>**Premise:**   
  
Had ordered this book after seeing a post on author's other work - "We, the People of India: Decoding a Nation's Symbols". I didn't know at the time, that the author was a Karnatic singer, and a Ramon Magsaysay awardee!  
  
This \~100pg book talks about how art is seen in India, which art is seen as superior/inferior, role of caste/gender in the arts, and how it can be reformed.



>**What I liked:**

* Author is self aware, and cautious. Doesn't readily believe in the established conventions. A reasonable skeptic.
* A lot of themes covered here: Art Definition, Identity, Gender, Caste, Sanskritization, Schools, Democracy... (see the section at the end if you're interested👇)
* Appreciate the conversational tone, even for such a short work.
* Nice to see ongoing experimental work by the author permeating caste boundaries; aesthetic mobility if you'd like.



>**Conclusion:**

For such a short work, this is a remarkable critique of the triad of art,gender,caste in Indian society, and how it can be reformed to be more inclusive. The book starts with the abstract topic of Art, delves into the nitty-gritty reality of Indian art-society dynamics, and ends on a hopeful democratic ideal of art.



>**Rating:** 8.5/10   
{Also, the cover art and colors could be much better}

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>**Some awesome stuff from the book (My Notes/Summary):**

* Art is something that helps us escape reality, look at non-identical selves. Author calls cooking and other "arts" as art-like. Beautification cannot be the only parameter for art.
* I too have always wondered about the emotional connect of art/stories - how is it that a fictional character's death can move us so much, often more than that of real life? I always thought it's so because of some subconscious brain association of fear of losing real loved ones....but author differs : that we truly feel connected to that story, and it's truly within that framework that we feel its loss.
* Caste, gender and religion divisions shape art-society relations. Upper-caste art generally prioritizes jnana/moksha through their art forms, while low-caste art forms are seen as works of labor only.  I've never really accepted this division, I'm often amazed at the nameless sculptors I see roadside, who sculpt clay Gods and Goddesses with such detail: Often times I've wanted to ask them for a crash course in sculpting... to improve my own sense of art. Anyways, back to the book-
* Author argues for battling caste discrimination through Culture, and not see culture as byproduct of religion itself. He offers a 3rd way, beyond Gandhi/Ambedkar. It could work, if we can value aesthetics/axiology more than metaphysics, that would be awesome.
* All social groups are guilty of oppression, it's just a matter of degrees and its own position of power.
* The sad demise of Devadasis and exaltation of Bharatanatyam - this was sad news to me. Devadasi dance knowledge was taken from them, sanskritised(sanitized) as Bharatnatyam...I recently read somewhere that Rukmini Arundale was one such leader, though I'm not sure about the whole history.
* Author describes the secondary role of women in such art-society conflict. They either follow, submit, or are rejected. Is there a role for feminism in the Indian arts? Very hard question. Koodiattam from Kerala is one good step maybe.
* Dalit voices are somewhat expressed in Tamil and Marathi cinema, but Bollywood has sanitized itself almost completely. Author doesn't idealise Tamil cinema either - acknowledges it's misogynistic and marginalization of certain caste arts, like Gana pattu and Paraiattam. Paraiattam is seen as songs for the dead only, but that's not so; As one Parai Dancer said: "if you can't dance to the songs of the dead, it confirms you are actually dead!"
* Art loses when it becomes a ritual. Rituals are social control mechanisms, while preserving knowledge, it also indoctrinates and serves as a cultural boundary.
* All artforms have their invisible cages, inside which the artist is free to create. What a line!
* Art is empathetic. It breaks down our usual mental barriers, to feel connected to...Life? Others? God? Author admits honestly - idk.
* Is there an unsullied core of art? Author claims he found it in Karnatic music. The triad {Raga,tala,text} can be modified with newer/lost voices, w/o destroying the emergent art.
* Art is best when it is transformed and inspired, not regulated and controlled. It begins with the artist, through their art, questioning the foundations - if the art doesn't have any elemental self, it will(should) crumble. Insecurity leads to conformity. Best artists are scared to question the foundations.
* Should art be left to markets? Markets are extensions of socio-cultural nature of art form.
* Making performative spaces more inclusive, taking art outside its echo chamber to newer places, challenges the art+artist. Art belongs in the poromboku (public space)
* "Who am I?" is important to ask, as identity is a major marker of society, especially for the marginalized. The question has spawned numerous answers, each with its own group dynamics. Reality is, caste remains the entrenched reality, despite all talks of non-dualism/universal consciousness etc.
* artificial barriers between classical vs folk art. Indian Knowledge Systems (incl. Arts) can't just be Brahmanical.
* Institutionalizing, indigenous intellectual frameworks, representation - all are necessary for the marginalized artforms to become prominent too, just as with Bharatnatyam(Kalakshetra) and Kathakali (Kalamandalam).
* Author shares his own enlightening aesthetic experiences while performing in subaltern spaces, like with Jogappas (transgender communities at Karnataka-Maharashtra border)
* which music to be taught in schools? Only classical is seen as legit.
* artistic teaching is reqd. Teacher must first see beauty in what they're teaching 
* art and democracy both provide all that's needed for human to reflect and find kindness.

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🪕✊Reshaping Art - TM Krishna {Art, Caste, Gender in India} Review