Blurring the line between art and gimmickry

People through the ages have been befuddled by the question, ‘What exactly is art’?  What may seem to be splashes of colours or a lump of clay to one person is an astonishing piece of art to another. How thin is the line between the artistic and the ordinary? Some visitors to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art faced the same dilemma recently. When they walked past a pair of spectacles below an official-looking paper in the museum, many thought it was a piece of postmodern art and began taking pictures. In reality, it was a prank by a 17-year-old teenager, who was testing the theory that people will try to artistically interpret anything if it’s in a gallery.

Closer to home, contemporary visual artist Parvathi Nayar feels that it is important to retain a sense of humour about these incidents. “This was a timely reminder of how an emperor’s-new-clothes type of phenomenon can occur in the grab-all field of contemporary art. The definition of art has become far too porous. As a result, sometimes, it is a fine line that separates serious, provocative art from gimmickry. However, I believe that line of distinction is crucial,” she says.

On the other hand, graphic designer, artist, and illustrator Tanuja Ramani believes that art is subjective. She muses, “The power of art lies in its ability to evoke thoughts and feelings, which vary according to the associations and life experiences of those who perceive it. A work of art finds its ultimate expression in this relationship with the viewer, and therefore its merit cannot be objectively decided upon.”

Art curator and owner of Tao art gallery Kalpana Shah feels that the incident was a much-needed jolt to the art industry. “It is a good thing that happened. I also feel that sometimes nonsensical things are put up, and people attempt to categorise them as art,” she says.

Art curator Penny Patel blames it on the herd mentality. “I’m surprised to know that people in one of the most cultured cities in America are ignorant. Because one visitor thought it was a piece of art, others assumed it was too. Art, for many, is subjective — love it or hate it, but no one is being forced to take a painting home against their wishes. However, I don’t understand how that kid got away with this,” she rues.

Reiterating Penny’s opinion is contemporary artist G.R. Iranna, “It was terribly insulting to other artists. Visitors did not have any idea who kept the specs there, so they assumed it was a part of the exhibit,” he says. Art critic Alka Raghuvanshi recalls a few weird exhibitions that went on to receive accolades.

“In the mid-90s a pair of wedding rings won a major award in England. The word installation is being abused nowadays. For example, artist Tracey Emin’s unmade bed with used condoms, knickers, bed sheets etc., was called an installation and won major awards. Installations only have a votive purpose, they’re not meant to be permanent,” she explains.