First brush with fame

As the virgin sheets are splashed with the thoughts, ideologies and expressions that shape the world, the hour-glass fills to the brim. Time freezes over and Bhiva Punekar, Professor Dandekar and Heeral Trivedi begin to share the limelight, with a single element binding the three they are young artists battling to be heard, seen and given a chance.

The three artists, like many others, arrive at Mumbai’s platforms, equipped with a single possession: their passion for art. Showcasing their work at small-scale shows and barely making ends meet, the lucky ones are absorbed by galleries. But that is after the seven-year coma where hands and minds have rotted. Today, promoters, dealers and collectors have turned their focus to the new wave that is sweeping the streets of Mumbai and have begun to invest in what we call `fresh talent’. Though the fixation with the gurus still line the bellies of huge galleries, the bigwigs in the corporate world have started to display a conscious streak of young styles.

Art dealer Namrata Dalal has burrowed herself and devoted her time towards promoting new artists and their work. Her mission is to create a foundation upon which the artist puts forth ideas and expressions through his/her work. "GART has showcased the works of artists from Baroda, Assam, Bengal and with branches in Singapore and London the artist is ensured a greater deal of exposure," she opines. And while Namrata walks with the artist to stardom, others like the Sascha Altaf of Fine Art Company, Geeta Mehra of Sakshi Gallery, Oberoi’s Art Walk and several others have opened doors to young artists.

Promoter Minu De, on the other hand, works from the humbleness of her home. Being an art lover, the walls of her house are adorned with fine works of artists that have today gained recognition. "Since I don’t own a gallery, an artist displays his work at parties I host, the process through which the creme de la creme of the corporate world shows an interest and spread the word of their work and talent around," she says firmly. In the process, she has succeeded in moving pieces of work into drawing rooms of friends and clients. "It’s such a pity, no one wants young artists," she cries out in dismay.

Learning the ropes to prominence and the fluctuating markets are lessons that newcomers are taught prior to exhibiting their works. While several disagree with the fact that colours of a painting determine its saleability, a good many dismiss the statement. Meher Bijlani, a former collector, owns a gallery, Art Quest, in Colaba that acts as a platform for promising artists.

Works that strike a depressing chord are better left untouched as "people are often swayed by fresh, bright colours in abstract or figurative art." Further, gallery owners advice artists to slap relatively low prices for their work. "For a young artist rising in the ranks, pricing is the crucial criteria that he/she has to abide by," reveals Minu De.

Then the collector steps in and all the bustling and shuffling cease to a halt. He’s the one who makes or breaks an artist, they say. Collector Abhishek Poddar is aghast at the remark as "the saying does not hold true. If I like somebody’s work, I would recommend him. And though it is important for every artist to have a patron, he is not the one who’ll make or break him. Today there are more collectors buying new art for the simple reason that the older ones are unaffordable. A piece of work has to grow on a person. I establish a comparison between food where the taste is better than the way it looks," he reasons. Despite his claims, artist Heeral Trivedi declares that "if one is lucky, certain collectors reserve your paintings but most don’t want to restrict themselves."

And while on the subject, Meher Bijlani comes to terms with the horror of auctioning paintings. "The trend at art shows is to bargain the price of paintings with the artist. This was not the case in our time, in spite of the fact that I’ve bought paintings worth hardly anything," she says.

The above mentioned artists have entered into a bond with respective galleries with whom lives and work have been entrusted. As Geeta Mehra of Sakshi rightly says: "It takes more than five years to attach a style to one’s work which can be labelled as unique. One that has an intangible quality and appeal. Sometimes the artist approaches the gallery, at other times it’s the reverse. And the artist usually sticks to one gallery for as long as the relationship lasts."

The subjects have returned to the Colosseum, the game has begun and if played right will result in eventual success. At the finale, that is.