With liberalisation in the 1990s, Indian artists reacted to changing times. Which of the following statements about the mediums of art in these times are correct?
1. Easel painting and sculpture lost importance for artists.
2. Photography seemed attractive to artists as it gave a way to combine painting, sculpture and video in one space.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → 1 only
1. Easel painting and sculpture lost importance for artists. — Correct. Artists once proudly signed such works as an expression of their unique creativity. In the 1990s these mediums lost importance, and video caught their attention.
2. Photography seemed attractive to artists as it gave a way to combine painting, sculpture and video in one space. — Incorrect. Photography seemed attractive as it allowed multiple copies to reach numerous people simultaneously. A way to combine painting, sculpture, photography and video in one space was what installation provided.
Note: This topic was not named in the CUET 2026 syllabus, but it was part of the NCERT chapter. In 2025 and 2026, NTA also asked questions on topics in NCERT that the CUET syllabus did not name. So our mocks have questions from every part of the NCERT chapter, to give you enough practice. Read the whole chapter, not only the sub-topics named in the syllabus.
NCERT (2026-27): “New Media Art: from 1990s With liberalisation of the Indian economy in the 1990s, the impact of globalisation came to be felt first in big cities. … In such extraordinary times of economic progress and social unrest, artists began to look for ways of reacting to the changing times. Medium like easel painting and sculpture that was created by artists, who would earlier proudly sign on them as an expression of their unique creativity, lost importance. Instead, the newly available medium, i.e., video caught their attention. Even photography seemed attractive as it allowed multiple copies to reach numerous people simultaneously. However, the art form that was increasingly seen as contemporary was installation. It provided a way to combine painting, sculpture, photography, video and even television in one space.” |