As artists where do our preferences lie? As art practitioners what do we intend to do?
Some words we commonly have started to use as expressions of the process of art making are collaborations, multiple communication needs, laboratory/ collective consumerism, compliance, objectivity, documentation, democracy, socially conscious consumerism, practice, concepts, global, logistics, methodologies, case study ,strategy…and many many more.
Most of these words come from a management science background where we like to quantify things and there is an obsession with evidence. Contemporary art to me seems to be completely ruled by this science and the indian way of aesthetics is almost forgotten. Therefore we hardly use even in India, words like rasa,(steeped in emotion)and dhvani,(implied meaning/ suggestive; which means it rings, sounds or reverberates in us. The word krama,(a sequence of gathering meaning) bhaava,(feelings)sphota,(bursting out)and lakshana(external characteristics)
None of these projects use a simple word like intuition or kinesthetic energy, even though all art springs from that deeper level whether you are from the west or east. All artists have visual and auditory intelligence in varying degrees perhaps. But how is it that we don’t use words that resonate the kinesthetic part of us? Isn’t that what we
feel when inspired? When touched by an idea? These basic emotions that guide us are getting lost as we get lost in the tsunami of contemporary words and a forced contemporariness. Why do we hesitate to access or perhaps recognize the deeper source of intelligence that we possess especially as artists? Following it will take us to democracy, and democracy starts at home, in your kitchen, in your living room, in your garden.
Architects are collapsing into the hands of artists, artists into designers, into educators, into activists, entrepreneurs. Identities are merging. And therefore the need for ‘multiple communication’ skills.
My fear is that through years of work and living we have learnt to keep away from the fleeting false paradise of conclusions/absolute truths and solutions. We want to be international, global, national, democratic, all high ideals, which of course is not bad- better high than low. I don’t know, but I think I know what works for me.
We have to find a balance between the individual and the collective. I would think no collective works if the individual needs/growth are not met. That is our challenge. How do we do/practice that and not forget the collective good? It is a question we must strive to address. Are we democratic enough to allow different attitudes to grow? The question is can you see me through my undemocratic ways? As art practitioners/those who live; we cannot but give priority to the individual before we talk big of national and global needs.
The way I see it, our promise is to help ourselves first, see our undemocratic ways and walk that path. The mere walking will turn the page for us. Our walking may or may not inspire others. The ‘collective’ way of looking at the problem is tuned toward ‘objective reality’- drishti. The documentation mentality that we practice is proof of that. Subjective reality-the individual, will take us to knowledge and awareness of the subject (the artist) itself which is always linked with ‘the others.’ That’s the paradox we live in. So I am more tilted towards, subjectivity, birds eye views, individual growth, retrospection, understanding, emotional maturity.
We cannot create complicated art and words and then pay allegiance to that. Economical ideal of right to consume, to property, to limitless growth and greed have choked individual rights, free press and democracy. What is good for business is good for people! What is good for General Motors is good for America!
Lord Maynard Keynes- “For hundred years we pretend to ourselves and to everyone that fair is foul and foul fair. For foul is useful and fair is not.” That’s the theory we are living by. Saving grace is that The economist was frank enough to admit this. The sad part is that this culture has crept into Arts. Therefore its vital to be aware of our location.
In times when identities are getting erased faster than they are being formed what more can one say about locating ones self/practice/art in relationships, environments locally or globally. Take the instance of a group where architects ecologists, artists, social entrepreneurs, designers etc are mingling in these new times. We only have one way out. Flow.
Sustainability
Though it would be great to take a horse to the water and make it drink the water. The concern and intention behind the question of sustaining an art practice is understandable and empathized with. But what we must ask ourselves is what really are we trying to sustain here. Globally we are battling an environment and culture that comes from a mindset that breeds greed and generates a never ending hunger. This is evident in our daily lives and in all fields of research and Science. Ironically That very same hunger is fed to artists too with art and curatorial practices focusing on management theories. It’s a business now. It’s about strategies and case studies, about logistics and methodologies. Where are the words related to art and life which is what artists are about? As an art practioner I understand words like ecology, catalysts, systemic view, networks, facilitation, open systems, emotions, spark, incubation, understanding, introspection, associations, Intuition( a word almost non existent!) Rasa, Dhvani. So the point is are we aware of our location and when we talk sustainability are we talking sustaining the hunger and race?
Artists are about feeling fulfilled and content, the opposite of hungering… And if that is what we want to sustain then we cannot take on the burden of trying to do the impossible, of trying to ‘control’ nature. Not even at the cell level is it possible to sustain anything. The cell itself is porous and has a dissipative structure where emphasis is on an interplay between structure and flow and change. What nature couldn’t do we needn’t even attempt to do. Needing to sustain comes from the widespread disease and idea of ‘control’ rather than looking at nature as a mentor. We needn’t get into this process because the cell has a capacity of regeneration and functions in a feed back mechanism. Our art works will grow and sustain in a similar fashion without our worrying about it.
Of course social media tools can be used to spread awareness on the art practice. We as artists can locate ourselves as mentors, as catalysts, as triggers.
