Why not artiste quota in government jobs,
asks Urmila Sathyanarayanan?
What if the demand emanates the other way
around- government employees start demanding quota in slots for
classical art programs?
We must all
remember that life is a constant churning process involving choices, decision
making, priorities, contexts, changes, inherent and inherited aspirations and
strengths, acquired attitudes etc.
Fate confers
different dividends, difficulties and dimensions to different people in
different ways at different times.
The article cum
interview pops up many relevant as well as irrelevant thoughts in me but all of
which have a remote connection for the discerning and dedicated reader.
As usual there
will be lot of links and the write up itself will be lengthy, actually I edited
it from 50 points to 26 points.
They are:-
1. There are
more critics than artists.
2. Ironically
there are more performing artists than audience/rasikas.
3. Government job is a different ball game all together,
what if government employees start demanding quota in slots for classical art
programs. After all reciprocation is a justifiable demand.
4. There are
too many schools/system of classical art with very strict demarcations, rules
and regulations, traditions etc and each one criticizing the other and claiming
one-upmanship, sometimes justifiable but always damaging the art arena with
internecine warring groups.
5. Besides of lately
I encounter people referring to all these as 'Sampradaya' or 'Padanthara' both
these terms being used interchangeably though they refer to two different
things/aspects, [I personally don't like people calling 'Bru coffee' it is some
powder mix; can we term idiyappam or sevai as Indian noodles?] I am giving a
link to very interesting interview here of the great critic Subbudu which I
posted just a week ago which drives home many relevant points.
6. Normally and
more so Indian classical art forms beyond all its inherent politics are
products which have emanated from bases which are extremely valuable, worthy,
very profound, extremely exaggerated in execution part of it, enormous scope
for individual improvisation and
unlimited imaginations –like in kalapana swaras or abhinayas etc]
willfully designed with more emphasis
for expression of devotion and aesthetic appeal rather than mere entertainment
and sensual pleasure - though they [entertainment and pleasure] also
may be present or be a part of some aspects of art, but they are not the
ultimate aim.
7. Please note
that entertainment is neither over emphasized nor excluded.
8. This
important difference of classical art being more for devotion rather than for
mere entertainment defines and determines lot of other things.
9. Therefore it
is difficult to measure with any specific yard stick which particular classical
artist is better or greater. Let me not get into examples and details.
10. Where
taste, aesthetic appeal, inherent value etc predominate it is difficult to
design scientific measuring yard sticks to quantify comparatively and
consequently not amenable to any specific criteria and therefore difficult to
choose one artist over another on any basis for a job. Even many of the
universally accepted scientific measuring systems themselves have certain
shortcomings
11.
Idealistically for an artist everything learning, teaching, performing etc come
under or linked with interest, involvement and immense joy etc which express
itself in all these various avatars as a learner, teacher, performer which fall
within the territory of atma thrupthi or self satisfaction not easily
transacted in terms of commercial value.
Another
excellent speech of great relevance here
12. Commercial and financial aspects are important and
inevitable part of life and any activity but because of its immense inherent
profoundness and pure aesthetics classical art is not an easily sale-able
commodity.
13. How many of the artists themselves learn the
profoundness of their classical art forms?
14. How many consciously pay attention to aesthetic
appreciation of the very art forms?
15. How many artists emphasis while teaching the art, the
importance of aesthetically appreciating the art to students rather than producing
mere performers? If that were the case we would be having more audience and
there would be more demand and motivation.
16. There are inherent strengths and weaknesses in every
domain of human activity which need to be addressed but not only with external
tools.
17. Every art form has its own inherent value, classical art
has more of it, but then minor modifications, compromises and changes for
transition and transformation in tune with the times and changing trends may be
necessary and must be incorporated but the art form or its original basis must
not be diluted.
18. Any extraneous factors like poverty or prosperity,
personal pain or pleasure need not and mostly does not define, decide much less
design the art or art form or its aesthetic value or sanctity.
21. Some interesting gems/quotes from great souls on Art
which throw light on the various facets and dimensions of art
25. Most
of the art forms of Hindu culture starting from literature to dance to music to
painting to architecture to yoga to religious rituals to religious discourses
have never been taken as or treated as mere modes of entertainment or
professional engagement or still worse the
modern money making survival tool kit, but, on the contrary they were executed with great devotion and dedication,
not only because of the religious significance or connotation attached to them,
but they took into account, out of conscious realization, the most vital truth
of life, namely the fact that life
is primarily composed of three fundamental
aspects, Physical [ includes all anatomical, organic and material aspects of
life], Mental [includes all psychological, emotional, socio cultural aspects]
and Spiritual [ the unseen but important aspect underlying all aspects of life]
and also the fact that these three are interlinked and interdependent. Therefore any Classical Indian music form or Dance
form feeds all these three vital realms of life, otherwise these art forms
should have been and would have been killed long back as newer and more
attractive forms of entertainment emerged. That is the strength of our rich
heritage which could not be destroyed by so many military and mental invasions.
It is by no means a manifestation of being ethnocentric but excellence centric,
so, let us be proud of all these.
26. For better definitions of Indian classical art forms,
especially Natyashastra read Pavan K.Varma’s
‘ BECOMING INDIAN- The Unfinished Revolution of CULTURE and
IDENTITY’ pages 123 to 166 chapter 5 titled ‘Creativity and Distortion’
