In Reshaping Art, T. M. Krishna examines what art is and how we can harness its power to make ourselves and our communities open and sensitive. Well known for his attempts to break Karnatik music out of its high-caste confines, the author takes us through a journey of understanding what art means to different groups of people and the ways in which we all create and enjoy it. He then asks important questions about how art is made, performed and disseminated, and addresses crucial issues of caste, class and gender within society while exploring the contours of democracy, culture and learning.


Thodur Madabusi Krishna (T M Krishna)

A vocalist in the Karnatik tradition T M Krishna is known for his uncommon renditions and original interpretations of music. As a Public intellectual, Krishna speaks and writes about issues affecting the human condition and about matters cultural. He is the driving force behind the Urur Olcott Kuppam Festival and the Svanubhava initiative, and has been part of inspiring collaborations such as the Chennai Poromboke Paadal with environmentalist Nityanand Jayaraman.

He is the recipient of the Professor V Aravindakshan Memorial Award (2017), the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration (2017) and the Ramon Magsaysay Award (2016). His path-breaking book A Southern Music. The Karnatik Story won the 2014 Tata Literature Live 1 First Book Award for Non-fiction

Contents

One

The Essence of Art

Two
Art and Society

Three
The Caging of Art

Four
Caste in Music

Five
Reshaping Art

Six
Art and Identity

Seven

Art in the Classroom

Eight
The Spirit of Art

Acknoledgements
Bibliography and Further Reading

Index