Venantius, I read your very elegant message to Chris Vaz in response to his (I assume) article Does Francis Newton Souza qualify as a 'Great Goan? I haven't seen that original article.
But elegance does not legitimise cynicism or ignorance. And so much of your message is a sad melange of those elements. To nitpick some of what you have to say: 1. No, no one (except, perhaps, those closely connected in a familial or business sense) sleeps better or worse because someone is or isn't a great something. That's neither what greatness is about nor germaine to the issue of greatness in any field. I don't sleep better, or worse, because Gandhi and Einstein and Mother Teresa, or Fr Agnelo and Jack Sequiera and Abbe Faria and other celebrated Goans, were great. If you do, you need help. And if you don't, why ask a question so patently absurd? 2. Neville Tuli has surely done a lot to spread the word on (and raise the selling prices of) Indian art globally - but only an ignoramus would suggest that 'art bigwigs' (whoever or whatever that means) were encouraged to 'touch' Souza by him. Souza was on the Indian collectors' list in the 70s, long before Tuli arrived on the scene. What is now called Contemporary India Art began with Amrita Sher Gill, Jamini Roy & George Keyt at the turn of the century - but it was Souza, along with Akbar Padamsee, Hussain, Tyeb Mehta, Raza, Ara and a few others who raised it into a wider Indian consciousness - and themselves entered the collections of discerning Indians and foreigners. They may not have sold for millions of dollars, as their works do today, but when we first started buying them in the 80s, relative to the prices that Indian Art commanded in those days, and of course relative to the cost of living of the times, they were pretty damned expensive. Only people with access to money could afford them. 3. Yes, art is big business. So are gold and silver and precious stones. People have bought those, also for a myriad reasons, including as the ticket into rarified circles, for millennia. Now art has joined that group. What of it? Is it your case that that, in and of itself, make the purchase of fine art suspect? Social climbing is only one of many reasons why people buy fine art. But simultaneously, many also buy it for the joy that it gives, social climbing be damned. I know several who have wonderful (and today hugely valuable) works in their homes, and live quiet, un-spotlighted lives. If social climbing is all that the purchase of art represents to you, you're missing some wonderful woods for a few meaningless trees, and that's sad. 4. So hedge funds and commodities are 'esoteric economic crap' that 'look and sound ridiculous'. The syntax of that thought is almost as unintelligible as the substance of it is ignorant. I am reminded that people who most speak of 'class' are those who least have it. Ditto, I think, those who make asinine comments about instruments of modern economic practice and, yes, wealth creation. 5. 'Most art is decent stuff'. Fair enough, as long as you appreciate that it is a supportable statement only in the context of beauty being in the eye of the beholder. As in the assessment of fine wine, whatever attracts you, gives you pleasure, makes you happy, is 'decent stuff'. But 'a head here or an arm there, a lot of contacts, the right people to massage and it works'??? That's pitiable. The rest of your polemic on Christianity, social mores, Souza's forays into sexuality etc etc etc is just so much meaningless jazz. Amusing, but ultimately boring regurgitation of been there, heard that stuff. Let me guess, Venantius. You're an artist (or writer or actor) who hasn't managed to come up against a head or arm or contact you could massage to your greater glory. You must be. Good luck, friend. From the sound of it, you could use it. But also from your attitude that comes shining through, do you deserve it? Stanley Pinto Visit my blog http://stanleypinto.livejournal.com/ and leave a comment on any of the articles, if you wish. Stanley & Yvonne Pinto Mobile: (91) 98453 95319 SP Skype ID: stanleyvonne E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Goanet supports BMX, the alumni network of Britto's, St Mary's and Xavier's -- three prominent institutions in Mapusa, Goa. Events scheduled from Dec 16 to 21, 2006 For more details visit http://www.bmxgoa.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------
