It is art season again

(By Nalini S Malaviya)

After a brief hiatus, there is a lot of activity related to art happening in cities across the country. Art collectors and buyers have plenty to look forward to in the coming season, as there are a number of exhibitions, talks and fairs which will be taking place over the next few months.

A few days ago in New Delhi, an unusual project titled ‘Conscious-sub-conscious’ organized by Gallery Espace, began, which involves letting artist Manjunath Kamath paint the gallery walls. Over a period of seven days, Kamath will draw on the walls of the gallery, converting it into a temporary studio and visitors can walk in to view what he has created and interact with the artist. However after a week’s viewing of the completed work’s display, the gallery will whitewash its walls! Another exhibition ‘Indian (Sub)way’at Vadehra Art Gallery in the capital features a group of artists in a show that has been curated by Yashodhara Dalmia.

In Mumbai, ‘Rivers of Blood’ by Paula Sengupta is going on at Gallery Chemould Prescott and The Guild Art Gallery is presenting a unique initiative involving artists and public titled 'I think therefore graffiti'. In Bangalore, 103°C Yellow Fever and other works, an art show by Zakkir Hussain just ended at a city gallery, while a show dedicated to drawings curated by Yusuf Arakkal is going on at Galerie Sara Arakkal. Birendra Pani’s solo exhibition is upcoming at Gallery Sumukha in Bangalore, while a group show curated by the London based curator and writer Shaheen Merali is going on in Chennai.

India Art Summit has come out with a list of participating galleries – 84 from 21 countries at the fair scheduled to take place in January, next year. The scale of the event is much larger than last year and promises to be better than before.

These are just some of the exhibitions, which are either ongoing or scheduled to take place shortly. Apart from these, there are many other events and shows that art connoisseurs can look forward to the next few months. The wide spectrum of art offers a perfect opportunity to view some good quality and interesting art, network with artists and others, and to get familiar with various trends as well.

(Published in Financial Times)

Art Buzz (New Delhi) Art Fair

Art Buzz (New Delhi) India Art Summit

Buying art on installments

(By Nalini S Malaviya)

Prices of art are often such that one would require having fairly deep pockets to be able to afford a good, or rather a work by an established artist. A long time ago when people bought art for simpler reasons that stemmed from a passion for art and from a desire to help out artists whom they knew personally, it was common to have informal arrangements with regards to paying the artist or gallery. This could often involve payment in installments over a certain period of time. This not only helped the buyer in acquiring works, which they felt strongly about but also the artist in ensuring that his works kept on moving.

Although, the economics of art has changed form completely from those days, even today there are galleries who are willing to let you own a work of art, even if you cannot make an outright payment. This trend opens up possibilities for the buyer to be able to make the payment in smaller denominations and not feel the pinch to that extent. Today, general financial conditions have improved substantially, yet there is a certain reluctance to invest heavily in art. In such a situation, the option of paying in installments not only helps the buyer but also in ensuring that sales take place.

Incidentally, the younger generation, which is quite used to the concept of owning things first and paying later, is bound to find the scheme attractive. Normally, one does not associate art with such an ‘installment’ concept, but in fact, it has its plus points. A lump sum payment can be a little scary for the first time buyer who may feel more confident in paying in smaller portions over the next few months. Such transactions are usually reserved for trusted clients or when the gallery feels that the buyer is genuinely interested in acquiring the work. Still, these dealings are rarely publicized and usually take place on an informal level.

Published in Financial Times

Drawing essence of thought - The Power of Line

(By Nalini S Malaviya)

Noted artist Yusuf Arakkal presents an exhibition of drawings The Power of Line – a show curated by him that displays about 130 works. Reluctant to accept his role as a curator, Arakkal reveals that the show was conceptualized about a year ago, and although in the initial phases the plan was to include a few select artists, as time progressed the list grew from 50 artists to the present 75, who are now participating in it. The whole process was set in motion when he came across a few of his own drawings done many years ago. He then invited eminent and emerging artists from across the country to participate in this show dedicated exclusively to drawings.

The exhibition endeavors to encapsulate the flow and evolution of drawing over time, regions and generations. “Most artists don’t like to work with a suggested theme; therefore the only brief that I gave them was in terms of size. They were free to give me any drawing from any phase of their career,” he explains.

A strong believer in the power of drawing as an independent medium, and superior to any form of visual art, Arakkal believes that it is the essence of thought, which is instantly translated through a line drawing. He feels, “A painting is an elaborate process, where the essentials get lost along the way and unwanted elements may creep in.”

Arakkal religiously practices the discipline of drawing every single day without fail even when he is traveling. He elaborates, “It took me some time to realize that the most important aspect of almost all visual applications is drawing. The basic structure of painting, sculpture, architecture, engineering and all that connected to visual expressions; is drawing.” He fondly recalls the days, when as a child he used to draw with pieces of charcoal behind the kitchen wall - most of those pictures were inevitably of cars! And, of the driver looming large over his territory!

Interestingly, an etching by Laxma Goud has been included to display the connect between graphics and drawing, as the artist is a well known graphic printmaker. The show is dedicated to FN Souza and KK Hebbar, both great artists of our times.

In his curatorial note Arakkal expresses, “While many of these creations are done as a guide to the final work, more often it is these drawings that in itself reincarnates as the final work of art. It is the power of those lines created in an inspirational moment which becomes the basis for the emergence of a great work in its final identity.” The results are there to see - the exhibition presents a wide spectrum of minimalist drawings, a few made with paint and brushes, and some even mixed media works. A few images here and there may strike a discordant note, but overall there is a cohesiveness that reiterates the curatorial intent.

(The exhibition continues at Galerie Sara Arakkal till July 31)

(Published in Bangalore Mirror)