Brut spoke to Anu Menda, Managing Trustee of the RMZ Foundation that aims to nurture emerging and established Indian artists, about why some pieces of art command the price they do.
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CreativityTranscript
00:00Thank you for speaking with Druitt. I would like to understand from you what are the factors
00:15you think that influence the price of an artwork. So, we have one art piece that sells for crores
00:20while another sells for hundreds even. So, what are the things that one must look for
00:25while appraising an artwork? Firstly, thank you for joining us here today.
00:31Price points of an artwork would vary on multiple levels. To start off the artist and in question,
00:41so the artist's prowess and how far in the career that they have progressed, the recognition
00:49and the brand value of the artist, so to speak. We're referring also to the price points that
00:55the artist holds over time or previous sales, the materiality, the skill, the technique employed
01:04depending on the size of the artworks. It would be the uniqueness of the piece. For example,
01:10the one that we have here of Dupral and Tagra is a unique addition. And then also about the
01:20contextualisation of the artwork, if it's addressing something which is global and the
01:27need of the art. Also, I think the ability to get some intellectual discourse, elicit emotional
01:38responses, all of these subtle factors played into determining the price points.
01:45Talk to me about an artwork like this, which is so minimalistic and almost,
01:52you know, it seems very relatable. How do you value an artwork like this?
01:58Yeah, so we're looking at a beautiful composition of Manisha which says,
02:03the idea behind it is there is simplicity in its language. And this is what art does,
02:11what it elicits from anybody. It's very relatable. It's easy on the eye. The materiality, again,
02:19is an economical, so to speak. So, it's sort of almost engages the audience because it's
02:28in context to their living realities. It's very contemporary in its language and its appeal. So,
02:37I think it's all these subtle nuances and factors that build into making an art,
02:45what an artist and what goes into the creative mind space of the artist. And of course,
02:50it is a seminal work of art. It's not just an aesthetic, visually aesthetic piece of art.
02:56There is much more layering that goes into works such as these. And to be able to take
03:03out the messaging that the artist wants you to garner, whether it is an emotion,
03:11it's creating some kind of a positive impact. It's stirring up conversations,
03:16allowing you to get yourself excited and explore the medium of creativity at large.
03:24So, it's really appealing to an audience to see, art can be fun, art can be playful,
03:30art is meaningful, art is talking about our shared views and history. So, I'm not breaking
03:36down the artwork, but I'm just saying it's all of this, the intellectual discourse, the
03:44emotional quotient that it allows. It's also very good for the mind. It sort of
03:51declutters and mentally art is supposed to also enable and make you feel...
03:57It's a great mechanism for wellness.
04:00And who is it that determines the prize?
04:02It is determined by the gallerist that represents the artist or if the artist is
04:07representing himself and not attached to the gallery. So, it is completely the prerogative
04:13of the artist and the gallerist and it is an opaque industry. So, it is what it is and
04:23that's how it flows.