Consolidation and stabilization phase of the art market

(By Nalini S Malaviya)

The general perception is that the overall interest in art has dwindled to such an extent that no one is buying art. While, it is true that the amount of money that is being spent on art has gone down considerably, and that many galleries and dealers are affected, one can still come across many buyers who are continuing to buy art for its intrinsic value and also for investment. The economic recession has affected most businesses; at the same time there are people who are comparatively unaffected in the present situation.

There are still a lot of people who attend art show previews and other events. Some of them even end up buying paintings that they like. The category of art that was priced between Rs.15,000 to Rs.50,000 is seeing the maximum sales. Most of these works are either decorative or done by upcoming artists and even final year students from fine art institutes. It can also be noticed that most artists are now open to negotiation as far as prices are concerned. The boom time for art is definitely over and the plateau that one sees now reflects a healthier trend in the art market. This phase is also expected to allow artists and other members of the art community some breathing space which should eventually help the market. Greater introspection, more time and space to explore creativity, focus on business ethics will help in strengthening the market in the long term. As most analysts point out, this period of adjustment will help in the consolidation and stabilization of the art market. Well, it is important to begin the year on a positive note.

Most major art events such as fairs, biennales and seminars are going as per schedule. As galleries point out, it is important to continue with their events in order to keep the interest in art alive. 2009 will be significant in establishing and charting out the course that the art market will take in the years to come.

(Published in Financial Times)

Art bytes

(Nalini S Malaviya)

Narrative Movement is a group of artists from Shantiniketan who is organizing its first show in Bangalore. Gopa Sikder, Kousik Roy, Monoj Poddar, Pratyusha Mukherjee, Ram Kishu, Subrata Mete and Taslima Akter form the seven core members who are currently studying in their final year Masters programme in Fine Arts. These young artists bring in a raw energy in their paintings that are mostly figurative in genre, where some images are dark and surreal, while others romanticise spaces. What one notices is that most of the works involve a complexity in narration and go beyond the superficial decorative content. What is also interesting is that all these works are very different from the traditional format that one is familiar with from this region. It is good to see young artists exploring diverse themes, concepts and media.

Gopa’s imagery is surreal with animal forms overlapping with elements from nature in a vividly colourful world. Kousik’s imagery is dark and intense on one hand, whereas in “Innerview” he presents bright details of a bustling world reflected on the lenses of a pair of spectacles. Monoj’s mixed media works on canvas and board are intensely compelling with their complex narratives and overlapping forms. Pratyusha’s dreamscapes create a fantasy world around architectural spaces. Ram’s works depict figures from everyday life, while Subrata’s figures are also inspired from everyday life but involve a more multifarious approach. Taslima presents interiors and spaces in a romanticised form. The group presents a refreshing range of art that also happens to be affordably priced.

The exhibition was held at Gallery Mementos, The Chancery, Bangalore.

There is yet another gallery - Inspirations that will open its doors on January 4th with an art show that will feature paintings by 12 Indian artists. The works were in fact created at an artists’ camp held last week between 24th to 28th December, at the gallery premises. The art camp was inaugurated with a great deal of zest and the gallery appears to be well stocked with prints, reproductions, traditional paintings and other art.

The film ‘Rang Rasiya’ based on the legendary artist Raja Ravi Verma, a 19th century painter is set to release on January 23. To create interest in the film, a nationwide art competition has been organized on a massive scale. Anybody over the age of 18 can participate in it and there is more than Rs 25 lakhs in prize money involved. Details are available on http://www.rangrasiya.com/. Incidentally, the competition will be held on an all India basis with regional centres in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram and Bhopal.

(Published in Bangalore Mirror)

What is decorative art?

(By Nalini S Malaviya)

With the slowdown in the art market, the biggest gainer has been art which falls in the realm of decorative art. A more affordable form of art, decorative art is characterized by its visual and aesthetic sense. The themes depicted are pleasant, non-controversial and make use of colours that have a pleasing effect. Some of them are derived from traditional folk arts and crafts, and may make use of excessive ornamentation to have an ornate impact. While, some on the other hand, focus on creating a harmonious balance with the use of right colours to have a soothing and calming effect. The former, where the use of craft is intended to create a gilt feel, it is easier to characterize as decorative art. Whereas, in the latter case, the lines could get blurred and these can be more difficult to categorize.

In decorative art, where mere skill is used to define the visual language, lack of components such as concept, composition, effective communication and other such factors fail to draw the discerning collector. This in turn has an effect on the overall investment value of the artwork. In contemporary art, the cerebral content of the artwork is an important criterion in making an artist stand out above his peers.

Often artists who focus on the decorative value of their works tend to produce them in quick succession, the content is often repetitive with slight variations and the artists also appear to be catering to popular demand. However, such art finds huge favour with local galleries and dealers, as this forms a category that is generally a fast moving commodity. Within the art fraternity categorization between decorative and other forms of art is common, and well known, where collectors and artists are able to differentiate between the various classifications of art with ease. Whereas, most other buyers are attracted to decorative art thanks to their intrinsic aesthetic content. Fortunately, there is no right or wrong in art and one should follow one’s instinct in responding to a work of art. Only when the motive is financial investment that one needs to hone one’s instincts and do a proper research before buying,

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year

Merry Christmas

&
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Happy New Year!

Art for All

(Nalini S Malaviya)

Last week’s column on reproductions of paintings as an affordable form of art appears to have touched a chord with many readers. Some of them wrote in to say that even though such paintings were not original their beauty and aesthetic appeal was unmatched. Very true. And, especially when one considers the prices. Today, despite the recession and the slowdown in the art market, prices of paintings are beyond the reach of many people. That’s also explains the popularity of an event such as the Chitra Santhe, the annual art bazaar that is held in and around Chitrakala Parishath for the last few years. Incidentally, this year’s Santhe will be held in late January, 2009 and not the last Sunday of the year as was the tradition up till now. The USP of the Santhe lies in the fact that is an open air informal art mart that is easily accessible to all. There is a wide variety and all kinds of art – from fairly good to downright appalling. There have been numerous discussions about having some kind of quality control, but apparently with that many participants and the Santhe atmosphere that is aimed at, it is not a practical option.
In any case, let’s face it, how many people are willing to walk into an art gallery just to look at art? Most people are intimidated by the gallery environs and sometimes the attitude of the staff also doesn’t help. Well, the Santhe does offer an excellent opportunity to get familiar with art over the day and then decide what one wants to buy. It might also be a good idea to have art appreciation lectures or seminars in conjunction with the Santhe, but most probably the logistics of it might prove to be daunting. Still, as an idea it has it merits, it will help prospective buyers gain some basic knowledge about art before making an informed decision.


The group show by artists from Delhi and Rajasthan that previewed last week had some interesting paintings. The large panels by Bhagat Singh were quite popular with the guests, beautifully rendered and pleasing. Immensely symmetrical and intricately patterned - the overall effect was very agreeable and soothing. Madan Meena’s abstracts with matrices of golden and silver circles also created a harmonious impact. Titled Lotus ponds the works were minimal in their approach. Manoj Kachangal abstracts were colourful and appeared to be inspired by some of Raza’s works.
Both Ritu and Anoop Kamath’s paintings were figurative but very different from one another. Where Ritu’s paintings have a greater visual appeal, Anoop’s works seemed to portray sardonic humour and a satirical touch.

(The exhibition is on till January 7 at Crimson Art Resource, The Hatworks Boulevard, Bangalore)