‘Affordable' and ‘art' are two words you wouldn't generally place in close proximity to each other; just last week Edvard Munch's ‘The Scream' fetched over $ 119 million at Sotheby's — one of the highest prices paid for a painting — and a few months ago the record for the most expensive painting ever sold was set by Cezanne's ‘The Card Players', bought for over $ 250 million by Qatar. Vinnyasa Premier Art Galery's annual ‘Affordable Art Show' is, of course, different. It promises, well, affordability.
Ranging from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 20,000, the month-long exhibition offers works from emerging artists such as Nadees Prabou and Solomon and established artists such as Viswam, N.S. Manohar, N. Ramachandran and Mark Rathnaraj.
A stepping stone
“This is a great opportunity for both the artists as well as the buyers,” says gallery owner Viji Nagashwaran. “It's a stepping stone to art buying for those who may be new to the field, or are still working within smaller budgets. Also, it's not just for those who want to start buying seriously. A piece of art often makes a nice gift — there's nothing quite like receiving a painting.”
The works exhibited come from a variety of places such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Karnataka, although in terms of new talent, the artists are mainly local. There is a strong Indian flavour to the exhibition — landscapes, architecture, people, temples and Gods. “These are Indian artists, and these paintings display Indian thinking,” says Viji.
Furthermore, the majority of paintings inhabit small and manageable frames — the kind you could pick up and take home. “We are displaying the work of about 50 different artists, each of whom have contributed at least four works,” concludes Viji. “There's a lot of art here!”
‘Annual Affordable Art Show: Art for All' will be on at Vinnyasa Premier Art Galery, 21/11, 1st Main Road, CIT Colony, Mylapore until 25 June 25, open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (closed Sundays).
