It’s ironic how we live in a world where our dreams are closer to reality and reality is the illusion we are trying to break from.
A country like India where concept, thought, idea roots back to its foundational culture and heritage, it is safe to say that art has always held a high regard. Modern art emerged in the early 20th century under the influence of our colonial past and the various new perspectives that the foreign world brought to the country. New techniques, forms of working on art were redefined and accepted, a small but a significant change.
Modern art in our country stands on fascinating crossroad ethnicity and evolution. Traditions are transforming rapidly, keeping the essence intact with a hint of modernism. This seamless blend then sometimes raises the question whether modern art holds any gravity individually or it is a spin of authentic indian culture.
Artists like Raja Ravi Varma were at the genesis of blending European techniques with Indian themes, the result of which appealed to the masses. It resonated with them in terms of people understanding what art is. This marked the beginning of a dialogue between Western artistic practices and Indian cultural motifs.
The contemporary art scene now largely uses the indian elements like bindi, cow dung, silk threads to represent and initiate a conversation on pressing issues like women rights, labour rights and fair wage issues respectively.
The reality of modern art is its boldness to become a form of communication. Art is something more to what the eye can see, but it is also something that aims to address issues, support communities and pave a path of liberation.
Indian artists play a significant role in accelerating this shift to contemporary art. Be it fine art or the performing art, artists are looking for ways to reach masses and modern due to its comparatively lesser complicated form aids artists in bringing this vision to life.
Art has forayed in the world of digitalism. It is an aspect of modern art that is rapidly making a space for itself allowing a fusion of traditional techniques with digital mediums to come to the forefront. This digital form of modern art is more accessible and reflective of diverse voices. It does come with an intangible aspect that fuels the debate of reality and myth, because stimulation to the senses is a part of the art experience.
Modern Indian art is not merely a generation’s loose translation of quirk or an agenda, but it is a dynamic reflection of the nation’s ongoing dialogue between its rich traditions and the forces of modernity. Contemporary art serves minor complexities to decode thus making for an enhanced human experience. Indian artists continue to navigate through the myriad forms of Indian culture to bring its true ethos in a more understandable light.