Art and 'I'

iPod, iPhone, iTunes, i-Chair, iLounge, I-play.com, iGadget.com, iSqueez, iDiscoveri, iSymphonic, iGallop, iRead, iAudio, iBike, iDesire .....i-am-sure there are many more such i-tems that i-have missed out. These names hold a mirror to the times we live in - or rather the times in which a multitude of 'I's live in. As I am currently involved with art, I've been thinking about how this 'I' culture augurs for art.

Observe the painting alongside. The painter Zarina Hashmi, has titled it 'Evening'. She lives and works in New York. 'Evening' is up for sale on a renowned art auction site, www.saffronart.com and you need to fork out Rs.125,000 or $3205 for this one. It measures 8.0 x 6.0 inches and is an etching on paper. It has been written of the artist that "(she) has always engaged with the politics of space and its crossings. Mirroring her own extensive travels and the multiple meanings that the word ‘home’ has for her, Hashmi’s work challenges familiar locations like ‘country’, the ways in which they are bordered, delimited and traversed, and the feelings and memories that they evoke in us. Her minimalist prints use these locations to construct new geographies, imbuing them with fresh perspectives and new, universal meanings. "




















And now turn your attention to this painting. It is not titled, measures 22 X 30 inches and is on paper. It is by a Madhubani artist called Ashok Jha. He comes from the Madhubani district of Bihar which is known for this style of painting. It was originally an art form used to decorate the walls of the mud houses of the villagers. Only in the 1960s did this art form start getting recognized outside Madhubani and thats when the artists began adapting by making these paintings on paper and canvas as well. I have sold this very painting at a price of Rs. 3400/- through my outlet RARE INDIAN ART in New Delhi. Is this price justified/ too high/too low? I leave you to answer that question yourself.

The obvious difference in pedigree and fame of the two artists notwithstanding, to me the enormity of difference in the prices of these two paintings seems to be a fallout of the 'I'-factor alluded to earlier. The buyer of a painting like 'Evening' appears to assert his/her I-ness in various ways (in order of most likely to least likely way of satisfying this need)

a) He/she hopes to make a tidy profit from the investment. So he/she buys works of renowned artists. A money inspired motive (and not far-fetched to assume that the money motive is for self-gain)
b) A desire to keep up with the Joneses. Mrs. So- and So has been bragging about her modern art collection. Let her see that I too can understand and buy ( read have pots of money to buy) modern art. Again the need to make oneself important.
c) The buyer sees what Zarina Hashmi saw when she made this painting and called it Evening. He/ she thinks that Rs.125,000 is a reasonable price to pay for having someone pick this picture off their mind's canvas and put it on paper.

In stark contrast to 'Evening' above, the Madhubani painting uses motifs, colours, themes which can be understood by most people. It is a simple depiction of a girl being carried in a palanquin through a glade of trees. The style is figurative, not abstract and the visual appeal of the painting lies in its symmetry, colours and representation of nature. This is communal art, reflecting the lives of groups of people, their customs, traditions and even their mystical beliefs. Such art has fallen out of favour with today's buyers, because it celebrates the unity of people, tribes and communities and is not a paean to one individual's sense of the self.

I find communal/ folk/ tribal art more joyous and celebratory. On a philosophical note, it shows me that I exist, but only as part of a larger system. It reminds me not to take myself too seriously. And finally to quote G.K Chesterton, "Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly, devils fall because of their gravity."