Art gets a new artist

Though the National Gallery of Modern Art has since its inception played an important role in popularising the work of contemporary Indian artists, of late it has been dogged by controversies. Moreover, there is a growing a perception that it has made art esoteric driving the common man away from its precincts.

Mr. Rajiv Lochan, who took over as Director of the National Gallery of Modern Art this past week, proposes to change all this. A practising artist and an art academician for the past 21 years, he says he wants to bridge the gap between art and the common man by making NGMA the nerve-centre of activities and events that can broad-base the appreciation of art.

``The NGMA is not only about acquiring works of art. I see this organisation as a research institute which should be involved in the understanding of Indian art and its projection in the outside world,'' says Mr. Lochan, adding that one of his immediate objectives was to update the art education programmes and also digitise the collection found in NGMA.

To build a bridge between the art and the common man, Mr. Lochan, a graduate from M.S University, Baroda, proposes to set up an art cafe in the NGMA premises where artists and members of the common gentry can hang around, sip coffee and have discussions centering around art. ``The entire popularity of the Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai is due to the fact that a restaurant is located inside its premises'', he argues.

Another idea which he has mooted for popularising contemporary art among the common gentry and broaden the base of art appreciation is having a curio shop where art can be carried home in the form of a souvenir, be it a T-shirt or a key-chain. ``I want the entry ticket to be in the form of an attractive art-card so that the visitor can carry back pleasant memories,'' he points out.

Though he may sound ambitious, Mr. Lochan, who was till recently a Professor at the Delhi College of Art, says his approach was realistic and positive. He is not unaware of the fact that the NGMA has been bogged down by controversies recently but he wants a neat break from the past. ``I am for anything that is constructive for the sake of contemporary art,'' he observes.

Another area which he wants to concentrate is research and documentation. ``The entire evolution of modern contemporary art needs not only to be researched but also well-documented'', he says, adding he was planning to bring it out on CD-Roms so that it becomes available to anyone interested in Indian art.

Over the years, Mr. Lochan has acquired considerable experience in the teaching of art and as a practising artist, he has tried to evolve his own vision of reality by bridging the gap between photography that basically charts out the parameters of an objective world and art which is an ego-centric perception that builds on fantasy and imagination. ``It is my good fortune that I am now able to look at art from another dimension. Something I would not be able to do as a practising artist,'' he says.

Having been part of a project for restoration and preservation for cultural resources in the country which was initiated by the IGNCA and also a global art project by a Japan-based research foundation, Mr. Lochan feels scholarship in the field of art needs to be promoted in a big way. ``We will be looking at the possibility of hosting visits by eminent artists from abroad and also having cultural exchange programmes. We are also planning a retrospective of many eminent artists like Mr. K. G. Subrahmanyam, Mr. J. Swaminathan in the near future,'' he says.

Also, having pioneered a visual communication course in Jamia Millia, Mr. Lochan says creativity is the common denominator in all artistic endeavours. ``I want to identify and support talent without any bias and prejudice'', he says. ``The challenge has come forth and I am not going to shy away.''

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Other States
Previous : Some coffee, some culture, some cash....
Next     : Not just by crime and punishment....