The art summit was all about ‘old masters’ and experimental generation. It seems that the art world today is obsessed with either the blue chip ‘master’ painters that have been largely created by galleries-auction houses-media managers or with the still affordable lesser known ‘cutting edge’ wannabes still a little wet behind the ears.
Galleries and auction houses have created hype over both the categories, with controversies, fakes and dollar signs flashing all over the art news. Who sold for so much and how much he was selling for 10 years ago has become the buzz. The before and after has nothing to do with creative and artistic evolution, but is entirely dependant on the commercial value of art.
In this race towards increasing commercial value of art and artists, the ‘little masters’ have been left out. These are the established, well known and experienced artists who first exhibited in the late 80’s and 90’s and are now in their fifties or so. The India Art Summit was but an indicator of this trend, where less than two dozen or so of this generation of artists was shown.
This is not to say that their works do not sell. In fact, being trained in the old techniques but with very contemporary sensibilities, they are collected by the most discerning of buyers. Yet they are left out of major art events by the galleries. The invisibility of the late modern or early contemporary artists, whatever nomenclature one may use for this generation, in the displays of major players in the art market, therefore seems perplexing.
Is it the profit margins that are ruling the roost or is it that down to earth, rooted in the painterly tradition art is being devalued? One hopes to see a return of the modern masters on the walls and the consciousness of the art cognoscenti soon…for art’s sake.
— The writer is an art historian, curator and critic