Art for all

This knocking-art-off-its-highbrow-pedestal comes from Raheja’s conviction that art can be appreciated by all. "While art buying will remain elitist, it can be enjoyed by anybody. I wantpeople who cannot afford a work of art to buy a T-shirt which has the same image," says she.

Some 10 artists like Baiju Parthan, Sanat Kar, Kahani Arte Merchant, Rini Dhumal and Satish Gupta have embraced the idea of having their works on T-shirts. And then, some have also refused to this popularisation of their art.

But Raheja’s concept is larger than just making money from reproductions. Probably, soon after spending money on a Baiju Parthan T-shirt, the customer will troop down the stairs which lead to the FAC gallery — a gentle introduction to a subject which has an aura of inaccessibility to it. "More people will see art shows in the gallery because of the store. I found that most galleries have this touch-me-not atmosphere. And people feel that they need to have arrived intellectually to appreciate art," says she. A myth Raheja intends to makes history.

Another hollow claim according to her is the hullabaloo over the economic slowdown. She is sure that the winds of recession aren’t going toaffect FAC much. "Going by reports, it is a wrong time for everything. But I believe that there is a strata which remains unaffected by recession. For the rest, there is a lot of art which is not expensive," says Raheja.

Her first show is a group one of 42 artists, intended to give an idea of the FAC stock. Unwilling to reveal numbers or many of the names that are stocked with her, Raheja promises an across-the-board choice as she travelled extensively over the country to ferret out artists she liked and wanted to represent, "It might not be wise marketing, but no artist whose work I don’t like, has been included. I have to like it to sell it."Fine Art Company at Linking Road, Santacruz, opens on November 27, 1998.