Should art be for art's sake alone?

Following are the key points in a thought-provoking column by Rudroneel Ghosh in The Times of India that tries to underline the fact that art should be for art's sake alone, ideally…

• The Indian art circuit should insulate itself from the lure of commercialization. The concept of packaging art - be it in fairs, well-attended summits or branding exercises - is well-intentioned, seeking to bring art to the people.
  
  
• The focus on marketing is antithetical to the very goal of educating people about art. Creation and promotion of art with an eye on moneymaking breed a vicious cycle: talented artists eventually compromise artistic value to cater to popular tastes that become their bread and butter. Art doesn't have to justify itself to anybody. It's only when art is for art's sake that artists can push the boundaries of creative imagination and create masterpieces.
  
  
• Being an artist is not like any other profession. Nor is a painting or sculpture like a washing machine. Great artists of bygone years like Vincent van Gogh weren't even recognised for their genius during their lifetime. Art for them was a calling, which they took up without expecting material benefits. Many suffered in poverty, their contribution to the art world only recognized posthumously.
  
  
• Today, their works, exhibited in prominent art museums, are deemed to be priceless. In contrast, the propensity for commercialization can lead to artistic mediocrity. Or it spawns works known more for their shock value. Take contemporary artist Damien Hirst's sharks floating in formaldehyde.
  
  
• Besides, the emphasis on marketing and advertising doesn't always work out to the artist's advantage. As focus shifts to the retailer, credit for the original artist can be diluted. A case in point being tribal artists from remote corners of the country who hardly get recognition for their talent, even though art traders significantly profit from their works acquired for a pittance.
  
  
• Hence, providing Indian art access to international markets doesn't necessarily benefit all artists. If artistic genius is to flourish, art must guard against crass commercialization.