‘Glamour art’

Indian art is all over the newspapers these days - from the financial pages to ‘Page 3’. And artists are rubbing shoulders with cricketers in the celebrity space. Recently I visited a couple of art shows where a few young artists from Gulbarga were exhibiting their paintings, but unfortunately they neither received any press coverage nor did the show see many visitors. It makes one wonder if art is as much about hype as talent?

Art, in the past, has been as much in the news for its controversies as for its culture. If Husain’s horses were a rage at one time, its rage of a different kind now that’s throwing the limelight on him. Art shows have been dragged from galleries to courts to chat shows on the telly. How many people buy a piece of art because the artist is featured on ‘Page 3’ all the time? Is the price linked to the creative potential or is it proportionate to the artist’s celebrity status?
On the one hand, you have artists who have become permanent fixtures on Page 3 and flaunt their celebrity status, and on the other, there are celebrities turning to the paint brush in a bid to ‘diversify their creativity’. Then, you have artists who are dogged by controversies. Every move and stroke by Husain is covered extensively by the media. Whether you like him or not, the fact remains that you cannot ignore him. Similarly, whether he returns to India or not, the hype surrounding his every word and gesture will ensure he stays in the limelight and commands the same high price.

Suchitra Krishnamurthy is another case in point. Every time she picks up the paintbrush, the media goes into a frenzy. Sometimes, it seems no one really cares or even sees what the art looks like. Celebrity previews are well-attended and from what one hears, it is easier to translate footfalls into sales here. Owning an artwork by an artist who is famous and well-known is seen to be a reflection of status and good taste. After all, we all revel in name-dropping. Plus, celebs sell their art for amounts that would make even senior artists turn green with envy. Being a socialite or an artist who is well-connected has its benefits, it ensures media interest and is a great aid to marketing art.
Maybe we can call it ‘glamour art’. All said and done, the ‘star’ value will be reflected in the value of the painting, so be prepared to shell out a bomb.

(Published in Bangalore Mirror)

An interesting collection of art from teachers

The faculty of visual arts from Rabindra Bharathi University, Kolkata have come together to present their own works in an exhibition titled ‘Changing Images’. Nikhil Ranjan Pal, the convenor of this show has worked with Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath in the past and is now associated with Rabindra Bharathi University. According to him, “Our ‘teachers’ group show is an outcome of those creative reactions where anybody can easily witness a very distinct individual response, style in their separate individual creative manner.” All the works have been done on paper and form an affordable series.
The show sponsored by the University offers the teachers an opportunity to explore their own creativity and put up their works before the public.


Nikhil’s portraits done with colour pencils in a subdued palette have an understated elegance, while Surajit Chanda’s urbanscapes pay tribute to the monuments and historical sites he has visited in the past. Parag Roy from the department of printmaking, has a set of 6 paper constructions that juxtapose images from different cities in a sartorial style that is humorous yet nostalgic. The other ‘painting’ titled ‘Wizard of Baghdad’ that combines the Harry Potter mania with the war-ravaged Iraq is a striking piece of work. Sandip Chakraborty’s sculptures are minimalist in design and Atanu Basu’s abstracts immediately attract with their spontaneity and the bold colourful strokes. Dolanchampa Ganguly’s collages are quite fascinating. The other members of the faculty also offer an interesting mix of styles and some experimentation. In all a show worth visiting for its variety and the delightful range it offers.

(The exhibition is on till February 23 at Time and Space Art Gallery, 55, Lavelle Road, Bangalore 1. Phone: 22124117)

Appreciate art before investing

As art finds a prominent spot in your morning newspaper, chances are that you will come across reviews and a lot of other information about art shows. As there are very few art critics in the country, most reviews and write-ups are done by journalists and freelance writers. Many people buy art based on what they read. It helps to know that media coverage about art shows depends on a lot of factors such as how prominent and well-known the artist is, in case there is a PR agency involved - how well they market it, and also to some extent the gallery’s standing. In that case should one buy art from shows that get extensive coverage across newspapers and other publications? Media hype is good to some extent and helps in establishing the artist, but of course not all good artists receive the same amount of attention.

However, there are several advantages in following updates on art, for one it keeps you abreast of happenings in the art world. It gives you an idea about trends, popularity of artists and price bands. Then again reading about art shows or their reviews gives you a better understanding of the artist’s perspective, and also the artworks. Artist interviews in particular give a glimpse of what the artist had in mind while creating the artwork, how it evolved, and the thought process behind it. Therefore, when you visit the art show, you will be in a better position to assess and evaluate the art in the right context.

Understanding the piece of art or relating to it is the first step in appreciating it. It helps to remember that the response to any art is a very personal experience, and can be extremely subjective. Therefore, you should always visit an art show with an open mind. Your response to it may be very different from the writer’s perspective. The more you learn to appreciate art, the better your judgement will be when planning your art investment.

(Published in Financial Times)

Art shows in Bangalore

Bangalore is surely catching up with Delhi and Mumbai when it comes to the number of art shows happening in the city. Anjana Kuthiala, a Delhi-based artist, is displaying her recent works in an exhibition titled ‘Anarkali Reborn’. Then there is a group of artists from West Bengal who have come together as part of a gallery’s anniversary celebrations.
Anjana is a former Miss India who later turned to a career in painting. She is known widely for her numerous drawings and paintings of Shah Rukh Khan. In this series, Anjana attempts to pay a tribute to a forgotten legend and presents the new millennium Anarkali. According to the artist, the paintings celebrate the Indian woman as an embodiment of love, beauty and spiritual power. The paintings centre on aesthetics and beauty – the protagonist in this case, Anarkali, is beautiful and wide-eyed as she appears poised and graceful against various backdrops. Large almond-shaped eyes and perfect lips - they remind you of the Rajasthani folk paintings that you often see at the Chitra Santhe.

(The exhibition is on till February 22 at the Welcom Art Gallery, Windsor Manor Hotel)

The other show has an interesting collection, which features names like Paritosh Sen, Suhas Roy, Jogen Chowdhury and Sohini Dhar, amongst others. The exhibition offers an intriguing amalgam of different genres in contemporary art. You can see traditional tales retold, allegories that bridge between reality and fantasy, and even glimpses of surrealism. The romanticism of Suhas Roy’s Radha, and Sita Haran by Bijon Chowdhury have a folk touch. Flower and Moon is a still life by Manoj Dutta, while Old Kolkata Afternoon by Subrata Gangopadhay has been rendered in a realistic style that evokes nostalgia with its charming portrayal of women spending their afternoons together. Sanatan Ninda’s Introduction - Next has a sculptural quality in its textures.

Prokash Karmakar, Isha Mahammad, Ramananda Bandopadhyay, Ajoy Kumar Ghose, Partha Protim Deb, Hiran Mitra, Rabin Dutta, Ashok Bhowmik, Ramlal Dhar, Kalyan Mukherjee, Saumen Khamrui and S K Shajahan are the other artists who are participating in this exhibition.

(The exhibition is on till February 23 at Gallery G, Maini Sadan, 38 Lavelle road, 7th Cross, Bangalore – 1. Phone 22219275)
(Published in Bangalore Mirror)

Figurative or abstract?

If you look around you will find that most Indian artists whose works are in great demand have a penchant for figurative art. Whether they paint figuratives because it is in demand or vice versa it is difficult to say. But the fact is that a larger cross-section of buyers have a liking for figurative art compared to abstracts. V S Gaitonde’s evocative abstracts and S H Raza’s geometric abstraction and the Bindu are of course exceptions to this rule. These remain greatly in demand and usually do very well at auctions. However, one must also remember that these artists have acquired cult status in Indian art.

But, in general most buyers opt for figurative art rather than abstracts or any other genre. This is especially true for new buyers who tend to relate better to ‘realism’ in art.
The general feeling regarding abstracts remains that it fails to move the viewer in the same manner as a ‘recognizable’ work of art. A viewer responds to a work of art based on his experiential background and his sensibilities, and therefore it is always easier to relate to a familiar and easily decipherable work of art rather than an abstract or non-representational one.

However, there are plenty of discerning buyers who are able to differentiate between deliberate abstraction and random or amateur brush strokes. Incidentally, most artists who are known for their abstracts have excelled in figurative art as well. While, there are a few artists, such as Anupam Sud who have shifted from abstract art to figurative.
Artist KM Adimoolam, who passed away recently was equally proficient in drawing (his series of black and white portraits of Mahatma Gandhi is very well known) and in abstracts. The play of colours on his canvas is a delight to watch.
Indian modern and contemporary art as we know it is still in its nascent stages. As the awareness about art and its finer nuances grows, one is sure to find that abstracts will become more popular.