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| South Asian Art History - In Memory Of Prashant H. Fadia |
Rajiv Laroia, Laroia Realty
07/19/2007
"Gateway Bombay , an exhibition of the work of 13 artists who are deeply connected to the city of Mumbai, opened at the Peabody Essex Museum on July 14th. The exhibition features major paintings, works on paper, photographs and a mixed-media installation created over the past four decades and as recently as 2006. The 29 works are drawn primarily from PEM's Chester and Davida Herwitz Collection of contemporary Indian art. The artists represented include Chirodeep Chaudhuri, Bal Chhabda, Atul Dodiya, Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar, M.F. Husain, Bhupen Khakhar, Bose Krishnamachari, Nalini Malani, Tyeb Mehta, Gieve Patel, Sudhir Patwardhan, Anil Revri, Ketaki Sheth—most of whom live and work in Bombay. "
Art appreciation is often regarded as a "high brow" past time of the intelligentsia. However, art appreciation simply means looking at works of art to form your own opinions about them. Opinions are personal belief or judgment that are not founded on proof or certainty. Thus, art appreciation or for that matter appreciation of any object or work tends to be subjective driven by our own values, experiences and perception of the world. In this respect, art appreciation is no different than appreciating the architecture of a building or the cut of a dress or decor of a house or beauty of a sunset.
Does this mean that an individual does not need a basic understanding of the visual arts? The simple answer would be YES. Most of us dont take architecture courses to appreciate buildings or interior decoration classes to enjoy beautiful interior design work....we simply react to beauty at a "gut" or an emotional level.
However, to appreciate anything in life to its fullest, having a contextual reference to it enhances the subjective and emotional responses generated by the object or experience in question. In other words, an ordinary work of art that you like may seem enchanting if you also knew that a 10 year old was the artist or it may seem wonderful if that 10 year old was your son or daughter or it may seem extraordinary if that 10 year old was a handicapped boy who used his foot or mouth to paint. Therefore, knowing a bit about the artist, the circumstances under which he painted, the reason for painting the object or person, the rationale for the colors used, the era in which the painting was completed and so on can add a depth to our understanding of that "ordinary work of art", thus raising our appreciation to the next level.
For example, in Two Men with Handcart, a painting at Gateway Bombay Exhibition by Gieve Patel, "saturated tones of pink and orange create a dense urban backdrop, against which two male figures are centered at the bottom of the canvas—laborers pausing for a moment in their work day, seemingly deep in conversation." The preceding is the official blurb about the painting. A layperson might only perceive pink and orange as colors and not understand their significance. Had the artist used light blue and green, the entire backdrop would have opened up and taken away its density....try it, if you can. Therefore, being aware of the significance of colors used enhances the viewing experience of this painting. Similarly, there are many other nuances to this work of art which will become evident with a certain level of understanding of the nature of art.
Understanding the nature of art and the principles of art evaluation can enhance an individual's appreciation of this medium. Being able to examine the formal elements of design and gaining a perspective of two & three dimensional art can assist in learning about the processes and tools involved in its creation. Additionally, a chronological study of world art in its cultural setting can add depth to art appreciation. For example, a formal examination and discussion of works of art with an art expert or a knowledgeable individual can help gain an understanding of their form and content beyond a layperson's perspective. This knowledge can then enable one to analyze the formal structure of various works of art as well as consider them in the context of the historical period and cultural framework in which they were produced.
Would gaining an understanding of the nature and the principles of art evaluation make you part of the "high brow intelligentsia"....No, not if you chose not to act as them. Cheers!
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