Affordable? – “Classy way to talk cheap”
Walking inside the exhibition hall and looking at your artwork in one corner of the hall and embracing the beauty that you created. Checking out the reaction of the people around your artwork, and appreciating your efforts when suddenly, the artist look at the banner hanged on the centre of the ceiling, roaring out loud "Affordable Art". Pushing down your anger with the translucent glass of your dignity and roaming around the hall with an exclamation look on your face. Unable to understand of how things went from new to 'affordable'; all one could think of was to either judge his own efforts or to find the curtain of explanations to hide his canvas from the eyes, judging it on the basis of its price and not on the basis of one has put in it – creativity. It was his bacon of hope crushed by the dagger of marketing and money. And that is just one, there are many around you or in this world, who do not want to be tagged or categorized under "affordable" or any tag; for that matter. They do not paint the blank canvas with horses and nature, or with abstract expressions to earn just money, but respect too. Clearly, affordable is not a word, providing transparent justice to it. People might confuse both of the words but there is a major difference which defines the creativity and the intentions of an artist as well. Nobody, on this planet, would like to live with no respect. Money cannot buy respect, in people's eyes, or even in their hearts. There lies an important need for people to understand how artists are not affordable in the market, but emerging on the new verge of dimensions.
If to define the concept of affordable, the artists will be put to shame to categorize their artworks under a 'reasonable' priced object. The concept was originally introduced to the world as it was difficult for people to invest 10-15lakhs online, or a painting without even seeing it in real. So, a section for affordable art work was arranged and brought to notice of the interested clients, so that, they do not regret of online shopping of the artworks. And if to decode the word emerging, artists standing on the threshold of the market, looking forward to sell their artworks and grab number of opportunities to inspire and achieve the stars of popularity. The artworks of an emerging artist might be less pricey, but not cheap enough to defame its worth.
These facts and statements are not passed to you, are not based on biased interpretations or personal experiences. These are the words of every artist, who thinks how a simple word like 'affordable' lowered the platform of their respect and the level of creativity, discouraging them for future sunlight. Following are the interviews by two artists, who have been a part of the art world, to contribute towards maintaining the existence of art in the society.
But why to focus on only one side, why to hear and lift the curtains from affordable only? How emerging is a better tag for artists? On a personal note, it is not a good idea or initiative to tag or categorized artists under these two
tags or any tag, for the situation. Art can be defined under visuals, ancient – pre-historic, modern, and contemporary, etc. to understand the time period in which they were created and the intensity and the meaning of the same. But why do we need tags for artists? More like being a racist towards them. On the other hand, artists who put an 'emerging' tag on themselves, learn to maintain a good primary level of calibre. A level that will be proposed on every next level and will be the strongest of all. They feel motivated and fresh among the societal sections.
Artists inspire and admire other artists, like MF Husain, or SH Raza, Van Gogh, etc. They don't expect their artworks to be sold on the same level of price, in the first go but believes but that their artworks are not as cheap as to be called "affordable". Putting them under the section of "Reasonable or Affordable", is not their way of presenting their artwork, their slate of chalk art, their canvas paintings, or their brick of ideas to construct a wall of their success. And, not affordable success.
Links to the interviews:
Read Mrityunjay Chatterjee’s interview on Affordable vs Emerging Art
Read Santosh Kumar Sahni’s interview on Affordable vs Emerging Art
