The first month of the new-year has passed, and here is a big thank you to our dear readers for your responses, regarding artetc. news & views' first issue in the new two series focusing on the Bombay Progressive Artists Group.

Actually, for more than 50 years since its formation, we are now realizing that modernity in India was carried over after Independence by the maturing artists of the 1950s, who consolidated it. The critical discussion was carried forward and kept alive by critics in the 1950s, who wrote about pre-independence pioneers of modern Indian art. Later in 1960s, they analyzed the new experiments and languages created by artists who had worked through the late 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s. Supportive critical writing alongside the ongoing developments in Contemporary Indian Art, is an important component of the times, which offers insightful reconstruction of the process of the Indian modernity.

During the last two decades with many Art galleries actively involved with promotion of Contemporary Indian art through small and large group shows, solo shows and retrospective shows of the senior artists, has brought us to the realization of the tremendous significance of the artists who emerged during 1940s and 1950s namely Raza, Souza, Husain, Ara and Gade. They revolutionized the pictorial language in India by their innovative experiments in lines, colours, space, pictorial structures, imageries and how the society looks at the works of art. The distinctness in their creative works as both individualistic at one level and also representing Indian sensibility at another level is so very potent that quite rightly many of them are now being acknowledged as 'Masters'.

It is for these reasons that artetc. news & views had decided to focus on this very important group of artists in contemporary India. With articles tracing the trajectory of these artists, as well as the socio-economic influences that they and their works have held, this is the concluding issue of this two part series. We are indebted to Dr Ratan Piramoo for editing these two editions.

In the previous issue, we had focussed on the six artists who started PAG. In this issue, we go further on to probe the parts played by those who joined later – Tyeb Mehta, Akbar Padamsee, Krishen Khanna, Bal Chhabda, V S Gaitonde, Manishi Dey, Ramkumar as well as patrons and critics who were responsible for the way PAG became the most influential artists' group in contemporary India. This apart, personal articles on Husain, Raza and Souza also feature in this issue.

As we have always said, do write in dear reader, to let us know your reactions on this issue. That is what keeps us going and makes us choose the right direction to steer this magazine forward.

Richa Agarwal                                                                                                   Vikram Bachhawat