Need a New Social Order for Art: Neville Tuli

From left: Harish, Padmanabhan, Sadanand Menon, SG Vasudev and Neville Tuli

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Tangerine Art Space organized an exhibition of abstract art and an art discussion in Bangalore on the 21st and 22nd of May.  The discussion on art was headed by Mr. Neville Tuli, founder chairman of Osian’s auction house, Mumbai.  

 

Titled ‘Abstract Visions – parallel perceptions’ the exhibition featured works of renowned artists Achuthan Kudallur, Adimoolam KM, Akkitham Narayanan, Amitava Das, Amitabha Dhar, Arindham Chatterjee, Ganesh Haloi, Gopinath, S Harshavardhana, Jayashree Chakravarthy, Laxman Shreshtha, Palaniappan, Prabhakar Kolte, Ram Kumar, S H Raza &  Sujata Bajaj.

 

Senior Bangalore artist Mr S G Vasudev, eminent art critic from Chennai Mr Sadanand Menon and collector Mr Harish Padmanabha were the members of the panel. The programme was well attended and the art fraternity was represented by ex-principal of CKP Mr Suresh Jayram, historians Rajani Prasanna, Anil Kumar, writer Ammu Joseph, artists A Bala, Surekha, Shantamani, ace photographer Mallikarjun Katakol and besides many connoisseurs and the curious.

 

Mr. Tuli outlined the need for better facilities and infrastructure in the country to support hitherto neglected arts and artists. He opined that art has to break free of a system where it can only survive with government support, corporate sponsorship or philanthropy. For art to survive independently it has to be given necessary impetus and a social system has to be created providing the right conducive environment to help the growth and nurturing of art

 

Our rich cultural heritage lies under-utilised and rotting today due to gross neglect and apathy. It is important to aesthetically sensitize the public and it is imperative that we systematically change the framework providing newer platforms for promotion. Infrastructure has to be ramped up to forward the institutionalization of art into a factor of production, because art is the intellectual human capital, at the most basic and highest level. We have to realize that each individual holds the seed of this capital within himself, and that each has the potential of his material freedom inherent in living this idealism, irrespective of the circumstances, leading to the emergence of an egalitarian developmental change that we seek.  

 

An object of art has four key interlocked dimensions, the aesthetic, the historical, the financial and the developmental – within a legal context. Unless the aesthetic and historical dimensions – the core of art and its creativity – are understood and respected by people, art will have little financial credibility. The aesthetic-historical-financial aspects have to be clearly understood and ingrained into people’s minds for the concept of ‘art as an investment’ to be of any consequence.

 

We are at the threshold where art is emerging as a genuine asset class, with financial institutions ready to trust it as collateral and the public is willing to regard the functionality and significance of an artistic and cultural heritage. Ironically, the love, respect and joy of the aesthetic and the historical seems to be overwhelmed by the growing focus on the financial dimension of art. It is therefore important to impart knowledge and provide infrastructure to keep pace with the growing economic awareness.

 

He believes that art and culture have to be a pivotal sector upon which the developmental framework of India has to move forward. To this effect a change has been engineered to build a momentum and to get art embedded into the socio-economic –political psyche.

We have to take cognizance of the fact that change is inevitable and the curiosity that’s been built is irreversible. And once the love and respect for the ‘art as an asset’ emerges, the transformation will be even deeper and faster. 

Courtesy: www.artconcerns.com