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Creative beat
Delhi’s College of Art has made a serious effort to keep up with the rapidly changing art scene with the introduction of three new specialisations: print-making, art history and visual communication Vimal Chander Joshi reports
If you find yourself strolling around the campus of Delhi’s College of Art, take care not to displace even a pebble. It could be a work of art.
Students find the entire campus a canvas of sorts and you can see their creations everywhere — in the canteen, the garden, the corridors.
The college’s admission procedure comprises of an aptitude test, which includes two practicals and a theory paper. One of the practical tests requires candidates to draw an object displayed in the examination hall. In the other paper, “composition”, the students are given a theme, such as a foggy night, and are given complete artistic freedom to portray it as they see it in their mind’s eye. The theory exam comprises both subjective- and objective-type questions on art and general affairs.
The college’s annual art exhibition is a popular event on Delhi’s art circuit. It enables students to showcase their creations before the Capital’s art fraternity.
Another similar event, Samhita, provides a platform to art students from a dozen colleges from across the country to converge and share their knowledge at a seminar-cum-workshop.
Famous for: The College’s notable alumni include Anupam Sud, Manjit Bawa, Paresh Maity and Sonia Khurana.
Programmes: Bachelor of fine art (BFA), Master of fine art (MFA) in painting, sculpture, applied arts, print-making, art history and visual communication.
Infrastructure: The college offers studio-cum-workshops for offset, metal casting, ceramics, mural, weaving and printmaking, as well as an art-materials shop. It also has sports facilities for table tennis, badminton, volleyball and basketball.
Found on campus: “Here, students have to pay for the raw material they use – canvases, wax, paints etc.
“However, many of us make money by selling our creations and that takes care of the costs,” says Saroj Kumar Das, a third-year BFA student with specialisation in sculpture.
wishlist
“The faculty should interact more closely with the students. They give us assignments and leave the room. (Assignments are given on Mondays and submitted on the following Fridays to the respective teachers). Anyone can spend four years here and get a degree. This needs urgent attention,” said a second-year BFA student with specialisation in sculpture.
factfile
The College was established in 1942 for advanced training in visual art i.e. creative and applied arts, under the Faculty of Music and Fine Art of Delhi University.
