Arty Party, But Who Was The Artist?

News Paper – Asian Age

Published on - August, 1998

Author – RIMA KASHYAP

Ant, (our foreign-returned Aunt) is the one who brought about this sudden outburst. She had just returned from the opening of yet another new art gallery, Javacity, on Lavelle Road and all she talked about was the food and the people she met.

"There was Girish Karnad," she began, "and lots of fancy people - women in shiny salwar suits and heavy saris, and men in suits, even at noon. And I saw Mr T.P. Issar and his wife, and Mr Jeevaraj Alva and his wife. She is so full of life. He is not bad either, for a politician. Our vamsha vriksa artist. Mr Vasu. inaugurated it. He is a great artist. Our Director and Inspector General of Police Mr Srinivasalu is also an art lover, did you know......And you should have seen the food. Just plates and plates of cross-aunts, breads. muffins. cakes. and tarts and moos.

"And the house is just superb. Now that's the kind of house one should have to live in. Shining, marble floors: white, white wall,. and such pretty tables with table cloths. Sundara vagide. If I ever have an exhibition of all those antiques lying in the attic, bhava, I will surely have it there. My, they even had wine and beer. Of course. I had Pepsi only."

While everyone was absorbing this. Nef, the eternal Ant cham cha, piped. "My friend Nagesh's sister, had an exhibition at another gallery and they also served wine and snacks there. It is all arranged by the gallery. If they can get sponsors. good. Otherwise, the gallery pays for the bottles of wine and the canopies themselves. You can't think that a poor artist is going to pay for all this. do you?

In this case, the wine was sponsored by Bacardi or Campari or Cinzano, and the snacks were sponsored by Tiger Trail, a restaurant at Hotel Harsha."

"Sometimes. I believe, the Windsor Manor has an art inauguration. And the snacks there are the best, absolutely sakathaggide. Anyway, ever since, I have become an art lover, at least a first-day only art lover. After all, free wine is always welcome."

Although Aunt knows very well that Nef drinks, she always pretends to be shocked. She thinks that way it won't show encouragement.

"You mean to say you go to drink and eat at these art exhibitions? I thought you were showing this keen interest in art because of 'dear Ant'."she mimicked.

"It's the fashion nowadays," Ant remonstrated. "Everywhere in the world, at art openings, they serve wine and cheese. Bangalore is just keeping up with the world. It is a global phenomenon. And before you ask me, why an art gallery is called Java City, it is because the best coffee in the world comes from Java."

"If you ask me the best coffee is South Indian coffee but what to do...nowadays everything is a global phenomenon, even coffee! MTV, the weather, indiscipline. terrorism...they are all part of our global phenomenon....and now wine-and-cheese. Good to know that dear Nef is so interested in art. and the wine-and-cheese of course," Politico Unc continued. "Incidentally, besides the good food and wine, no one has mentioned the artist whose exhibition you went to?"