CHENNAI: Art must most probably be one of the easiest professions in the universe. With no corporate ladders to climb, no accounts sheets to be balanced or formulas to be tested, all it takes is to be in the mood and create. Simple, isn’t it? Well, the finest masterpieces and the loudest statements do not rest on smooth foundations.
They have all risen from the relentless struggles of artists who never believed in the insurmountable. On World Art Day, here’s a look at some of them who have broken barriers and opened up new horizons for those who followed.
The first woman graduate of Fine Arts in India
Art still struggles with being recognised as a career path, often drowning in the sea of other competitive careers. Imagine then, way back in 1931, especially considering the social restrictions for a woman! Ambika Dhurandhar, however, would have none of those and went on to become the first woman to get a degree in Fine Arts. She was also offered a fellowship at the Royal Society of Art, London. Her paintings have been exhibited all over the world and continue to inspire generations.
India’s first woman abstract artist
Back in a time when women were generally expected to draw or paint pretty pictures, Nasreen Mohamedi broke all stereotypes when she took to abstract art in the 1960s. An independent woman, she came to be known for her simple black-and-white line drawings. Patterns interested her and even her sarees proclaimed this love. Her artworks were never dated or signed, a sign of her refusal to categorise them. Though her artworks have been exhibited in the world’s most prestigious galleries and museums, she did not get the recognition she deserved during her lifetime. Her failing health due to a neurological disorder made drawing a very difficult task but she continued to do so against all odds. She passed away at the age of 53, leaving behind a blazing trail for many women artists after her to follow.
The first Asian to win the Nobel Prize
He is on all our lips every time we sing the national anthem with pride. Rabindranath Tagore was not only a poet and writer but also an acclaimed artist. Starting to paint very late in life at the age of 60, he initially started with doodling as he wrote, trying to form decipherable shapes out of lines. His love for nature gradually led him onto the path of landscapes and when he painted humans, it was with all the intensity of a multitude of emotions. Painting over 2,000 works in his lifetime, Tagore was the first non-European to ever win the Nobel Prize for literature and that too in the year 1913, when Indians were not considered award-worthy.
The man who broke all records
When an untitled 1969 painting by Vasudeo Gaitonde was sold at an auction last year for `42 crore, it broke all records for Indian modern or contemporary art. The artist in question, VS Gaitonde, would hardly have been affected by the frenzied buzz had he been alive, as that was how he lived his life — quietly reclusive and unhurried. A man of few words, his canvases were his statements.
His paintings were non-representational and in his own words, was his total experience of life. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972, but the world knows him better as an Indian artist with multiple record-breaking auction sales. This in turn was a boost for Indian art as a whole. Success comes only with perseverance- a lesson we’ve all been taught right through school. Who can forget answering all those questions about Robert Bruce and the spider and the need to never give up? The real world isn’t as kind as those school lessons. It is easier to give up when life throws its challenges at you and to just try and fit in. The individuals above trodden paths that did not even exist before they carved them for themselves.
The Jewish artist who broke barriers
In the 17th century, Florence did not treat its Jews kindly. They lived in ghettos and education or being part of any guild was unthinkable. Jobs like rag-picking were all that were assigned to them. In this scenario, Jewish artist Jona Ostiglio was not only a member of a prestigious academy but also painted for some of the most powerful families in Italy then. How he broke through those social norms and succeeded as an artist remains a puzzle for art historians.
This World Art Day, take a minute to get inspired by these determined souls and may it reinforce your strength to not just follow your dreams but to dream the impossible. Art may seem silent, but as they say, courage doesn’t always roar!