I have come to the point where I laugh at things that made me angry once. For example in Pakistan, people generally made me angry with their stupidity. Now I laugh how stupid most of the people are.
From 1991 till 2004, I sold my work through private shows. People in those days bought art and commissioned it regarding it art worth having. Then I stopped painting and had a dry brush from 2004 till 2012. I resumed in the end of 2012 and though I haven’t placed a show yet but have started selling through my website and network. But then I thought I have been painting for more than two decades, let’s get involved in art circle of Pakistan and see what’s happening.
Since 2013, every random person I have been meeting has one mantra or slogan on their lips that come as a reflex action to my sentence “I am an artist, would you like to see my work?” Their reply is always, “People buy named artists…” LOL Funny isn’t it? I don’t even ask them to buy and above all how do they know that I don’t have a name. Isn’t it that if you are selling then you DO have a name? So, for them art is only authentic if it is made by a well marketed artist? Another funny thing is when I introduce myself as a painter to someone and she/he disregards my existence or inquire about my work and asks me if I knew ‘blah blah’ artist who is famous in Pakistan. What does that even mean? Do I HAVE to know all the artists of this country in order to be called an artist? eh?
What’s more hilarious is that it comes from people who don’t even know art or any artist. I am sure everyone knows the name of Jamil Naqsh in Pakistan because his paintings are priced from 7000 dollars up to perhaps above 50,000 dollars. He is in his 70’s. (I don’t find passion in his work.)His art is in the galleries but I haven’t come across homes that have some. Some art collectors have few pieces from his time of inexpensive sale. And I am sure the billionaires of Pakistan have his work to impress others with their fortune (not taste) But what about those people who tell me all the time that people buy names? Do they have money for names?
Few days ago I met one of the owners of a furniture showroom in Defence Karachi. After seeing my work he also repeated “People buy names.” And then he referred to art shops in Karachi that sell reproduced pastes over and over again. I laughed in my head so much that it felt like it would explode. That was NAME for him.
OK let’s exclude me from selling art. I am not even interested in selling in Pakistan and never was. My art is sold internationally regardless of my small NAME. There people buy art when they like it not when it is signed by some big name. Let’s talk about all the other unnamed great artists of Pakistan. How should they make name? How does NAME come? Should they buy it or they should keep giving their work for free until they have NAME? Should they sell their great art in only pennies because people would only spend money on NAME?
It’s really sad how people in Pakistan have signed up for a marathon of ostentation, which has a fixed track of movement. Sad that they think money should only be spend to impress whether it comes to fashion, art, beauty or else. Sad that how many talented people come and go without recognition just because they were not ‘marketed’ as a product.
I have been seeing crap, which comes with name. And it gets reviewed as great ART!
(I am sure I have now made enemies in art circle 🙂
by xandria noir
