Who said art is expensive?

Updated on: 09 June,2009 09:49 AM IST |
Omi Gurung |

Prices of paintings crash, but not many are buying

Prices of paintings crash, but not many are buying

Painters in the city are suffering from a stroke of bad luck.

"It's not that people do not have money, but they don't want to invest at present," Rajani Prasanna, art historian.

"The situation is very bad and sales are down. We have to give discounts to draw in customers," said Raj Dutt of Rightlines gallery, Indiranagar.

"There is hardly any business. We have given discount of up to 20 per cent, but theu00a0 response is dull", said a rep from Gallerie Chateau de Guide, Banaswadi.u00a0

On the bright sid, up-and-coming artists get exposure. "Art galleries are promoting young artists as their paintings are affordable. But no real business is taking place," Rajani said.

However some art galleries areu00a0 not giving discounts at all.u00a0

"We deal with original arts andu00a0 have worked out our prices. The price ranges are genuine and have value for money," S Ru00a0 Magar, managing director of Magnitude said.

Artists now find other jobs to do. Ambarish P, a 25-year-old artist from Bangalore said, "Recession has affected the artists, but it has also given young artists like us an opportunity to showcase our work in art galleries.
u00a0
Apart from selling paintings I have also been working out with interior designers."

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