpita Singh (b. 1937), Short Stories, estimate £5,000 - £7,000

A. Balasubramaniam (B. 1971), Untitled, estimate £4,000 - £6,000

A. Balasubramaniam (b. 1971), Untitled (Self), estimate £4,000 - £6,000

Ravi Agarwal (B. 1958), Have You Seen The Flowers On The River?, estimate £4,000 - £6,000

Rameshwar Broota (b. 1941), Counterparts –V, estimate £4,000 - £6,000

Syed Haider Raza (b. 1922), Untitled, estimate £4,000 - £6,000

Chintamoni Kar (1915-2005), Sakuntala, estimate £4,000 - £6,000

Avinash Chandra (1901-1993), Untitled, estimate £4,000 - £6,000

Mudassar Manzoor (b. 1979), Untitled, estimate £4,000 - £6,000

Atul Bhalla (B. 1964), MCD TAPS, estimate £4,000 - £6,000

Farhad Hussain (b. 1975), Sequence Six, estimate £4,000 - £5,500

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Untitled (Self Portrait); Untitled (Woman); Untitled, estimate £3,500 - £5,000

Anita Dube (B. 1958), Meat Words (Desperate Amour), estimate £3,500 - £5,000

Ganesh Pyne (b. 1937), Untitled (Rabindranath Tagore), estimate £3,500 - £5,000

Syed Haider Raza (B. 1922), Untitled, estimate £3,000 - £5,000

Roy Thomas (b. 1966), Unexpected Playmates-3, estimate £3,000 - £5,000

Baiju Parthan (b. 1956), Sequence -a; Sequence –b, estimate £3,000 - £5,000

Syed Haider Raza (b. 1922), Untitled, estimate £3,000 - £5,000

Syed Haider Raza (B. 1922), Untitled, estimate £3,000 - £5,000

Ganesh Pyne (b. 1937), Untitled, estimate £3,000 - £4,000

Jogen Chowdhury (b. 1939), Dead – I, estimate £3,000 - £5,000

Ismail Gulgee (B. 1926-2007), Untitled, estimate £3,000 - £4,000

Talha Rathore (b. 1969), Traversing Territories – I, estimate £3,000 - £5,000

George Keyt (1901-1993), Untitled (Woman with Rabbit), estimate £3,000 - £5,000

Jamini Roy (1887-1972), Untitled (Krishna and Yashoda), estimate £3,000 - £5,000

Nilima Sheikh (b. 1945), Mountain Tales –2, estimate £3,000 - £5,000

Jamini Roy (1887-1972), Untitled (Horse), estimate £2,500 - £3,500

Vivek Vilasini (b. 1964), Untitled (Art), estimate £2,500 - £3,500

Ram Kumar (b. 1924), Untitled, estimate  £2,500 - £3,500

Ahmed Parvez (1926-1979), Untitled, estimate £2,000 - £3,000

Jogen Chowdhury (B. 1939), Double Face; Face to Face, estimate £2,000 - £3,500

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Untitled, estimate £2,000 - £3,000

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Untitled (Nude Woman), estimate £2,000 - £3,000

Gigi Scaria (B. 1973), City Uprise, estimate £2,000 - £3,000

Maqbool Fida Husain (b. 1915), Untitled (Lovers), estimate £2,000 - £3,000

K. Laxma Goud (b. 1940), Untitled (Nude), estimate £2,000 - £3,000

Gulam Rasool Santosh (1929-1997), Boat Women in Kashmir, estimate £2,000 - £3,000

Syed Haider Raza (b. 1922), Untitled, estimate £2,000 - £3,000

George Keyt (1901-1993), Untitled (Reclining Nude), estimate £2,000 - £3,000

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), Untitled, estimate £2,000 - £3,000

Somnath Hore (1921-2006), Untitled, estimate £1,500 - £2,500

Shahzia Sikander (b. 1969), Maligned Monster II, estimate £1,500 - £2,000

Krishnaji Howlaji Ara (1914-1985), Untitled, estimate £1,500 - £2,000

WASEEM AHMED (B. 1976), Untitled (Burqa Series), estimate £1,000 - £1,500

Bhupen Khakhar (1934-2003), River, estimate £1,000 - £2,000

To criticize Pakistan’s leaders, however - much though they deserve it – is to miss the point. It is ordinary people, locked in a series of personal Pakistans, who seem unable or unwilling to unite over the threat of their nation. Pakistanis will point to the oppressive hand of history or the machinations of foreign nations to explain their decent into chaos, and to a certain extent both have played a role. But no one bears more responsibility for a slow collective suicide than Pakistanis themselves.

Aryn Baker, May 25, 2009 Issue, Time Magazine

What do you think? Take the poll and post your comments below.

Concern for Children (CFC) is a registered not for profit organization that works to improve the quality of life for children in Karachi’s urban slum areas.

For the past ten years CFC has run a variety of projects in Machar Colony, Karachi’s largest unofficial slum, housing 750,000 people on an average household wage of Rs 2500/month. Our projects aim to improve the quality of life for the residents of the colony through better healthcare, environment and access to education and vocational training.

The proceeds from this exhibition will allow us to run Machar Art 2009, an art therapy program that provides over 300 students in Machar Colony, with art, photography and clay training by professionals in the field.

Machar Art is often the only opportunity for most children from one of the most impoverished areas in Karachi to experience the freedom of expression.

Art is utilized as education, as therapy, as recreation and as narrative to help these children tell their stories to the larger Karachi community.

With the generous contribution of participating artists, art writers, gallery owners and art lovers, CFC and Chawkandi Art Gallery are hoping to revitalize the union of art and activism, echoed in the words of poet philosopher Faiz;

aur raj karaay gi khalq-e-khuda

joh mein bhi houn, joh tum bhi ho

To become a friend of Machar Art, please email us at info@concernforchildren.org.pk

[The above write-up was provided by Chawkandi Art]

Click here for exhibition details

The Indus Art Gallery is hosting a Group Show of Paintings by Hanif Shahzad, Shahzad Zar and their students. The artists have previously exhibited their work in several group shows at prominent galleries.  The chief guests for the exhibition are Anwar Maqsood and Fatima Suriya Bajia, both prominent patrons of the arts.

Click here for exhibition details

A former student of Karachi School of Art, Qamar Siddiqi is one of the outstanding graduates of his generation. He tends to work in sequences linked by themes of universal interest.  Each one of his skillfully painted large canvas in bold colours contains a continuation; a complete story inspired by considered beliefs. In earlier sequences the artist pondered on the mysteries of birth and death and the fleeting measure of time between. His recent work is collectively referred to by the title: Purity, in which he conveys the social tragedy of man’s obsession with material gain. This is expressed as a factor that he feels ensures the continuation of this cycle in subsequent generations.

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(The above write-up was provided by Chawkandi Art)

Luminaries, an exhibition of  Colonial cut glass lamps and hanging lights, is a much needed opportunity for home owners and gift buyers to break from the common designs flooding lighting stores in Karachi. Although the designs are more traditional in style, they fuse effortlessly with contemporary and modern homes as well, bringing a new charm to your space. Luminaries offers candle lit as well as electric lighting solutions. Please click here for exhibition details