The word ‘art’ is commonly associated with pieces of work in a gallery/museum, conjuring up images of a painting from the Renaissance or a modern sculpture. Little do people realise that art has no boundary and no limits.
Art is not just appealing to look at, it gives us immense joy. The sculpture or figurines or paintings that we are surrounded by all come together to create an atmosphere that we want o live in, one that is personable to us. Just like music, art also makes life joyful and uplifts our bad mood. Sometimes, different art forms prove to be motivational as they influence our emotions. It affects our mood in a positive way, making us feel happier, calmer and even inspired to do something.
Picasso once said, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
Contemporary Indian art matches the cultural and ideological diversity of the nation. Thanks to rapid globalisation, it is becoming increasingly visible in the international art world. Art forms of various geographical locations portray the culture and values of that region.
Every creative element finds its own way to express itself. Music has many platforms for expression – radio, movies, live concerts, apps and so do dance and drama – television programmes and stage renditions. But art is only portrayed within the four walls of a museum/gallery.
And even if it is displayed in public, it sometimes gets vandalised by mobs who, in an attempt to express their political jubilation, forget the fact that art has no religion, caste, gender or ethnicity. There have been over half-a-dozen incidents of vandalising the statues of Ambedkar in various parts of Uttar Pradesh over the last month.
But there is no denying the fact that we Indians are indeed very creative when it comes to expressing our political fervour in public! It is not surprising then that buntings and hoardings have sprung up around cities with pictures of unknown political leaders. However, most of these are propped up on road dividers, footpaths and trees. Besides being eyesores, they also pose problems for road users.
I strongly believe that every city, in fact, every locality should have an area specially designated for the portrayal of art – be it paintings, sculptures, modern art, etc. Everyone should feel free to express their creativity not just within the four walls of a room but to the whole world.
Artists do not have any boundaries on their imagination so there shouldn’t be any boundaries for their presentation. Unless it is communicated, the language of art cannot be understood. Art needs to be visible everywhere for communication to happen – subways, roads, railway stations, parks, public buildings, etc. Jawaharlal Nehru was of the opinion that 2% of all public building budget should be used on art.
People of India will understand art when art is made visible to them. You learn a language only when its spoken to you.