India's Art Scene Turns to Photography

Feb. 17, 2009 - PRLog -- Indians are increasingly getting drawn primarily to photography which clearly is switch towards this form of art for decor - inspired, in part, by new Indian galleries showcasing this medium. Photography's power to lure collectors world-wide is matched by the pragmatic fact that it remains far more affordable than many other art forms.

India experienced a rather curious lag in photographic appreciation compared with the West. In the country's art world, however, Indian painting and sculpture long held a more privileged position. Until a decade ago, photography was largely denigrated as an advertising tool or journalistic reinforcement of an India that was viewed by the rest of the world as poor and backward.

"Indian buyers in their 30s and 40s are now, seeking to experiment with a medium that their parents barely considered art. Hoteliers, restaurateurs and company directors have been tapping galleries to furnish their walls. Yuppies are turning to photographs for home décor. Vintage prints, once considered dusty relics, suddenly have cachet and fetch $5,000 or more from private dealers. Artists better known for installations, video and performance are now experimenting with digital cameras", writes Margot Cohen in the Wall Street Journal, which appeared recently in a Weekend section.

Over last few years, modest prices have attracted relatively younger Indian buyers. Recently, as mentioned in this article, an installation by Indian artist Subodh Gupta featuring metal utensils piled on a rickshaw brought $842,500 at auction, while work by Indian master painters like F.N. Souza command prices as high as $2.5 million. On the other hand, prices for a limited edition photograph by an artist in India range from 20,000 rupees to 600,000 rupees ($416 to $12,500). No wonders, contemporary photographers, therefore, have seized on fresh interest from gallery owners and other patrons to find new audiences and escape expectations imposed by commercial commissions.

Some gallery owners, informs Margot Cohen, feel that the current financial uncertainty might actually be good for photography-collecting by allowing it to mature without the crazed speculation that infected the overall Indian art market. Such feelings aren't unusual, says Ajay Rajgarhia, who launched an online business in fine art photography in mid-2007 called http://wonderwall.co.in and is pressing ahead with exhibitions in several Indian cities early this year despite the economic slowdown. "For the collector, it's also an emotional decision. For an investor, it's a numbers game," he says.

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Online Fine Art Photography gallery for abstract, architecture, monochrome photography at Wonderwall.