?Proper marketing of art is important?
INDIA IS emerging as a major force in the art world but there is still a lot of scope for further improvement in the artistic acumen, Dr S Settar of the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, feels.
INDIA IS emerging as a major force in the art world but there is still a lot of scope for further improvement in the artistic acumen, Dr S Settar of the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, feels.
Prof Settar is the Honorary Director of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts and a former chairman of ICHR. He has done extensive research on the ancient and medieval artists. He was in Bhopal to deliver a lecture on ‘The Artisan and the State’ at the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya on Thursday.
“Marketing of art is an important factor and we have to still perfect the marketing skills,” he told the Hindustan Times. Prof Settar, who holds a doctorate from Cambridge University, said, “Our artists have to cultivate confidence. There is ample scope for the Indian artists to finds individual creativity and they should restrain from mirroring the West.”
In the contemporary times, imitation is inevitable because communication is easy. Artists are exposed to each other’s world, he said observing that it could be a blind imitation or a blend.
“Today, an artist is at trans-roads, trying to find his roots in the Indian tradition and at the same time trying to be at par with an international artist. Few have managed to assimilate both the elements.”
Settar said that after independence, there is a kind of Renaissance —- each state trying to project its heritage. “The artists can get financial help from the states in the form of fellowship. They also need an institutional support to promote their art.””
On the other steps that could be mooted for honing the artistic culture, he said, “There should be a common platform for communication. The idea that the artists live together is also necessitated and in this context the concept of artist villages is a healthy phenomenon.” Besides, he said proper review and discussion on art is very vital in bolstering the status of art in the country.
“We have a rich tradition of art but we know very little about the artists. We have this blank in the history of Indian art. All efforts should be made to know about our artists,” he concluded.