Learning Curve Education and Enhancement

THE GLOBAL TIMES | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2021Orange is the colour of our contest edition. Alwaystrending, its vibrancy reminds us of our own in life!

Vidhi Khurana & Chhavi Chawla, XI E AIS Saket, Page Editors

Contest Edition

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A-Z of ArtFor When The World Of Words Fails, A Career In Art Thrives

The beginning: I studied art history for myunder graduation in the US and then I wentto the UK where I did law, but soon re-alised that I was quite passionate aboutworking in the art industry. Moreover, I de-cided to give art curating a try because thefield involves a lot of research, somethingI really enjoy.

The pre-requisites: You don’t needany particular qualification, but it isalways helpful to have a basic under-standing of art history. You will alsoneed a strong portfolio. For thesame, you will get several opportu-nities along the way at school andcollege level. For instance, art stu-dents get to curate art fairs and senior artpresentations. Keep an eye on these oppor-tunities and make the most of them, forthey will not just help you build a strong port-folio, but also a robust base. Further on, it isimperative to engage with your stakeholders.I spent the last year and a half to engage withartists, galleries as well as collectors. Engag-ing with people helps you learn because con-

temporary art is always evolving and youhave to be updated with the emerging trends.

The challenges: It’s important to not just belike “Oh these are ten pretty paintings and Iwant to put them together”. Finding a mes-

sage that joins them and a cura-torial framework that’s rele-vant is important and extremelychallenging. Also, one faces sev-eral rejections on a regular basis.For instance, you might want XYZartist for your show, but thatmay not happen. So, beingopen to rejections is crucial.

The scope: It’s huge. Youcan go on to work in muse-ums as well as do interna-tional and collaborative

shows. Even if you are a begin-ner, you’ll always be learningsomething whether it’s catalogu-ing or just conceptualising, meet-ing and interacting with newpeople, understanding the different

dynamics that are at play and so on. As far asthe remuneration is concerned, it depends onthe type of employment you choose. If you’rea curator within a gallery, you have a fixedsalary. If you are self-employed then it de-pends on the artworks you sell.

The beginning: I never reallythought of becoming an expres-sive art therapist. I think mygoal was to become a psychol-ogist and expressive art therapybecame an important modalityto connect with people ofdifferent age groups. WhenI started working with vi-sual art, I realised thateven when you give adultsa piece of paper and pen-cil, they put their thoughtsand feelings on it. Thatmakes it so much more tan-gible and helps you processthings in a better way that youotherwise might not be able to comprehend.

The pre-requisites:To become an art ther-apist, you need to enrol in two or three spe-cialised courses on art therapy. In India,there are still lesser courses but new onesare coming up. Besides, it is important toknow what accreditation they have. Like, I

have done a short course on art therapy andI am certified by UNESCO. So, make sureto opt for courses that give you a valid li-cense, along with a good experience.

The challenges: Many people are still un-aware about art therapy and they confusethe profession with being an artist. It is a

misconception that one needs to be an artistin order to be an art therapist. Overcomingsuch myths can be daunting.

The scope: There are many individualswho opt for art therapy courses with andwithout a psychology background and arepracticing at MNCs and NGOs. How-ever, places like hospitals andschools prefer a background ei-ther in clinical psychology orcounseling psychology. Allhospitals now have art ther-apists either full time orpart time. So, an individ-ual 45-minute sessionat a private hospitalmight start fromsomewhere around1100 INR and can gomuch higher. You canalso join a school setup where you’re given afixed salary as per the payscale.

Vidhi Khurana &Abhilasha Kuba, XI E

AIS Saket

Say art and thefirst thing thatcomes to mind

is hobby, passion orsomething that youindulge in to relaxyour senses. But thisworld of colours goesway beyond a leisureactivity, at times eventranslating into a full-time career option.Here are some roadsyou can take if youwish to travel theartistic way...

Know the expertA counselling psychologist andan expressive art therapistregistered with RCI &UNESCO, Priyam Kumar hasbeen associated with mentalhealth care service providersand schools across Delhi &NCR. Her key workdeliverables include therapy,designing wellness experiencesand facilitating workshops.

Know the expertTeesta Bhandare is an art curatorand consultant at Teesta BhandareArt Advisory, a reputed globaladvisory that connects artists,galleries and collectors from acrossthe world. With a background in lawand postgraduate diploma in ArtLaw, she has spent extensive periodsof time working in cultural and legalorganisations such as the UnitedNations and international law firmsin New York, Singapore, Rio deJaneiro, Los Angeles, London andNew Delhi.

The beginning: I was interested inanimation since I was ten. Likeevery other kid, I loved Pixar

more than anything. I drew a ton asa kid, but discontinued it in highschool because I was trying to bal-ance good grades and extracurric-ulars. It was then that I realisedhow much I loved art. I applied toart schools and thereon began myjourney, as I was introduced tothe principles of storytelling indesign and animation.

The pre requisites: First and fore-most, you need to be excellent atdrawing. So, draw as much on paperas you like. But in addition, youneed to be adept at digital software sincethat is the fastest way to animate. Be-sides, that is what the TV industry isusing, which is why you will be expectedto know software such as Photoshop, TVpaint, and 3D software like Maya.You also need to have a very good un-derstanding of story structure, composi-tion, design, colour and light for visual

development. Having a strong portfoliois another must-have, since the industryis very competitive. In order to build thesame, you have two options - either youenrol in animation school or opt for on-line courses.

The challenges: The biggest challengeis the expectation to be creative all the

time. Sometimes, you have cre-ative blocks and overcoming themis a challenge creative animatorsand illustrators encounter at work.Also, competition is fierce butvaries according to the role you areapplying for. Some roles aremore competitive such as thatof a character designer becausethere aren’t many openings forit. Again, if you are looking atworking for big prestigious

feature studios like Pixar and Dis-ney, it’s going to be extremelycompetitive but you have to remindyourself that there are tons and tonsof small great studios that makequality content.

The scope:Well, there are a lot of path-ways; you can have a story focused ca-reer or design focused career or you cango into effects or compositing or model-ling. But what is important is that youmake a start. So, begin from whereveryou get a chance to show your creativityand build your portfolio.

Know the expert Michelle Cheng is aToronto/LA based visualdevelopment artist andcharacter animation studentat California Institute of theArts (CalArts). Passionateabout filmmaking, she strivesto create well-researched,thoughtful work.

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