Bengaluru, 16 April(HS): Octogenarian, Padma Bhushan Jatin Das(85) is a renowned painter, sculptor and muralist, regarded as the leading contemporary artist of the country. He has a unique distinction of painting for almost seven decades! Even the more than 70 one-man exhibitions within the country and elsewhere across the globe are also rated as an amazing feat in any artist's life. Irrespective of his advanced age, Jatin Das continues to remain vocal and candid in matters related to the art world and doesn't mince words in airing his opinion on the present circumstances. Apart from praying glowing tributes to the greatness of the nation, Jatin Das, plainly admits that 'India is a great country, but Indians have become very vulgar'!

From a one-month camp to three days art camp! Jatin Das was recently in Bengaluru to participate in the art camp organised by the Krishna Setty Foundation. During an informal interaction, he suddenly became furious over the time frame of the art camps these days. He asserted, I have come to this camp mainly because of Krishna Setty. He's a dear friend of mine, and he had called me earlier for an art camp. This concept of art camps was originally conceived by Ghulam Rasul Santosh, a Kashmiri artist who lived in Delhi. He organised the first-ever art camp in 1961 in Kashmir, and the camp was for a period of one month. That is the way it should be. Then the artists used to do paintings throughout the day and get tired, while some people used to make a visit in the evenings. But for the evenings, no one used to be entertained during the day...

...Artists work quietly in the studio: But here everybody is allowed throughout the day! Everybody is chatting, everybody is disturbing. Many visitors are coming, and even all artists are disturbing each other, you can't paint in such an amience. Painting, first of all, is done by proper artists in their studio. They don't do it in a public place. So, wherever the artist camp is held, visitors are only allowed in the evening. And here, all over the country now, artist camps are held for three days, five days, or a maximum of one week. It started with one month, so that you get to know the place, you interact with the artist, and you work quietly. Because artists work quietly in their own studio.

I feel like tearing off my portrait! Jatin Das also came down heavily on the current trend of visitors disturbing the artists with their cell phones, Today, all over the country, all over the world, we are copying the western world, where all the time people are taking photos on their mobile phones. While you are painting, somebody says, Can I take a photo? disturbing you continuously. While I am doing the portrait, some people are chatting and standing in front of the model, and I feel like tearing off my portrait!

Indians have become very vulgar from top to bottom, including artists: He takes a dig at the way art camps have slowly transformed into venues of doing big business, I have come mainly for Krishna Setty. I have attended many camps in India, in Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi, Bangalore, etc. In some places, the organisers are doing business under the guise of artist camps. Whatever you do, they quietly sell it, and they don't tell the artist. And normally, there is an honorarium, for instance, the artist gets one lakh if his work is sold for two lakhs. The idea was that whoever has organised, he keeps the painting, but if he sells it, 50% has to come to the artist. But we don't follow any more ethics. India is a great country, but Indians have become very vulgar from top to bottom, including artists!

It's mainly the fault of artists: Jatin Das has his own evaluation for the present predicament pervading the art world, If a dancer dances, people appreciate by saying kya badhiya abhinay kiya. Whatever, Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, whatever. If someone is singing, they say, 'sur mein gaana gaya. Kumar Gandharva, Bhimsen Joshi, etc. But painter ka bolte hai, kitne mein becha? How much did he sell it for? So our profession has become very vulgar and very cheap, and it's mainly the fault of artists. If artists maintain their dignity, values, and ethics, the situation may change for the better.

We have become very cheap in a great country! He also laments the turnaround of things in the art world, You see, once, I remember about 20 years ago, a billionaire whom I knew came to my studio. I was very broke at that time, and he told me, Jatin, I want 15-20 of your paintings. The moment he said so, I decided not to sell him any. If I tell you there are 50 girls there, will you marry anybody? Impossible. So like that, we have become very cheap in a great country.

Acrylic has also become the medium for painting: Jatin Das is also quite unhappy at the changing trends being evinced in the art world, We are copying the West, and mainly they are working in acrylic. You know why acrylic? You paint in the morning, and you can sell it in the afternoon. Because it will dry up fast! So a lot of people all over the country and all over the world are painting in acrylic. I like painting in oil. I do a painting for a month or so. So you build up many layers of colour, many layers, many layers of build-up.

These days, there is no proper training: He is also upset at the lack of proper training for the budding artists. Earlier, we used to be trained properly; these days, there is no proper training. However, there is proper training in music and dance. Art has become very cheap these days. All over Delhi, all over Bhubaneswar, everywhere there are walls painted. Do you know the teacher gets the commission, and the students are given 1000 rupees per day? They don't attend the class; they are doing wall paintings. Painting is never done outside, exposed to the wall. Look at Ajanta, Ellora, etc., the paintings are done inside, while sculptures are done outside.

Two-month camp in Germany: Now, in a country where we have a rich tradition, how to do a painting, where to do a painting, we don't follow the system. We follow the painting as a business. So I don't know what to say or to whom to say anything. I am totally at a loss. I have attended a camp in Germany when Germany was not together. I was in East Germany near Berlin, and it was for two months. There was a room full of art materials. Then there was, you know, so I used to paint and draw many things, informs Jatin Das nostalgically.

A traditional artist takes their time full-time: When queried as to what is the way out, you suggest coming out of this, Jatin Das told, We have a great culture. India has a great culture in everything:

- How to talk,

- How to sit,

- How to eat,

- How to dance,

- How to sing,

- How to paint.

A traditional artist takes their time full-time. When I go to Nepal or when I go to Rajasthan to see a hand-painted painting, they wash the cloth, they stretch it, and they rub it for two to three days. Then they start drawing. Then they put colour, undercoat colour, second coat colour, third coat colour; different colours, you know, so they are trained properly.

We have not learned all this: Elaborating further on the nuances and intricacies of the country's art forms, Jatin Das explained, A sculptor, a traditional sculptor, has two chisels; a thin chisel and a thick chisel and a hammer. He doesn't talk to anybody; he works and concentrates, so we have a rich tradition in our country. When the temples were built, it took many, many years to build a temple. The stone did not have cement inside. Stone was sitting on a stone. So, just think, has any architect done this? Our architecture is copying Western architecture. It has not learned from Indian architecture. So painting and architecture, etc., and life, you see, is not like this. Every house with an inner courtyard has a veranda, and it used to be made of clay. Then in summer, it is cooler, and in winter, it is warmer. We have not learned all this. You know?

It is not the fault of the organiser: Taking an experienced approach to the turnout of things over a period of time, Jatin Das says, Now, see the colours, the brushes, the artist himself cleans the brush. Even though it's 2 in the morning, I clean my brush, then put it away. Nobody does it. Nobody is learning either. Everybody is busy promoting themselves and selling their work. That's all, name, fame and money. Do you get my point? I've been to Chitrakala Parishad many, many artists' camps all over the country. But as I said, it used to be for one month; it has become three days. And some artists send their work, and they don't even attend the artist's camp. Some artists. So it is not the fault of the organiser, it is the fault of the artists.

Disturbing is not the right way: Jatin Das insists on maintaining discipline for any performing artist, If we have discipline, see, when you go to a performance, maybe your girlfriend, daughter, wife, whoever is dancing, you will not disturb her. You will sit quietly, and she will do dancing or sing. But while you are painting, everybody is coming and disturbing you. Not the right way.

We have lost our culture; It is going in the wrong direction completely: He also looks like being disturbed a lot at the way things have started unfolding in the society.You know, Macaulay went to the British Parliament and said, The Indian education system is better than ours to make them clerks. So, there are two institutions in the country, both and primary schools. These are mediocre. You sit with your grandparents, your cousins. You don't call your cousin your brother's son. You don't call your cousin. You say, bhai, your brother. So, we had a great culture about everything. So we have lost our culture. It is going in the wrong direction completely.

I tell my son to sketch every day: He shared the information about his youngest son studying in Vadodara, My youngest son is studying art in Vadodara. And they don't know how to teach art. I only think he doesn't tell me anything. I tell him to sketch every day. See, look at the trees, fantastic palm trees, but nobody is sketching that. They are very beautiful. So, you learn from nature. We had a concept, Ekalavya, without a guru. Without a guru, put a statue of the guru and then you learn. And he became better than his other cousins. Correct?

People were concerned, deeply concerned, motivated: Reminscing about the bygone era, Jatin Das signs off by telling, So, likewise, I used to get the Times of India before. I've stopped Times of India for five years now. I'm getting the Indian Express. The Times of India used to be a fantastic newspaper. It has become cheap. It is only advertisements and fashion shows, etc. Dharmayug has closed down, and the Illustrated Weekly has closed. They were great magazines. And the editors were friends of ours. When I was 22 years old, 23 years old, in Bombay, they were friends. A.S. Raman was the editor of Illustrated Weekly. I'm talking about 60 years ago. He did a big article on me of four pages. A.S. Raman. So, people were concerned, deeply concerned, motivated.

Hindusthan Samachar / Manohar Yadavatti