Should borders divide art?

Pablo Picasso was a painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, stage designer, poet, and playwright. He is known for a hundred things that he created, but hardly as an “artist from Spain”, likewise  Vincent Van Gogh.

Across generations, artists have all had one thing in common — they are never defined by their birthplace, only by their art.

Meanwhile, the birth of Telangana created a separate section of artists, those from the region. While the tag of Telangana artist has been helpful in creating an identity... the bigger question is, does art require geographical boundaries? Should an artist be represented by the state he comes from?

A question of identity

“Why do we need boundaries?” asks artist Manohar Chiluveru. “When it comes to artists Iike Vaikuntam and Laxma Goud, their rural, stylised, figurative art- work is based on their lives or family members and historical observations and inspiration or observations from great artists of their time; they struggled, practiced and achieved their own style and succeeded. The artists who are born and brought up in Telangana are Telangana artists even if they are living abroad, and there is no need as such to call themselves that with a tag,” he adds.

‘The artist community should wake up’

According to artists, earlier, people were not aware of Telangana art and artists. So the entire struggle was to create an identity for Telangana artists and that is where the veteran artists came in. “Veteran artists created an identity about their work, but then in recent times many young artists have misunderstood this. They believe that if someone does any rural artwork and calls it Telangana art, then the government will help them out. It isn’t very healthy for art,” says artist Fawad Tamkanat.

The artist adds, “Those who are doing the so-called Telangana art – like bhains, bakri and  bandi — are regional artists. They are not contemporary artists and only people from villages who live in Hyderabad buy such art. No serious galleries in India and abroad appreciate such art practice. These young artists think that they may get an award from the Telangana government if they paint such regional subjects.

Telangana art was a movement during the Telangana struggle to display the culture. The artist community should wake up. Art is going far and wide, please don’t just sit on the lap of Telangana government. Art has no regions and no boundaries.”

Why tag a region?

While many feel that there isn’t any problem with the ‘tag’, there are artists who do believe that the moment someone talks about being from Telangana, the first thing that comes to people’s mind is that the artwork is based on rural forms. “There are quite a few artists who work on rural life and it is good as long as their work is original and good. But art from this region is not just limited to that particular form — my work for instance. It’s quite international and you can’t tell where I am from based on my work,” says city-based Surya Prakash.

At art shows, both in India and abroad, depending on how good your work is, you get recognition. For instance Venkanna and Srilamanthula Chandramohan. The former, who creates erotic art, is famous internationally. And Chandramohan, was involved in a controversy regarding the work that he exhibited at the Faculty of Fine Arts, MSU Baroda. Both are from this region but they’re known solely based on their work. “One doesn’t have to declare which region they come from. No art can survive based on the region one comes from. If you’re clever and have good work, only that matters,” says Surya Prakash.

While Telangana art, where rural life forms are depicted, is famous, there is a threat of young artists blindly following suit. “Because there are a few artists who are popular for their rural imagery in artwork, many youngsters think that is the way to follow. But taking on the tag of a Telangana artist and creating the same rural imagery is going to lead to stagnation. Young artists will just copy previous artwork and we won’t see any new art,” says Manohar. Which is why boundaries, after all, should be left best to maps.