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Here are some of my recent efforts -

a monochrome Value Study

Another one - A color and value study

I could not stop myself from watching the most ‘unsuccessful’ web series of this season. The complete one – all 6 episodes.

Before starting to watch it, I got to hear all kinds of critique about it – from friends, social & other media. It got the poorest rating, no recommendations & some critique from experts sounded more like disguised threats to the new director, daring to go on with their next production.

But despite all the threats & warnings, I decided to watch it & out of deep respect for the effort that has gone into making it, I continued watching it. The show sort of grew on me & yes – I finally ended enjoying it as well.

You see, a creator never – I repeat never – wants to create something bad. Take a web series, a new jingle, some pop art, or a book. A gourmet dish. Or a new decorative stitchwork. They always put in infinite love and care into what they make, with all the time that they could have, putting in all the experiences they gained, employing their best skills & garnishing it with their best flourish to come up with only one thing – a masterpiece. Much like a mother trying to bring up her boy/girl. 

Now we may not “like” or appreciate that outcome, but how can we not give recognition to their effort, how can we not show respect to their passion?

How can that be worthy of nothing?

I think all creative art has its importance in its existence in our collective culture – a culture that evolves as the civilizations develop & societies progress - a cultural continuum. And hence all creative art should be respected.

But appreciation may be a different thing.

If you are the one that sways with appreciation – or the lack of it – ask yourself, what do you value in your work? Whom do you create it for?

Over the years, there has been some change in the way art is being created – earlier days, most were commissions from kings or nobility or a tribute to religious beliefs. But as time progressed, many artists started to paint for themselves, as a form of self-expression or a way to communicate with your inner self, where the principal & sometimes the sole audience, was always you.

Since art is highly subjective, hence someone other than you, may or may not like it. It could be important here to ask – ‘who did not like my art’? 

Friends & relatives? – Well, did you reach far enough?

Colleagues & peers? – are they even interested in ‘art’ - maybe they’re more into politics or sports? what do they ‘know’?

Social media? – If you do not have a group that actively participates in events & knows each other reasonably well – “social media” could be a cold place to be. Here, often “like”s are considered “good enough” for your month-long efforts, while someone real busy may just ignore or miss your work. You may not get the “true” feedback you’re looking for.

That leaves us with the last group – experts & art critics.

I’d like to narrate a story here – often touted as the “greatest forgery in art in the 20th century”. Jan Van Meegeren was a Dutch painter of reasonable talent & very high skill. It is said, that he could paint anything he has seen only once. But being a newcomer & that too in a time when the Netherlands already had an extremely rich tradition of “golden age” painters, he was ignored. He put in all his savings in organizing an exhibition of his works – but none of the critics – critics whose appreciation & recognition could have turned the tables – turned up. Except for Dr. Abraham Bredius of course, the most famous art connoisseur and critic of the time – who advised him to leave painting & try something else. He got no appreciation from the esteemed art critic.

Left a pauper & uncertain of his future, the poor Meegeren one day struck gold. From a roadside dealer, he collected a painting that he could identify as an original Frans Hals masterpiece & with some restoration took it to the same Dr. Bredius for evaluation & certification of authenticity. But Dr. Bredius expelled him saying that Meegeren was a fraud & has forged a masterpiece.

An artist who did not receive his due recognition for his talents was now ostracized as a fraud – all because of neglect, disdain & lack of empathy from contemporary art critics. Nobody wanted to respect the deep love, time & labor he has invested in his artworks.

Such examples are not rare – in fact, one could find another excellent example very close… in none other than his fellow countryman Vincent Van Gogh – considered one of the greatest impressionist painters of all time. Albeit posthumously. (The Red Vinyard is the only painting that he could sell in his lifetime).

In his later life, Meegeren – which of course is available to all to read as history – took the sweetest revenge of his life, when he created no less than 14 forged paintings of several Dutch Golden Age painters like Johannes Vermeer, Gerard Terburg, and Pieter de Hooch – which were certified by almost all art critics of the time, as being “originals”. Many were displayed at famous museums like the Rijks & Louvre. His painting entitled The Supper at Emmaus was proclaimed as a masterpiece by Vermeer by many scholars, including Dr. Bredius – who one day failed to identify an original Frans Hals.

My point in narrating this story is not to glorify forgery or art thefts. Crime never pays - in fact, while I pen this down, many of you may know, how the once white-hot artist Christian Rose is now being hounded by the FBI for forging a quartet of paintings of his earlier friend & mentor, Raymond Pettibon.

My point here is to bring home the truth that art critics & experts are also human beings, who also have their common human share of sentiments, likes, or dislikes & sometimes yes, an error of judgment too.

Now, all of them – your friends, peers, media, or the experts - may not “appreciate” the outcome of your efforts because that could be a subjective opinion as I mentioned before, but “respect” they should have …. 

Any artwork or creation – even if it is the most under-rated web series of the season - is worthy of respect. Because that respect is towards the hard work and passion that has gone into making it. That cannot be subjective. Very often we tend to mix the two or confuse one with the other – appreciation & respect. They are different. Where art is concerned, the former could be subjective, but the latter is not.

But as a creator, if you don’t get the minimum respect due to you and that can happen many times - you should not consider it to be the end of the road. Ask yourself for whom have you created your artwork? If it is for yourself & you think it is indeed a masterpiece, then so be it. Have all the respect for your own creation, much as you have for others.

Of course, you can choose to learn more from other established artists or enroll yourself in an art class or practice some more, but that may not necessarily ensure that you will be appreciated. Or get your due respect.

Unless of course, YOU are the judge. And you like it!

And if it is art, it is always worthy of being.

And respect.

(This 30th December will be Meegeren’s 74th death anniversary)