For God's sake, and people's too
RANA SIDDIQUI
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How do thoughts of God translate into the works of artists? As Janmashtami nears, the Capital witnesses art shows on religious themes.
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THE HEART OF THE MATTER A work by Suresh Varma displayed at Art Junction
Some 20 years ago a young Vikram Sethi expressed his desire to his father to become a painter. His father took him to Jahangir Art Gallery in Mumbai in his car and showed him painters, known and unknown sitting on the stairs of the gallery in almost shabby condition. "If you also want to spend your life like that and die in a Government hospital then go ahead," he suggested pointing at them. Today his father is amazed when Sethi, a well known curator, sells even a small work of art for Rs.60,000!
In Delhi for an exhibition he curated, aimed at bringing out how different artists treat religion in their works, Sethi says it "drew a huge response because of its new concept and theme, Art for God's Sake." The exhibition, mounted at the India Habitat Centre and concluding this Friday, is his first in Delhi. Comprising "unexhibited" works of well-known artists as Tyeb Mehta, S.H. Raza, Anjolie Ela Menon, Jogen Chowdhury as well as lesser known artists from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Latur, Udaipur and other Indian cities, besides one artist based in England, the exhibition was inaugurated by Tina Anil Ambani.
Sethi likes to be called an art collector rather than a curator as he is known in the art fraternity especially in Mumbai. He took to curating art to "bring the talented artists into the limelight and make the art go beyond a few people". And so, besides helping his father in his transport business, he has kept his passion for art alive by reading about art, visiting artists and art galleries all across the globe and collecting art works.
"It has never been easy for me to persuade big artists to give me their works for a show. Since they never used to be sure if they would sell, they would spend time with me but finally say, `You buy my work'."
With great difficulty, Sethi managed to mount his first art show in the early 1980s. Called Masters of India, the exhibition included works of Anjolie Ela Menon, Jogen Chowdhury, Bikash Bhattacharya and others. He got tremendous response and all the displayed works were sold.
"Those who didn't give me their works thinking I was just a nobody resented it," recalls Sethi.
Encouraging young artists
Sethi, who has so far presented around 90 shows across the globe, laments the lack of understanding of aesthetics among people in general. "Unfortunately we stop painting in school, while in the West art is a compulsory subject. School children in uniform are allowed to enter the museums free. So a respect for art is inculcated in them from childhood. While here in India it is still an elitist practice." Hence he works to "trigger the appreciation for art even in ordinary homes so that people do not cut calendar scenes and frame them to mount on the walls." Sethi encourages young and talented artists. He selects their works after scrutinising them and sells them at affordable prices.
"These days young artists want to reap the benefit of what their masters have done. They put a price tag of Rs.70,000 on their immature works and then ask me why they didn't sell! They fail to realise that their masters have toiled for ages to get this amount for their works."
Krishna in fibre resin
`Ganesh' by Jogen Chowdhury, part of the Art for God's Sake show on view at the India Habitat Centre.
He might not be known to the art fraternity as a master craftsman who brings out images of Krishna in fibre resin, clay, plaster of Paris and glass wool, but his works speak volumes for his skill. Art lovers of the Capital are just getting to know the 45-year-old Haryana-based Suresh Varma's creations at through a show at Art Junction, Intercontinental The Grand hotel. The show is brought to Delhi by Satvik Collections, an art gallery which primarily caters to religious works of art.
To coincide with Janmashtami, the day celebrated as the birthday of Lord Krishna, hoteliers Jyotsna and Lalit Suri hosted an evening in Braj style (eatables, beverages and dress code for the servers, Krishna's trademark blue colour, etc.) dedicated to Krishna at The Grand, where not only the works of Varma were unveiled but also eminent Odissi dancer Sharon Lowen presented a recital `An ode to Krishna' this week.
The art works that comprised 34 works on Krishna's various facets as he was "a warrior and a fighter, a romantic to the core, a strategist, scholar, winner and duty bound ruler," as Jyotsna Suri explained, attracted attention for the use of three-dimensional windows, 24 carat gold, kitch and swarovski.
The creator of these works Varma who did his graduation in Fine Arts from Haryana University has been painting only Krishna since the age of four. "From class I till X, every year I would win the first prize in every painting competition, where I would invariably end up drawing Krishna" says this devotee who still doesn't know the art of marketing himself by manipulation. That's where the purity of his devotion shows in his works.
Now this painter and sculptor is all ready to make a series of 108 paintings on Krishna "only on his Raas leela with Radha in Barsana".
Apart from Varma's creations, various moods of Radha-Krishna on ancient stamp paper are worth mentioning.
The question is, how many in the art fraternity will treat Varma's creations as works of art? Sharon provides a view, "I do look at it as a piece of art, but if I have to judge it sitting on a panel, I would like to educate myself as to how many people are working like him and maybe do a comparative study before reaching a the right conclusion."
However, the works are mesmerising enough to put the mind aside and just enjoy them for sheer visual pleasure!
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