On ART

Though I am an engineer by profession, art is something that is probably closest to my heart. People often ask me, “What do you mean by ART?”

As I reflect on this,

I realize I have grown up with a very skewed notion of academic streams. In an environment where science has the highest social value, followed by commerce and then the arts, social value is closely tied to economic value. Therefore, better economic opportunities in science mean a greater chance of economic prosperity for one and, hence, a higher social value!

Anyone who was academically good took science, and if you missed the mark, then commerce. But arts? It was always something considered to be studied by those who couldn’t get into the other two. It was rare to see someone academically bright taking up art and making a career out of it. In a society where economic prosperity is highly valued and risk aversion is deeply ingrained, conventional careers like those in science and commerce are highly sought after. They are tried and tested. But what fun would life be if no one ever dared to think differently and explore uncharted territory? I can’t resist quoting Robert Frost here:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

For me, art is any form of human expression, and artists are the ones who often take the less travelled roads to express ideas. Now historically creative ways of expressing human ideas has played crucial role right from french revolution to any major public uprising. It gives a face to sentiments and bring masses together