MF Husain and nude paintings

Now, the Home Ministry of India has ‘alerted police to take appropriate action’ against MF Husain for his controversial Paintings. Earlier, the Bombay High Court asked him ‘to file an affidavit in response to criminal action against him’ for his nude paintings of Hindu gods and goddesses.

What is with Artists and nude paintings? Why do most artists (including me) paint nudes?

For most artists nudity doesn’t necessarily represent obscenity unlike most common people. Artists tend to depict nature, people or the things that they see in various forms- like shedding it to bare, raw or simple forms, or seeing it in the most bizarre forms, or as abstract and unrealistic as possible. And the freedom for artistic expression is essential for such artists to thrive. Sometimes art can be offensive to some people, like some paintings, or certain books, or certain music albums, in which case they are NOT open to everyone but only to those who are ready to experience it. I put a picture of MF Husain Painting on the top to show case how an artist depicts his experiences. The picture above is that of MF Husain’s Durga (the goddess) and if it were to be nude, you can imagine how offensive it could be :)

Depicting a man or a woman in nude is one of the biggest challenges for an artist. And many artists do paint nudes one time or the other. Sometimes they may cover the private parts with a fig leaf or a small piece of flying cloth, but nevertheless, they are trying to capture human in nudity.

Is nudity a perversion of an artist?

Yes and No. Perversion comes from making every one, a king, a farmer, an angel, a laborer, a goddess, all equal by reducing them to their barest and truest form with no ornament, no garment or a man-made status symbol.

Artists in India have sculpted and painted all our gods and goddesses in nude, and sometimes exaggerated certain features by depicting prominent hips and breasts on a woman. This exaggeration is somewhat similar to a caricature, to highlight certain aspects, in this case sexual symbols. Almost all Indian temples of ancient times have nude figurines all over the place. It looks like our ancestors were either perverse or extremely liberal in their thought process. Whatever may have been that reason, we seem to have lost that reason and have become very conservative and orthodox in the recent past- Is it because of Muslim and British Rule? Or is it because the figurines and pictures of gods and goddesses were now entering common household instead of being restricted to temples? Whatever may be the reason for such a change in our outlook towards our goddesses, we have definitely turned intolerant. While we may tend to think that it is against our tradition and religion to depict a goddess nude, one look at ancient temples would reveal that it is exactly the opposite.

When does the ‘artistic freedom’ stop and ‘respecting other people’s sensitivities’ kick in?

While an artist should have his creative freedom, he is not free to do anything he/she wants. What if he wants to cut the body parts of a human to adorn his canvas? That involves hurting or mutilating another human and crosses the boundaries of artistic freedom and starts being trampling on other people’s rights (and bodies). Can I play offensive music loud in a street? I would then be causing inconvenience to others, and I do not have freedom to do that. Can I play the same offensive music in my headphones? Of course Yes, and if someone stops me from listening then they are trampling on my rights.

Can I put a nude poster on a huge billboard? If the society allows it, I can (like in Europe) and if the society feels offended (like in India), we should take it out. Can an artist paint nude figurine of anyone including a goddess? Of course he can! But can he showcase it in a public place? Of course not- if it offends certain sections of people. But can he put it in his place? Of course yes, and can he invite his friends and patrons to come in and look at it? Of course yes. There is no one forcing anyone to see it without one’s consent.

So, why should it bother anyone if MF Husain paints nude paintings of Mother India and Durga and showcase it in an art gallery which is restricted to only those who want to look at it? This is where the intolerant, orthodox and conservative Indian masses kick in. The common man, who has no idea of what culture or heritage he once had, gets to say what an artist can do. And they go about protesting and taking it to court. And the court agrees to uphold such intolerant concerns.

When does 'getting offended' translate into 'being intolerant'?

We are not able to publish books on how Hindus meted cruel treatment to Sikhs after Indira Gandhi’s assassination, we are unable to uphold woman’s rights when she is divorced and forsaken by a Muslim Husband, and now we are unable to uphold artistic freedom that was always a part of this country’s history. The intolerance has reached gigantic proportions affecting the very fabric of our democracy and the values it promised to uphold.

People get offended by almost everything in the name of ‘Indian culture’. While our ancestors enjoyed and practiced Kama Sutra and depicted it in sculptures where gods and goddess perform various sexual positions in abandon and freedom, our generation looks at everything sexual as obscene. While most of the new songs on MTV and VH1 are quite vulgar, that seems to be OK, but nudity is a strict no-no. While young girls in India wear t-shirts with messages that are downright obscene, any show of skin is a strict no-no. It’s very confusing sometimes. Can’t actually say what offends us and what doesn’t. And offended people feel they have a right to come to my home and change the way I live at my home, if possible resorting to ransacking and pillaging my home.

Or is MF Husain targeted because he is a Muslim depicting a Hindu goddess in nude? Its like saying, ‘we can have these nude figures in our temples, because they are Hindu temples, but how come, you being a Muslim dare to paint our goddesses nude’? I see a great deal of 'progressive thinking' taking place within Hindus who are now emulating their brother nations like Iran by announcing Rs. 51 Crore prize money to anyone who beheads MF Husain. "If Afghans, Iranians and Arabians are intolerant, you haven't seen much, just give us some more time and you will see what we can come up with!"

Or is it because Muslims get their fun and frolic while relieving the frustration protesting the Cartoons of Prophet while Hindus don’t get any fun? Hindus need those occasional kicks too.