A gallery of steel

It's time somebody had the idea of an entire gallery dedicated to art objects made using steel. Archana Jahagirdar says its time has come.

It was during the Art Deco movement that stainless steel had its moment in the sun. Big sculptures, ornamental pieces, were made of this alloy and found appreciation then. But times change and stainless steel lost some of its lustre and was relegated to a more modest role in the kitchen. Like history and fashion, design too works in a cycle, which means that stainless steel is once again in vogue.

Deepika Jindal, who is married into the family that owns Jindal Steel, realised that first when, four years ago, she started Art d'Inox, which gave an artistic interpretation of everyday crockery by using stainless steel. Now she has decided to take that further by stating a gallery dedicated to showcase pieces made with stainless steel. The gallery is aptly named The Stainless.

Says Jindal of her latest venture, "I feel that awareness of stainless steel is negligible in India. I needed a space to showcase stainless steel.I felt that was important."

Jindal's passion for stainless steel isn't, however, divorced from market realities. Well-known sculptor Anish Kapoor has used this alloy for some of his work and made a mark on the international art scene (his work has been displayed at the prestigious Tate Modern in London). Bangalore-based artist/sculptor Yusuf

Arrakal too had done huge stainless steel sculptures in the last decade or so. Commenting on the revival of stainless steel as a material suitable for artistic expression is Alex Davis, whose work is currently being shown at The Stainless, "Stainless steel is one of the most modern materials and my expressions are contemporary."

For his current showing Davis has made pieces that use the high gloss finish which he says "is most difficult to work with as all the imperfections show up".

One of the primary reasons that artists even a decade ago were hesitant to work with this alloy was that the finish, if not handled very carefully, could ruin the product. But with new and better technology available to work with, stainless steel is no longer the last choice as a medium.

In India, the other reason, probably a more compelling one for stainless steel not being the first choice, was lack of acceptance of it being high-end enough (after all, spoons in the kitchen are made from stainless steel) by the paying public.

Says Davis, who also runs a furniture store in Delhi, "Earlier, when we did furniture in stainless steel, only the very trendy wanted it. Now people are more receptive." In the same vein, he says that the response to the exhibition has been "very good" and admits that he is surprised by such positive feedback.

The exhibition is quite spectacular. The high gloss finish that the exhibits throw back at you catch your attention and compel you to stay a little longer. And the size of these pieces and the interpretation of leaves, plants and logs that Davis has shown, allows for little mistaking his creations for everyday kitchen implements.

But Jindal is more circumspect. "People are enthralled by the show but I know that it won't be a sellout as the pieces on show are big. I honestly do not expect the entire range to be sold out."

This reaction, however, should not be taken as a sign of someone who is willing for a lot of time to pass for complete acceptance of this alloy in the living rooms of the rich and famous. She says, determinedly, "I am trying to build a client base. But first I wanted to set the ball rolling "" that's why we got going with the gallery."

Setting up the space is only half the battle that Jindal has to wage to be able to hold successful exhibitions throughout the year. She says, "I am trying to promote artists. I feel they are keen to learn and use steel, but they need support. There is a lot of excitement." Quite true.