Playing it safe

While increasing demand from buyers has brought the revered spiritual leader on artists’ canvases,the cool-off in the art sector plays up the theme as a safe bet for new and struggling artists. Amrut Raj Koban began painting the Buddha in 2002. “It started as a passion for me. I wanted to create the Buddha unlike the usual sculptures which portray him in normal human form. So I created eight-feet-long figures,” says Koban. “But now the market conditions are so frail that in order to survive,other artists have turned to the same subject. Trends in art are similar to those in other fields. Once a formula works,everyone adopts it,” adds Koban. Umakant Tawade,who started working on the Buddha seven years ago to propagate peace through art,adds,“Many artists take to popular trends,but that doesn’t do justice to art. You can create something only if you feel connected to it,” says Tawade.

While the sculptures of Ajanta and Ellora remain the original source of inspiration to paint the spiritual teacher,many young painters like Tawade and Koban consider Datta Bansode’s rendition of the theme—black-and-white elongated figures—as the zenith. These stylized representations put the more traditional paintings and sculptures out of vogue. Deepak K Natesan,Director,Natesan’s Antiqarts,says,“A lot of experimentation is being done in paintings,and it does pose a stiff competition to Buddha sculptures,which have sold very well in the past.But,evetually when the trend dies down,sculptures will pick up sales.”

Bansode says,“I’m glad that artists are using this muse. I can’t fathom their reasons. But if it sells struggling artists are compelled to fall in with the demand.” Suraj Laheru,the curator of Painted Rhythm exhibition agrees with Bansode and says,“The economy has

affected artists and galleries. We want to show work which will sell,but we do our best to help art by choosing the best of it.”