Welcome to the world of kitsch

Flamboyant and cheerful, kitsch art spells contemporary rebellion like nothing else. The quirky art form is here to stay, writes Anju Munshi.

Who says mismatch is a no-no? In fact, mismatch is the new ‘best-matched’ today. The bold with the loud and the bright with the garish are in order, for, this is kitsch time! Aluminium buckets and kettles, and plastic cups and saucers, painted in bright and jazzy colours are in vogue.

The animated image of an old chaiwalla or a yesteryear Bollywood actor dancing in a ridiculously flamboyant style is the new favourite with art lovers.
Quirky sofa covers, cushions and upholstery with bright tones, film posters, metallic plates with images of music icons and images of famous cartoon characters are doing the rounds.

Welcome to the world of kitsch. The word kitsch originated from the German language and basically means junk. The trend to go kitsch is defined by psychologists as a need to break free from the mundane and adopt an irrational mode. This finds an outlet in bizarre colours, contrasts and caricatures. It is also about making a statement of ‘doing things my way.’

Art has a language and kitsch talks of freedom and of not conforming to traditional standards set by society. Its street imagery is now being translated into various fashion and lifestyle products that screams ‘modern’.

For the home crowd, this is a way to identify with Indian ethos, according to artist Anita Sarkar. “Kitsch art started as pop art, being termed as cheap or ridiculous. But the fact is that it focuses on the cultural trend of society, making it a creative item. It is a statement on the cultural strand of the times,” she says. There is colour, drama, a little wild imagery in kitsch, and, at times, diverse textures are blended to create a pop appeal.

Wood is combined with ceramic, tin with glass, brass with steel and aluminium with wall paints. In doing so, the basic ethnicity is woven into fashion and lifestyle. Some say kitsch is vulgar, pretentious, insensitive and in bad taste.

Unique expression

Tathagatha Bhaduri, a fabric designer, is of the opinion that it is like comparing Shakespearean couplets to the modern remixes, or Picasso’s work with a brightly splashed hoarding or a poster. While some call it art, others name it as a cheap form of expression — a creative pursuit that does not match the spirit and appreciation of higher art forms.

Mohan Mondol, an artist from Kolkata, feels all forms of art are modes of expressions. “One could create things with stones, feathers, coins or what have you. Who decides? For some, colours like red and orange may be too bright, but, for me, they wake up my spirit.” Mondal enjoys kitsch and holds exhibitions every year in well-known art galleries of the city.

Ritz Mehta has a home in Bangalore that is full of collectibles like bottles, lamps and cards from all over the world. Her wall space is shared by profound art, and milky mouse posters and film posters. It is not jarring, but very much in style.

While travelling round the globe, she likes browsing flea markets to find articles that are queer and quaint. Portobello, the famous street market in London, is her favourite haunt. She uses old postcards as a base for splashing colours and one of the paintings in her room is done on an old Hindi newspaper.

Vineeta Jhawar, a homemaker in Kolkata, has, in her living room, a huge wall poster inspired by the famous Bollywood film Dilwale Dulhaniya le Jayenge. “I got the idea from the Swiss Alps, where, on entry to one of the peaks, you see this famous Bollywood pair. This is unique, classy, ridiculously eye-catching and flamboyant,” she says.

Indian kitsch art is capturing street imagery and planting it strategically in the interiors of a modern home make it a happening place, she feels.

In the living room too, subdued art is quickly making way for a bright splash of colours or a tapestry that is frayed at the edges with bold red and black stripes running from one end to another. An aluminium bucket is transformed into a wine bucket and a kettle painted bright blue and red becomes an artefact on the mantel piece.

This signifies freedom from the colonial sophistication which defined taste for many years. This is art where colours play riot and beauty spills over, says Shanta Duruvila from Kerala. She loves using broken bangles, conch shells to create beautiful bright wall hanging.

Kitsch is making an entry in the fashion industry too. Manish Arora’s 2013 couture collection saw him using Indian street art, digital prints and gold colour.