Kozhikode: The city is known for the warm reception it accords to events connected with paintings and craft. The artists who conduct exhibitions in the city have praised our cooperation and attitude. But when it comes to buying paintings, we shy away, say artists.
The city has not witnessed an art auction yet and this has put the life of many artists in misery. The city is the cradle of a bunch of artists but due to the lack of buying culture, many go in search of greener pastures.
"As an artist I cannot stick to this field to make a living. All the artists I know have taken an alternative field for earning and do painting. In western countries artists are widely acclaimed, their paintings are sold at great prices which help them embrace their art with a passion. In cities like Mumbai and Bangalore, auctions are popular," said Joshi Perambra, who has specialised in commercial art.
The trend now is to take prints of famous paintings and frame them to adorn the walls. It might be affordable but it is a discouragement to the artists. Mr K.A. Sebastian, principal, Universal Arts School of Fine Arts, told DC, "we shell out lakhs to build a house and a few thousand rupees can get you a painting. Such an approach can help the artists. Keralites mostly prefer novelty paintings and we should accept new pieces of work and buy them," he said. "An artist undergoes great pain to create a painting, and getting a print out of it is very disappointing," he added.
Mr Vinod Cyriac, an architect, has bought more than 500 paintings in the past 10 years. The highest amount spent by him is ' 50,000 for a painting and he has displayed all the paintings in his small gallery in his office. "I feel the communities which can afford the paintings are less exposed to pure art. My motive in buying paintings is to provide a morale booster to the artists" he said.
