thinktank

Mom and I are prolific shoppers. We shop almost every week. During our shop-till-you-get-frazzled trips we often discover little unexpected facets of Bangalore.
The other day we were driving home through Jayanagar and saw an amateur commercial artist selling blue-tinted portraits of John Abraham and psychedelic abstracts on the footpath.

Maybe he was inspired by the “Art Bazaar” that is organized every December at Chitra Kala Parishat: the entire street is turned into a walk-in gallery displaying works of students, both current and former. It’s a great resource for someone looking for affordable artwork, for bargain hunters and first-time buyers.

My advice to someone who is interested in collecting Art but doesn’t know where to begin is this: look around and develop a visual vocabulary so that you could make an informed decision about what is available and what you like.
You need to visit exhibitions, art websites, and visit artist studios if you can, try and get a sense of the art scene here. Read up on basic art history; look up famous paintings on the net (Matisse’s Pink Nude, Picasso’s Guernica, Monet’s Waterlilies, Van Gogh’s Starry Nights, Marcel Duchamp’s Nude Descending Staircase etc.).

Slowly you will begin to realize which direction your interest lies in – modern, classical, minimal, radical , or maybe a colorful mix of everything. This is the proactive approach – don’t let other people develop your taste and don’t be overwhelmed by the academicians and critics. Art is anything that is original and inspirational at the same time.

A word of caution: There is a very thin line between Art and wannabe-art. Only instinct and exposure to varied art experiences will help you distinguish between good quality work and derivative work. Every once in a while though you will come across something truly original and inspiring that there is no room for ambiguity: even a novice can tell that it is the work of a master.