Broota interrogates the gender archetypes and exposes -the utter vapidity of art criticism

A contemporary art journal can be a source of much mirth, given that the reviewers/reporters are under peer pressure to sound trendy, 'informed', 'in' on to the exotic secrets of the modern/postmodern art scene. They must all sound equally obscure and suitably intellectual.

One such journal is Matters of art, from which we learn that art techniques can be selfless, just like Mother Teresa-

In his curatorial note, Arjun Sawhney says: “In a world of vivid hues a paler shade of pale or a darker shade of dark is perhaps as effective as screaming color. Like a catalyst, the tricky technique of de-saturation lends strength to a picture, a painting, a piece of art. 'Desaturation'- the addition of white to a saturated color in order to achieve a paler shade.

In order to communicate the one salient point in a process, perhaps, the background has to take a step back. By its very definition the background should simply not be the focus. The selfless technique of de-saturation thus makes the focus of the primary object sharper, more prominent, more important.

If only people were as de-saturated as...as......Desaturation.


From a review of Rameshwar Broota’s Photographs at the same link-

He uses his photographic imagery primarily as a means of self knowledge which also operates at the level of a wider cultural critique. Broota’s photographs are revealed as, not only recorder of ‘objective’ reality but as an exploration device of a ‘subjective’ experience, thus reinforcing that the artist’s body can be both the subject and object of the photograph.

If Mr. Jekyll-Hyde can can play dual roles with one body, so can Mr. Broota.

Broota interrogates the gender archetypes and exposes myths and prejudices which control ‘macho’ imagery associated with - weapons, male dominated sports, combat gear and other phallocentric images. Male chauvinistic activities based on accepted social ideologies are critiqued by him in the ‘reverse’ gaze.

I am all with Mr.Broota on this. I myself prefer woman dominated sports, and vaginacentric images and female chauvinistic activities not based on accepted social ideologies. And I am quite good at 'reverse' gaze when it comes to all of the above.
(adult material warning for both the above links)

Broota’s photographs thus, leap over both geographical and cultural differences and offer a refection of contemporary national/international culture underscored by a patriarchal machismo sensibility. His photographs justify his quote “Photography is the combination of fact and fiction”.

And contemporary art criticism is a combination of meaningless jargon and twaddle.


More enlightenment from the same people-

According to the artist(Chintan Upadhyay), the sign systems in our times tend to mis-communicate rather than lead to the true facts. Now, sign systems are developed deliberately for imparting hegemonic ideas.

“We, as human beings have become not just the consumers of commodities, but the hopeless consumers of signs. It has become pathological and the misinterpret-able signs settle in our physical and intellectual bodies like cancerous cells. They find safe havens within us for further multiplication. Whether you call it imperialist tactics of human management or just the rule of corporatism, my idea is to embody this process; the socio-cultural and political deception of contemporary signs,” says Chintan Upadhyay.

Wow! This fella is a Chomsky with paintbrush.I only hope that those who buy his works, which sell in lakhs, have somehow made their money without any taint of corporatism.Chintan might not like it otherwise, you know.

(emphasis mine)

Note - the material used from the Matters of art site may not be available at the given link, given the way their page is structured.