The Dynamics of Living Art Matrix
July 2023, Vol. 1, Issue 1
Author(s)
Sushma K. Bahl, MBE (Former Head, Arts & Culture, British Council India)
Abstract
The essay explores India’s contemporary art matrix as a living cultural continuum. Drawing on sound philosophical principles of the classical, sacred and courtly traditions on the one hand, and linked to tribal-folk art/craft forms on the other, its multitude of interdisciplinary aesthetics are living expressions by living people. Some of the work in the varied genres of art matrix is created by professionally trained urban artists while other by their rural primarily family-trained counterparts. Both are innately contemporary as they draw inspiration from their roots, while opening up to their lived experiences, surroundings and evolving technologies. However, the dichotomy between the two remains a challenge. The essay makes a case for affinity and a shared platform on equal terms, space, credit and returns for the two distinct but interconnected and innately contemporary genres to eschew marginalisation and appropriation of the lesser or folk/tribal artists’ from subaltern India by their more market savvy urbane colleagues.
Keywords
Contemporary art matrix, Living cultural continuum, Living expressions by living people, Folk/tribal artists, Market savvy urbane colleagues
DOI :
Copyright & Licence
Authors publishing in JAARD retain copyright in their work and grant the journal the right of first publication. Published articles are made available under the Creative Commons licence specified by the journal. Current licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Pages : 41-48
Citation
Bahl, S. K. (2023). The Dynamics of Living Art Matrix. International Journal of Arts Architecture & Design, 1(1), 41-48. doi.org/10.62030/2023julyArticle4
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