Till Death Do Us Art

“I want to display a person dying naturally in the piece or somebody who has just died,” declared German artist Gregor Schneider on an online publication. “My aim is to show the beauty of death.” I came across this recently. The ultimate performance piece screamed the headline! Disturbing, grotesque, and shameful, were some of the epithets heaped upon the artist from readers worldwide. However, there were a few isolated voices that believe it is the ultimate form of art.

It makes one wonder, can the act of dying before an audience; qualify as a form of art? On one hand, my conservative and probably somewhat saner side is repulsed and disgusted at the thought of reducing death – the final act - to a stage performance. On the other hand, I’m reminded of other such artistic performances and installations where artists have used dead animals, meat, urinals and grotesque paintings to create art, which they believed in.
Damien Hirst immersed a 14-foot tiger shark in formaldehyde in the work titled ‘The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living.’ It is considered iconic. In 1917, Marcel Duchamp created ‘Fountain’ using a urinal as Found art. And, then you have Jana Sterbak, a Canadian artist, who likes to use meat to construct her artworks.
These are some of the instances of bizarre or untraditional artworks that often find critical acclaim but fail to find universal appeal.

Images courtesy wikipedia

For long we have associated art with aesthetics and beauty, but now in an age where reality television shows compete frenziedly to outdo the other, it seems a few artists too are joining this mad rush. How much more bizarre, shocking and monstrous can one get, seems to be the mantra. What can we do that has never been done before?

And, while some believe that this is the height of innovation, creativity and original expression, I suspect that these are in the minority. The majority of public finds such ventures attention-seeking gimmicks and publicity stunts. For them, it is difficult to comprehend that behind such acts lies a genuine intent to break boundaries and redefine new media art.
Our years of conditioning is such that it is hard to be totally accepting. What I can do on my part is to be less judgmental and remind myself that unconventional thoughts eventually lead to innovation and even invention.
But then, even as I write about this the hunt for a volunteer to die for this exhibition probably continues…

(Published in Bangalore Mirror)

Authenticity and provenance

With mega bucks riding the art wave, one has to be extra cautious when buying art. The value of an artwork is unquestionably linked to the name of the artist. In the event that there is any doubt as to the origin of the artwork, or there is a cloud of uncertainty over who the artist might be, the artwork becomes a controversial piece. To substantiate its authenticity may then require an extensive and expensive process.
Every time an artwork exchanges hands it is important to keep a track of its provenance. Art galleries give out authenticity certificates when you buy an artwork, which basically lists out details regarding the artwork and caries relevant signatures to authenticate it. However, in the secondary market when you buy at an auction or from a dealer or even a private collector/investor apart from the authenticity certificate it helps to have a provenance or history of the artwork. This helps in further ensuring that a work is authentic and the investment you are making is sound.

One hears of instances where a painting was offered for sale but then the prospective buyer had doubts about its originality. Unsure whether it was a fake or an original, the buyer chose to opt out of the sale, which is a wise decision. Now that sales of works by Indian modern and even some contemporary artists involve lakhs to crores of rupees, it makes sense to be 100 percent sure about its authenticity. It also follows that one should buy art from only reputed sources, whether it is an art gallery, an auction house, an online dealer or an individual one must be certain of the seller’s credentials before deciding to buy the artwork. As a buyer you must keep all records of the transaction, which will then come in useful when you want to sell of the work.

(Published in Financial Times)

Indian Art Market Confidence - May 2008

The latest ArtTactic Indian art market survey shows that the global economic situation is having an impact on the overall sentiment in the Indian art market. Despite this, both the Modern and Contemporary Indian Art Market Confidence Indicators have reached new heights, showing the continued optimism in these market.

The overall ArtTactic Indian Art Market Confidence Indicator fell 13% from the last reading in October 2007. The Indicator has been hit by a 54% drop in both current and future confidence in the economy. With India`s inflation surging to a more than 3-year high, global financial markets in decline, and crude oil hitting $125 a barrel, the economic prospect looks less promising than 6 months ago. And as the economic component of the confidence indicator carries a 33% weighting in the overall Indian Art Market Confidence Indicator, the significant loss in confidence weighs heavily on the overall results.

Artists covered in this survey:
F.N.Souza, M.F.Husain, Ram Kumar, S.H.Raza, Akbar Padamsee, Himmat Shah, Jogen Chowdhury,Arpita Singh, Krishen Khanna, Rameshwar Broota, KG Subramanyan, Vasudeo S. Gaitonde, Tyeb Mehta, Zarina Hashmi, Anju Dodiya, Atul Dodiya, Shibu Natesan, Sudarshan Shetty, Ravinder Reddy, Nataraj Sharma, Surendran Nair, Subodh Gupta, Bharti Kher, Jitish Kallat, Thukral & Tagra, Rashid Rana, T.V. Santhosh, N.S. Harsha, Ryas Komu, Justin Ponmany.
The ArtTactic Indian Market Confidence Indicator was launched in May 007, and this month will act as the base month for the indicator. Data is collected and made available every 6 months. The sample includes around 80 respondents, which consists of curators, collectors, dealers, galleries and auction houses operating in the Indian art market.
http://www.arttactic.com//

Art Bytes

Last week I should have mentioned about the Artes Mundi prize that was recently awarded to the Mysore based artist NS Harsha. UK’s prestigious 40,000 pound award is considered to be one of the largest international art awards. In fact, Harsha beat eight other nominees to win this prize. Way to go Harsha!

Incidentally, you must have noticed that the art scene is kind of quiet at the moment, especially in Bangalore. There are very few shows happening and even fewer that are worth talking about. Well, the summer heat is definitely taking a toll on all of us!

As I write this, the Hong Kong Art Fair (14 – 18 May) – a new annual art fair is going on. Limited edition prints, installations and paintings by world famous artists such as Picasso are available, where prices range from HK$7,500 to HK$275 million! In fact, according to the official website, one hundred galleries from 20 countries are showing thousands of works of art - from Andy Warhol to Zhang Xiaogang. Browsing through the list of galleries, I found a few such as Chemould and Vadehra art galleries from India, but none from Bangalore – at least none that I could spot.
Talking about art fairs, you must have read about the India Art Summit that is being organized in New Delhi in August this year. The event aims to bring together various players, such as artists, critics, galleries, dealers, auction houses, framers, and others who are associated with the art field, on to a common platform. There will be art exhibitions, installations, talks and opportunities to network for the various participants. The first of its kind event in the country, the summit has been planned along the lines of international art fairs and plans to have participants from across the world. Here’s looking forward to that.

Back in Bangalore, starting May 17 Gallery Sumukha is organizing a week-long sculpture workshop at its premises with sculptors such as Gopinath S, Jyotsna Bhatt, Karl Antao, Laxma Goud and Venkat Bothsa amongst others. The artists will create sculptures in clay, which will be later cast in bronze. Viewers are invited to visit the gallery and interact with the artists at specified timings. Some of you will remember that in 2004 the gallery had organized a similar workshop in printmaking with eminent artists proficient in printmaking. I happened to miss that workshop but hopefully will be able to visit this one.

(Published in Bangalore Mirror)

India Art Summit 2008: Art meet brings fraternity together

India 's first art summit is happening in New Delhi later this year. Formulated along the lines of international art fairs, the summit plans to bring together various players associated with the Indian art scenario on a common platform. According to a press release, this initiative will bring together a range of stakeholders supporting the business and development of art in India - artists, galleries, art funds, auction houses, art insurers, art framers, art valuators and restorers, art movers and packers, interior decorators and architects, reputed commentators and art critics from across the world. The event supported by veteran artists Anjolie Ela Menon and S H Raza, among others, promises to be an interesting and useful experience. Apart from providing various galleries the opportunity to showcase their artists, a one-day forum will also be organised that will have experts talk on issues that are relevant to the development and the business of art.

Anjolie Ela Menon who was in Bangalore recently for a short visit feels that an event such as this provides a great opportunity for all those involved with the art scene to come together and interact. Also, the summit will be open to public, and people from across all fields will have access to it. She explains that there will be discussions on issues such as taxation, legal aspects of fakes, rights for reproductions , copyrights and other relevant subjects. Hopefully, the dialogue between various agencies will also help in the regularisation of the art market. There is a need for a collaborative effort of this kind and the India art summit certainly promises a lot for all those connected with art. Finally, how can one resist asking Anjolie Ela Menon about the trend of investing in art? She feels it is a positive trend and now there is a lot of interest in avantgarde art. And, this is a good time to hang on to one's art and not be in a hurry to sell.

(Published in Financial Times)