Branding in Art

(By Nalini S Malaviya)

Recent auction reports have clearly established that there is a huge demand for contemporary Indian art both within the country and abroad. Artworks by a number of Indian artists feature high on people’s wish list and they are willing to shell out astronomical sums to be able to own their favorite artist. Souza, Raza, Husain are just some of the artists who have acquired cult status and have become huge brands. A must have for any art connoisseur; they are equated with quality, consistent performance and faultless finish, which is what places them at par with international brands. Some of the other features that are equated with a brand - recall value and the promise to deliver start to work here as well. And, that is where collectors are willing to go the extra dollar or rupee to own one.

In creating a brand image, apart from talent, PR skills, marketing and media hype play a huge role. And, global recognition adds to the brand value. Most artist brands are those who have established themselves over the years – they have sustained themselves and have created a niche for their brand of art. What are the factors that help establish an artist? According to art collector Mehul Patel, “an artist must have some unique quality, a statement, and a signature (value). He must have a well thought out theme for each and every solo show. Just PR, branding and Page 3 appearances will not help. Although public relations plays an important role in making the artist famous, but genuine and mature collectors do not buy their artworks.”Art conservationist Venkat Singh explains, “When the artist name itself is a brand, the paintings tend to conform more to a particular style. When you buy a brand, it comes with an assurance of quality, secured investment, heritage and authenticity.“ Therefore, on one hand MF Husain is equated with strong and powerful lines, and who can forget his horses! While Raza’s art reverberates with strong vibrant colors and geometric patterns focuses heavily on the presence of the ‘Bindu’ (a circle). In both cases the signature style adds to the brand recognition.
Mehul reiterates that artists who have sustained themselves are highly talented or they would not have lasted and appreciated with each passing year.

(Published in Financial Times, Bangalore)

ATUL DODIYA AT DOCUMENTA-12. JUNE 16 TO SEPTEMBER 23 2007

We write to inform you of Atul Dodiya’s participation in Documenta 12 between 16 June and 23 September, 2007.
Twelve large works on paper, titled, “Antler’s Anthology” (2003/04) will be displayed at the main exhibition hall of Documenta.
The singular character of this exhibition has been preserved (starting after the Nazi dictatorship). Every 5 years a new director/curator is appointed and the exhibition reinvented, a concept that has been affirmed by the public’s interest. The number of visitors grows each time, with 650,000 recorded for Documenta 11. Held in the city of Kassel in Germany, it is one of the largest and most important art exhibitions.
It is with pleasure that we announce the participation of one of India’s premier artists, Atul Dodiya in this prestigious world art event.


Documenta 12 knows no programmatic statement, no architectural grid with which venue and art are to be treated. Instead, individual solutions are developed that correspond to the Museum Fridericianum, the Neue Galerie and the documenta-Halle. The Crystal Palace is in itself a singular solution. It answers the call for the temporary need for a generous exhibition space, nestled into the Aue. All four buildings are not just spaces for art, they communicate, even put into practice, an idea of a showcase.

http://www.documenta.de/

Courtesy Galley Chemould

Hues of South

Please click on the link http://www.mattersofart.com/june_matter/exhibit_revie/1.html

Hues of South : May 10 – 15, 2007, Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore

Indian Art Scene

(By Nalini S Malaviya)

Investment in Indian art has never looked better before. If reports from international auctions are any indication, Indian art and artists have performed exceedingly well in the recent past. At the Christies auction held in London earlier this month, Indian artists fared extraordinarily well where Syed Haider Raza's ‘La Terre’ (1985) went for 720,000 pounds, followed closely by VS Gaitonde (490,000 pounds), FN Souza (311,200 pounds), MF Husain (132,000 pounds) and Akbar Padmasee (204,000 pounds). Similarly, according to reports from Sothebys, in 2006, artists and artworks from India (and China) performed outstandingly well where Sotheby's Asian Art sales alone totaled US $332,000,000.

The domestic market too is thriving well, with auction houses such as Saffronart recording excellent sales. This in turn spells good news for those owning artworks by well-known Indian artists who are in demand internationally. Remember, in an auction the seller stands to gain the most. Auction houses work on a commission basis and generally the artist does not figure anywhere in the sale proceeds.

Where earlier it was seen that even at international level, Indians and NRIs were the ones investing in Indian art, the trend is slowing changing and the buyer base is now expanding to include non-Indians, as well. Despite, a correction in the prices, (recently, the art index dropped from around 3400 to 2200) the art market continues to sustain itself and is even expected to recover soon. There are a number of domestic and international auctions lined up this year and the results are bound to affect the market.

One has to just look around to realize how extensive and deep the interest in Indian art is - the spurt in number of art galleries, dealers, consultants, art funds all bear testimony to the fact that Indian art is happening and how. The demographic age has also dropped to include buyers in their twenties who are looking at art as part of their investment portfolio. And, the best part with investing in art is its intrinsic value which one can constantly enjoy and derive pleasure from.

(Published in Financial Times)

‘Any Moment Now’ by artist Ravikumar Kashi

(By Nalini S Malaviya)
Ravikumar Kashi’s new works titled ‘Any Moment Now’ highlight the role of media advertisements in building up expectations, which subsequently breeds desire. The media focuses on creating and increasing dissatisfaction by continuously bombarding the viewer with something better and greater. The advertisements encourage people to spend more money in order to feel better. It is this aspect, which finds place in Ravi’s paintings. In his last show the artist had explored urban complexities and conflicts arising out of media hype. While, these present works are an extension in a sense, they also explore the idea of proximity of images (Sannidhi – the art of proximity), which in turn generate a meaning. For instance, any change in proportion or presence of text results in a change in the entire meaning of the composition. According to Ravi, “I am interested in how these images loose some of their original identity, get altered and gain new meanings when combined with other images and text.” He therefore uses Photoshop as a tool to experiment.

The artist continues his tryst with mediatic imagery, but this series brings out the sense of anticipation, expectation and unfulfilled desires, in today’s fast paced world. The protagonist as if suspended in time, awaits the next moment where an extraordinary future is round the corner. He hopes and waits to experience intense pleasure or maybe even a divine intervention. It also reflects the psychology of the human mind that is ever optimistic and always hopeful for a brighter tomorrow. And, this is what the media exploits and utilizes to the hilt, when selling a product. Ravi believes the media by itself has become an entire secondary reality by all these promotions, and has acquired an independent existence, which cannot be ignored.

The artist has borrowed symbols commonly seen on the computer screen, such as the cursor, sand timer, and hyperlinks to emphasize how deeply these icons are rooted in our consciousness at the moment, and to create the illusion that the painting itself is part of the electronic medium.
The title work, a triptych focuses on the theme of the series, where the central panel depicts a man running, while the two side panels are filled with splashes of color. The imagery hopes to convey the feeling of escaping from reality or running towards one’s goal. It plays upon the aspirational value, which causes such contradictions. The five stars on the top part of the canvas could signify a rating for a movie. ‘Wait a minute’ shows a closed door and a man sitting on an inflated balloon. The sense of waiting, underlying tension and anticipation comes through. ‘Wish’, a distorted and magnified image reflected on the petrol tank of a gleaming new red bike reiterates the desire for all material things - more expensive and more powerful whether it is automobiles or bikes. ‘Pinnacle’ a panel divided into two has a stepladder going up, where the top part of the canvas has a burst of colors, which symbolizes intense pleasure and once again draws attention to power games and the pursuit for happiness.



In his compositions Ravi Kashi juxtaposes sometimes disparate images that complement to generate a new meaning or openly conflict to present a dichotomy. However, the latter works out well whereas, when the images are semi-coordinated the result is somewhat more straightforward and almost predictable. On the other hand, the conflicting images tend to engage the viewer to analyze and interpret the composition. There are a few paper cast works also in a diary like format where visuals and text are used to convey he narrative.

The series will be exhibited from 27 May – 2 June 2007, Air Gallery, London.