IKONS : TWO GOAN PILLARS IN ART
Francis Newton Souza better known as F. N. Souza, a Goan artist who achieved international recognition He was a founding member of the Progressive Artists’ Group of Bombay. Souza was born in the village of Saligao, Goa.
Souza studied at the Sir J. J. School of Art in Bombay but was expelled in 1945 for his support for the Quit India Movement. In 1947 he was a founding member of the Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group which encouraged Indian artists to participate in the international avant-garde. In 1949 Souza moved to London, where initially struggling to make an impact as an artist.
Souza’s career developed steadily, and he participated in several shows, receiving positive reviews. In recent years Souza’s Paintings have been sold for over a million dollars. In 2008, his painting “Birth” (1955) set a world auction record for the most expensive Indian painting sold till then by selling for US$2.5 million (Rs 11.3 crore) at a Christie’s auction. In 2015, the painting “Birth” was resold at Christie’s in New York, fetching more than US$4 million. In June 2010 Christie’s held an auction of over 140 lots from the Souza Estate. Many of Souza’s works fetched very high prices, some several times Christie’s estimates.
V. S. Gaitonde was born in 1924, in Nagpur, Maharashtra, to Goan parents. He received his art diploma from the J. J. School of Art in 1948. He received Padma Shri Award in 1971
S. Gaitonde was the first Indian contemporary painter whose work was sold for ₹ 9 million (US$130,000) at a 2005 Osians art auction in Mumbai. In 2013, one of Gaitonde’s untitled painting sold for ₹ 237 million (US$3.5 million), set a record for an Indian artist at Christie’s debut auction in India. After the media reports of the auction interest in his work has grown, even at his birthplace Nagpur, where his painting till then lying at warehouse of Central Museum, Nagpur was sent for restoration. It was put on public display in January 2014.
What is the Job all about?
Art denotes anything, everything that is aesthetically appealing, visually pleasant, and a message that warms your heart. Art comes in various forms viz. painting, sculpture, sketching, cartooning, ceramics/pottery, graphics, photography, interior designing, etc.
Fine Arts
PAINTERS: Painters paint portraits, landscapes, scenery, still life, abstract design murals, etc. on different surfaces with different mediums.
SCULPTORS: The sculptor carves figures, statues, monuments and other media in imaginative designs by chiselling stone or carving wood or modelling clay. Modern sculptors utilize materials like reinforced cement, concrete or white bronze or Plaster of Paris.
COMMERCIAL ART: Commercial artists do designing of advertisement displays, Packaging of Products, e.g. Perfumes, chocolates etc., Creation of visuals for Hoardings, Newspapers Ads, TV/Cinema commercials, etc.
DESIGN: The function of the designer is to be conscious of the requirements of an industry. Designers usually work with a team of experts from different disciplines, both technical and business. Their ideas have to be tailored to fit in with commercial and technical requirements.
GRAPHICS: This is concerned with lettering, illustration including photography, the design of symbols and logos. It also includes visual aids for industrial and educational application, TV graphics, captions, programme titles, all non-verbal TV presentations of information, such as election result, trade figure trends, etc; packaging, publicity and advertising, stamp and letterhead design, etc.
Can you go for it?
You require talent, dedication, an eye for form, ability to utilize colours and creative ability to develop original ideas. You require using words and phrases that encapsulate a political, social or religious theme. You should possess a sense of humour with a current theme in mind. R.K.Laxman / Mario Miranda are the men who used to enthral readers daily in ‘The Times of India’/Economic Times, with their characteristic humour.
Is there a future in this field?
Specialists in the Fine Arts can work as freelancers or can be employed by TV and film studios or Newspapers. They can teach Art in educational Institutes.
Specialists in Commercial Art have various job openings in art studios, advertising agencies, publishing houses, departments of commercial establishments, etc. A large number of Commercial Artists are freelancers and they design a range of items. They design for advertising agencies, fashion houses, paper backs, Magazine covers, etc.
Where to Begin?
In Goa?
After 10 + 2, join The Art College in Panaji – after you pass their Aptitude Test.
Outside Goa?
- Institutes for Fine Arts – Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art, Mumbai, University of Bombay, Fort, Mumbai 400032.
- Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University of Baroda, Baroda.
- Kala Bhavan, Visva-Bharati, Shantiniketan.
- JamiaMilliaIslamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi.
- College of Art, New Delhi.
Cartoonist Program (Correspondence Programs)
- Raye Burns School, Course in Cartoon (Correspondence)
F- 37, NarainVihar, New Delhi, 110028. - Santhaan’s Chitra Vidalayam, Course in Cartoon ( Correspondence)
C/o, ChitraKullan (T), 179m Singanna Chetty St, Chintadripet, Chennai, 600 002.
Employment avenues:
Advertising – especially on TV is a huge Business. So both Graphic Artists, Photographers and Copywriters are in great demand.
Money:
Today, paintings of Husain, Soza, sell in Millions of Dollars. People in this business can make tons of Money, if they know to feel the pulse of the Readers/Viewers and come out with something topical. And they get paid very well too.
Please do not be satisfied with just acquiring a Degree/Diploma – try and enhance your CV by doing online learning programs (with a certificate) of programs relevant to your choice of career. Your chances of employment will be much better than just a plain degree/diploma.
Please check this website under other details for places you can learn online. Also try and develop your confidence by doing a public speaking training program with people like Toast Masters International.
For government jobs: please check : http://www.employment-newspaper.com/