What is the value of art to civilizations?

Art is essential to our history. Transcending time and space, across continents and centuries, local cultures, history, and religions have flourished and survived through art. Its function and import go back to prehistoric times, and can be traced to the ancient cultures of the Zoroastrians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Europeans, Buddhists, Jains, Hindus, Muslims and the Chinese.

Evolution of Sikh art

U ntil recently, Sikh Art had been confused with the Hindus and Islamic traditions. It is only in the last decade that Sikh Art has been recognized as distinct and with unique characteristics of its own. Today the arts of the Sikhs have been widely acknowledged and more than a dozen books on Sikh Art are now available. These publications highlight the unique cultural, history, and religion aspects of the Sikhs.

Thirty-five years old, The Sikh Foundation, a Palo Alto based organization played a key role in the recognition and evolution of the Sikh Arts. As early as 1975, the Sikh Sansar a publication of the Sikh Foundation started to promote Sikh art. In 1992 with the collaboration of Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, a it organized the first ever Sikh art xxhibition: Splendors of Punjab: Sikh Arts & Literature. The full world wide recognition was ultimately achieved in 1999 with The Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms – an internationally touring world-class exhibition organized with Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms, a book by Susan Stronge of Victoria & Albert Museum, was very highly appreciated by Mr. Nagle who was at that time the CEO and CTO at AT&T. There is a very strong correlation between art and human creativity. Art transcends mundane activities and leads minds to ethereal and sublime spheres where creativity flourishes, creativity not just of art but even scientific. Through art we can always “make a statement” of our evolution.

The Sikh Art Calendar of year 2004 is a real treasure. It not only has some priceless paintings but also modern Sikh art. Three paintings by contemporary Sikh artist, Arpana Caur have been included : One is beautiful new version of the immortal folk lore of Sohni Mahiwal, another is of Guru Nanak with Wali Kandhari depicting the sakhi of Panja Sahib in a very modernistic and unique style. Her third painting transcends the extreme pain and trauma to Sikh psyche in the holocaust of 1984 to a spiritual level. Here she has beautifully interwoven the concept of “Shroud of Jesus Christ” with an upright figure: sir diya par sirrar na diya. What a beautiful sublimation and this puts her among top artists of out time.


Copyright©2003 Jasbir Singh Sethi. About the author