Indian Art – An Overview

Like the satiric dwindle of the painting above Indian painting has always remained a very intricately evolved art form spread over it’s vast influential timescape forming the very fabric of Indian art – a stunning maze which takes you from the very basic to the most advanced, from the discoloured relic to the modern alternate, the art world survives through a labyrinth of ambivalen unstructured networks deep-rooted in the country’s rich historical conscience.

To get an idea of how far back in time the Indian painting scene dates back to, one needs to refer to the 1000 year old rock paintings of bhimbetka. From whatever examples that have survived the race of time Indian painting can be broadly classified based on just scale, into large scale painting on solid surfaces like murals and small scale intricate work on more perishable surfaces like paper and cloth called miniatures.

Classification

Large scale wall paintings or Murals like the ones we find in world famous Ajanta caves and the Kailashnath temple slowly took the more convenient form of miniature paintings. In the beginning they were done on palm leaf manuscripts and later on specially treated cloth. Painting on cloth has taken the form of folk art and has retained its uniqueness region wise till date. These distinct styles and characteristics have retained their flavours through generations. The most popular ones prevalent according to regions and styles are Rajput, Madhubani,Warli, Kalighat,Kalamkari’s,Gond,Patachitra,Picchwai paintings.

Who is the Buyer

A steady interest has been developing around contemporary Indian art amongst young buyers who are in their late twenties or mid thirties with a renewed interest in Indian classical art. Taking art sales online has resulted in fueling this interest to a great level. The internet not only has found new buyers but also new contemporary artists who have found a platform to showcase their art. Veteran international collectors and institutions have always remained the main patronisers of high end Indian art industry. The affordable or lower end segment is mainly driven by the young native Indians. This new and young segment includes entrepreneurs,company excecutives and also professionals of all ages and from different fields.

Eminent personalities like Nita Ambani and Anupam Poddar are playing a significant role to support modern artists by investing in their works. Art is being used as an investment too and not only bought for personal use . Role played by auction houses is worth mentioning in this respect as they have been able to get the highest possible price when a piece of art is sold in the private marketplace.

How Big is the Market

In 2011 a collection of Indian Classical Art was sold for $48 million with which Indian art scene started scaling new heights. The Indian art market has experienced a steady growth and stands at around $250 million of which $98 million is dedicated to contemporary. Inspite of global recession of 2008 and more recent demonetisation and GST setbacks Indian art is expected to fetch record prices both internationally and domestically. Some of the most expensive artworks by renowned artists have sold at the following prices: V. S . Gaitonde 29.3 crores ,F. N. Souza 26.9 crores, Tyeb Mehta 19.8 crores, Akbar Padamsee 19.2 crores, S.H. Raza 18.6 crores

This gives an idea that the moderns are at par with internationally acclaimed artists in terms of generating revenues. 62% of galleries reported an increase of sale in 2017. Four of Tyeb Meht’a’s paintings featuree in the 10 most expensive paintings. Souza’s Birth 2005 is the 10 th most expensive painting selling at 11.2 crores. 674.1 crores is the total worth of paintings by M. F. Hussain.

Inspite of individual artists selling their artwork at record prices India’s share in the global art industry stands at a negligible 5% in 2016. The industry has a huge scope for growth with increasing art investors in domestic and international markets .

Young Art Collectors

With the advent of social media and networking, young art buyers are entering more and more into the art industry. Also these young generation of art collectors view art not only as a piece of decor but also as a financial asset. These young collectors have developed a taste for contemporary art which reflects their lives, tastes, political and ethical values. The artists are also experimenting with their style and technique and use of sustainable eco friendly materials to cater to the likings of the young collectors. Although this section of buyers are still not a very significant chunk but nonetheless their presence is being felt in the way they are challenging and changing the art market.

Some artists feel art is an experience of the senses and use of social media is inadequate in providing that but a growing number of museums and organisations are integrating extensive use of social media and technology to reach out to more and more young buyers .

A researched statistics show that around $28 billion of art has been purchased by young collectors and 79% of art buyers under 35 years use Instagram for discovering new artists. 82% of art buyers under 35 use Instagram to follow and keep up to date with artists they are already familiar with. 32% of art buyers said that social media had an increasing impact on their decision to buy art. These sure are very encouraging and astonishing figures considering how norm less unstructured the industry is.

Role of Philanthropists

There has been a close connection between art and philanthropy since the time of monarchy to the present time. Art as we find it today wouldn’t have flourished the way it has without the patronage of kings and their wealth. Similarly in the present day starting from opera houses to galleries and theatres no form of art would survive without support from rich patrons. Most expensive artworks have often been used to raise fund for charitable causes.

Among the most popular names when we come to the contribution of modern day philanthropists the first mention is of Feroze Gujral. Gujral foundation was founded with the primary motif of supporting art in the form of grants, mentorship, scholarships and recommendations. This oraganisation supports young and budding artists who have skills to excel.

Nita Ambani is another such philanthropist who has been instrumental in promoting Indian art and culture abroad. Then there is Dayaji who is a person who teaches art for free to the underprivileged. He travels through villages of Karnataka and organises artcamps. Also he organizes exhibitions where these paintings are mounted. Dayaji has donated thousands of paintings for charitable purposes .

Role of Foundations

Varioust non profit organisations and foundations are working relentlessly towards betterment of arts in India. Even companies have funded and sponsored many foundations as part of their corporate social responsibilities.

These foundations generally aim at providing a supportive environment where artists can contemplate and explore their creative minds to the fullest. The foundations also play an active role in popularising Indian art abroad. The Reliance Foundation has sponsored an exhibition of Krishna and Pichvai paintings at the Art Institute of Chicago with the same aim in mind.

The Gujral Foundation has built specific spaces like studios for artists to pursue art and has organised subcontinental exhibitions like Berlin Biennale and Tate Modern.

Sanskriti Foundation aims in increasing the appreciation of Indian arts, culture and heritage through educational programmes and cultural heritage programmes to the emerging generation world wide. They hold residency programmes to support and help artists in developing their skills.

India Foundation for the Arts is another such foundation established with the aim to support the practice, research and education in the field of arts. They help artists prepare proposals for grants from national and international foundations and trusts. They even support research into the histories and artistic practices in India.

Importance of Exhibition Designers

Exhibition designers play a very important role in elevating an experience from the ordinary to the extra ordinary. The success of a designer lies in their skill to strike a balance between pleasure of the senses and a journey through the subject. It is the work of the designer to best explain the story to the common people that the curator has chosen to present. Thus they work as mediators between the visions of the curator and understanding of the visitors.

It has been said that the mark of a successful exhibition designer is in the details that you didn’t notice. So it can be said it is because of the expertise of an exhibition designer that we notice only the art.

His job encompasses in creating fixtures and displays for events and exhibitions. Some of the key components of any exhibitions other than the art work itself like light, colour and space are all managed by the designer. To put in simple words his job is to enhance the experience of the visitor.

Role of Gallerists

The term gallerist has been derived from the French word ‘galeriste’ and was used by top gallery managers or owners to distinguish themselves from picture merchants. There is another theory regarding the origin of the word. It’s believed that it came from Germany where ‘galleristin’ simply meant a male or female gallery owner.

The success of an artist greatly depends upon the professionalism and commitment of a good gallerist. Promotion of an artist with the aim to increase their artistic and commercial value largely lies upon the expertise of a gallerist. The gallerist maintains a close contact with the curators, collectors, museums, journalists, critics and above all with the artists whose art he has chosen to promote. Thus a gallerist himself needs to be updated on the evolution of the art world and guide the artists accordingly. He even gets involved in the artist’s’ life if the need arises in his commitment towards the growth of the artist. The role a gallerist plays is both visible and invisible as it goes beyond the normal job of putting up shows and selling the artwork of the artists.

Online Replication

Art forgeries have existed since time unknown both in India and throughout the world. It’s the scale in which this exists today have become a matter of grave concern. Also that replication of art have become an organised trade and are carried out with quite ease harming both the artists and customers.

Most fake paintings are actually digital representation of the original art. The modus operandi that the forger uses is he sends an unsuspecting photographer to take images of the original work in a gallery . Then with this raw file it gets printed on canvas and painted over. Thus the original signature remains intact. Authentication certificate is also duly produced by forgers with the help of photoshop. Digital replicas of famous art or paleolithic cave drawings have been done sometimes either to reproduce art that has nearly been destroyed or in some rare art that was not accessible to all. But replicas can never be able to capture the soul of the original art and instead affects our ability to appreciate the real art. Sometimes students of art and young artists turn towards forgery to earn some quick money.

With the advent of online art retailing the parallel market of forged art has become more rampant. Instances of selling forged paintings of Pollock on ebay have been registered. Online buyers are more susceptible to being duped in absence of pre auction preview and absence of quality records. With the popularity of online buying and selling of art the need of the hour is a set of strong guidelines.

Fakes mostly affects newer buyers who has less idea of paintings and are buying as investments. With museums, libraries and private collectors sharing their treasures online both the forgers and investigators are being benefitted.