It was the irrepressible late chief minister JH Patel who quipped that some crusading newspapers, when they set about to clean up society, are like dirty towels in dirty hotels — they leave more muck on the table than wipe it. The same could be said of BBMP commissioner Bharat Lal Meena’s efforts to dress up the city walls with heritage paintings. If this is truly ‘Karnataka Vaibhava’, then somebody surely has driven his team to the wall.
You could say that some of us are a little prejudiced, but honestly, this is really no improvement from movie posters. The paintings seem designed to inspire fear of our sacred and beautiful tourist sites rather than lure the uninitiated. I have done a sample survey: most people who care think the paintings are ghastly.
According to news reports over the last few weeks, it was Meena’s own idea to vent his artistic imagination on unsuspecting walls, partly to prevent them from being covered by movie posters and suchlike, and also to ‘beautify’ the city. It is not clear which artist or group of artists the commissioner consulted before setting out to paint the town red, green and ochre. If there is indeed an artist who has been willing to amuse the commissioner’s muse, now is the time to own up.
This is more clutter, not less. Again, we come to the same fundamental question: Why do the babus assume they are experts in every field — art, science and commerce? These renaissance men and women, who direct policy and activity in just about any enterprise, be it rocket science, golf or Yakshagana, must allow themselves a little bit of restraint and plain shyness. We are not talking about your drawing room, sir; this is a public space that you seek to warp with your imagination.
It must be admitted that there have been reports congratulating the commissioner for the “colourful walls”, but there must be a strong case to suggest that ‘art’ must be articulated by the informed. We must draw up parameters even for “people’s imagination” to express itself in public spaces. Otherwise, what is wrong with graffiti?
To continue with that line of argument, we remember that there was once an Urban Arts Commission (UAC) in Bangalore. Does it exist? If it does, it would be useful to know the commission’s take on the BBMP commissioner’s fancy. Even if the UAC has ceased to function, there must be norms that went into the shaping of it. The commissioner will do well to consult them.
The “individuals and companies” that have come forward to help the commissioner could also do some preliminary research before they step out to play holi on the city walls. There are so many cities in the world that have drawn up programmes to beautify their public spaces. Is there any harm in asking if you don’t know?
Apparently, the commissioner also hopes to provide employment opportunities to some 50 artists and give them a chance to show their talent. Sure. What were the selection criteria? Who drew them up and who chose the artists? Who selected the themes? Was there a master plan, the Big Picture and a Master Painter to coordinate it?
The reports are contradictory: One says the BBMP has hired an art school for the purpose. Another says, innocent of irony, that the painters are from a single agency that employed them previously to paint banners and film posters at Rs300 a day each. If movie stars seemed ugly in their hands, will the sculpted images of the dancers on our heritage temples fare better?
We have seen how these same babus, perhaps at a lower level, have painted old temples at Hampi and other heritage sites with white lime or sweet pink. We’ve seen them put up a green-lit board on top of Puttanna Chetty Town Hall.
The LIC, which occupies Oriental Building at Anil Kumble Circle, has decked up the beautiful old building with its own ugly boards without any consideration for architecture and design. We could say all these are errors of ignorance. BBMP’s art can then only be an error of arrogance.
For those who are willing to “adjust maadi” with the BBMP’s reckless drive, here is a suggestion. If they think that the paintings are just fine, perhaps they will need to contribute a canvas for the Rs300 per day painters with their own compound walls. We could begin with the ministerial bungalows and save hundreds of crores of redecorating them with every portfolio reshuffle. What better canvas could there be for ‘Karnataka Vaibhava’?
If one could offer the commissioner a taste of his own medicine, he should see if he has a fit case here for the Karnataka Open Places Disfigurement Act in his own instance.
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