Folk art – BrainArt

Aesthetic Symmetry in Indian Folk Art

vikram — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 13:27:35 +0000

Symmetry is employed in many types of art, but the Indian folk art movement has championed bilateral symmetry in particular. Jamini Roy, an Indian folk artist, was a big proponent of employing this type of visual symmetry to make beautiful and fascinating art in a way that was both accessible and affordable for the Indian people, who couldn’t afford to spend a lot of money on painting at the time. Many artists today follow Roy’s lead in bringing beauty into everyday life through the use of bilateral symmetry in Indian traditional art.

What is Kalighat Painting?

Kalighat paintings are a subgenre of Indian folk art, thus it’s vital to grasp what folk art is. There is no hard and fast rule, but folk art can be broadly characterised as works created by rural artists that draw on cultural traditions and use materials found locally. Pieces are typically classified as either useful or ornamental. Cooking utensils, furniture, musical instruments, and tools are examples of functional art; ornamental pieces include wall hangings, apparel, masks, and toys. Aside from their cultural distinctiveness (they come from a single group), all folk art has some visual feature that separates it from mainstream styles—usually an attention to detail or craftsmanship that most commercial products lack.

So, what has kalighat painting to do with any of this? Other than being painted at kalighat, India’s most well-known folk art location, not much. Though widely regarded throughout India for its artistic excellence, kalighat painting cannot be classified as folk because it is so culturally and technically rooted to its location. That isn’t always a bad thing; it allows us to focus on symmetrical abstraction without being distracted by historical context…which means we can simply admire its artistic beauty.

Bilateral Symmetry in Indian Folk Art

Most people associate Indian folk art with vibrant temples and gods with exaggerated characteristics. It’s a lovely reflection of religion and culture. However, there is one characteristic of Indian traditional art that is generally overlooked: bilateral symmetry. This symmetrical structure is not always as evident as others, yet it has a significant presence nevertheless. Bilateral symmetry is important in Indian traditional art for a variety of reasons, including cultural value and effect on other subjects such as math and science. An even distribution on either side of a central axis is referred to as bilateral symmetry.

This results in two almost similar halves and ensures that each side visually balances out its counterpart, creating perfection inside imperfection. Indeed, it may be claimed that without bilateral symmetry, Indian folk art would not have existed or been as easily recognised around the world for as long. Without any symmetry, it may be difficult to tell whether anything is ornamental or merely decorative and chaotic. Asymmetry can be visually pleasant because humans prefer objects that appear balanced and neat; nevertheless, entirely random asymmetries tend to look unplanned and awkward, whereas bilateral symmetry eliminates any appearance of disorderliness.

How Is Bilateral Symmetry Different from Asymmetric Symmetry?

Many people believe that asymmetric symmetry is simply the difference of two sides, however it is considerably more complicated than that. One approach is to first define bilateral symmetry, which essentially states that two sides of an object are identical. Consider a face or a leaf: Two sides are identical. The goal behind asymmetric design is to create intrigue by breaking up perfect bilateral symmetry with purposely placed defects.

If you’re seeking for artists who employ such tactics, Jamini Roy fits right in, and here’s why… Art has always been very important in India since time immemorial. Indeed, evidence of artistic leanings may be found in cave paintings from Bhimbetka to other temples across India. Today, numerous forms of folk art are practised in India, which have benefited from increased tourism in many parts of the country. With UNESCO proclaiming almost three years ago that intangible cultural heritage should be maintained globally, we have slowly begun to see a shift in which folk artists are not only receiving attention from collectors but are also being compensated generously for their work.

How Does Bilateral Symmetry Occur in Nature?

A species with bilateral symmetry, or two identical halves, is known as bilateral or isometry. Humans, cats, horses, and starfish are examples of bilateral organisms. When an organism is symmetrical about an axis running down its centre, this is a type of bilateralism. This axis is known as a sagittal plane, and organisms with dorsoventral symmetry have bilateral symmetry along these planes.

Tribal Art of India – Gond Art

brainartadmin — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 18:05:30 +0000

Gond art is a form of painting made by Gond Tribe. One of the major tribal communities of Central India, the Gond; that inhabits part of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh & parts of Maharashtra. These regions are rich in cultural legacy and have distinctive art & craft. Gond People dwell in nature with their inherent artistic skill & represent the magic of colourful forms with dots and lines. This research paper tries to put forward and ethnographic study of Gond tribal art of Patangarh District of Madhya Pradesh, its tradition, present scenario, and the effort made by various institutions / Government agencies to rejuvenate the heritage and create livelihood for these artisans.

The word “Gond” comes from the Dravidian expression kond, meaning “the green mountain.” The work of Gond artists is rooted in their folk tales and culture, and thus story-telling is a strong element of every painting.

Origin of Gond Art

Gond Kingdoms situated in the northern, central and southern parts of India. With the advent of Mughal and company power (British Rule) in India, they were gradually deprived of their kingdoms and their land and their existence was truly vulnerable. The Pardhans’ practice of music and song was lost during Mughal rule and continued to sink during the British rule when members of the Gond tribe clashed with British colonialists. There was also an attempt to strip the tribal’s of their wealth with stringent revenue taxes and land laws. In The Folk Songs of Chhattisgarh, (1946), translated by Verrier Elwin and Shamrao Hivale, in there book “Songs of the forest; the folk poetry of the Gonds” , one song goes:

“In this kingdom of the English
How hard it is to live
To pay the cattle tax
We have sell a cow
To pay the forest tax
We have to sell a bullock
How are we to get our food?”
(Ministry of Panchayati Raj, 2008).

Gonds voiced their agony through their songs. Through their festivals and rituals, songs and dances, they remained ingrained in their culture. But their young men started moving out towards cities in search of livelihood. When the social standing of the Gonds dwindled, the provisions they formerly made for the Pardhans as the chroniclers of family histories and mythologists died out. The Pardhan community gave up past bard traditions and had to unfortunately resort to manual and menial labor in order to survive.

Global Influence

As a result of the efforts by the Indian Government to promote and showcase the beauty of tribal art, Gond paintings have become quite popular. There have been exhibitions of Gond paintings in many parts of the world, especially in Japan. Gond paintings can sell for anywhere between INR 2,000/- and INR 2,50,000/-

Style of Gond: Lines and Dots

Gond art is basically linear art with a wide variety of lines and small dots. Gond artists draw the outline with utmost care. Similarly the filling is also done with thin and tiny strokes and dots. After the flat color application is completed then the lines with other colors are added which totally transform the imagery with utmost perfection. Eyes of the spectator harmoniously slip from one point to another with the flowy movement of lines. Dots and dashes add minute details to art work. Bright and vivid color scheme increase the beauty of folk lore.

At BrainArt Our classes not only includes the technique but also the information related to every art that you learn wether its Indian Art, western or Far eastern art history. Understanding the origin & history gives everyone better understand of the art. Come join us for regular short or long term course.

Few Interesting Facts !

The Pardhan Gonds are also are accomplished singers and many paintings are visual depictions of these songs.
Gond paintings are popularly drawn during major festivals like Holi, Diwali, etc.
Gond paintings are of such a good quality that it isn’t uncommon for them to last 20 years or so, without any external tampering.
It is said that Gond paintings resemble aboriginal art from Australia. Gond art is also known as aboriginal art of India
Gond paintings have also become quite common on wooden trays, boxes and other miscellaneous objects which have helps to increase its popularity and spread awareness.

Magic circle: Mandala as Meditation Tool and Importance

brainartadmin — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 11:28:19 +0000

In Sanskrit Mandala means ‘Circle’ or ‘discoid object’. Mandalas are objects of devotion in Hindusim and in Buddhism (Vajrayana Buddhism) and they are also used in Jainism. They can be painted on paper, wood, stone, cloth or even on a wall. In some traditions, they can be reproduced in ephemeral material such as butter or coloured sand. In some traditions like Tibetan Buddhism, the role of this art form is so strong that it could become an architectural structure and even whole temples may be built as giant mandalas.

The methods used in creating mandalas are very precise and merged with different rituals including the chantings of sacred formulas. It may be based on or include a variety of geometric shapes using patterns that have evolved from different symbols.

Mandala Origin

Through meditation and following a path of thought and action, Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, attained enlightenment, freeing himself from the cycle of death and rebirth. He taught this path to his followers who still practice these principles today.

As Buddhist monks traveled the Silk Road, a major trade route through Asia, they brought Buddhism to many other lands. They carried mandalas with them and brought the practice of creating these works of art to other parts of Asia. The earliest evidence of this art dates to the first century B.C.E. but appeared in other regions, such as Tibet, China, and Japan by the fourth century. Although rooted in Buddhism, mandalas later became present in Hinduism, New Age Spirituality, and other religious practices.

Meaning of Mandala

While a finished mandala bears importance as a focus for meditative practice, the creation process remains equally important. There are three basic layers to a meaning. The outer meaning represents the divine form of the universe. The inner meaning creates a map to guide the mind to enlightenment. The secret meaning, however, remains between the artist and the creation as far as specific details. Overall, it represents a balance of body and mind infused with clarity. Did you know the meaning of shapes and colors used in Mandala ?

Uses of Mandala

In the many traditions where this art is used, there are different rites where the practitioner, at least metaphorically, establishes a dialogue with the symbol or deity at the core of the mandala by moving progressively from the outside towards the centre. Once within the centre, the practitioner connects with the central symbol or deity and he or she is able to perceive all manifestations as part of a single underlying whole and gets closer to the goal of enlightenment or perfect understanding.

The Vajrayana Buddhist school (Tantric Buddhism), has a very complex set of rituals. In order to help the disciples to gain enlightenment, they use a wide range of physical disciplines and tools including mandalas. This school believes that achieving enlightenment by traditional methods requires a very long time, even many lifetimes, while the methods used in Vajrayana can deliver the same result in just a single lifetime.

It is also used as home decor. In the present context, everyone likes the idea of this art including the child, adult, and the elderly people. The concept of mandalas is used in the different field. The some of the most used concept are listed below:

Curtain
Wall hanging
Wall painting
Beach mat or yoga mat
Stencil
Floor Pillow Covers
Cushion covers
Bedsheet
Tapestry

Attractive Madhubani Art – History & Origin

brainartadmin — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 11:03:15 +0000

Madhubani Art or Mithila Art Mithila region or Bihar and Nepal is practiced. Often characterised by the complex geometrical patterns, these painting are known for representing ritual content for particular occasions, including festival, religious rituals etc.. The colors used in Madhubani painting are usually derived from plants and other natural resources. These colors are often bright and pigments like lampblack and ochre are used to create black and brown respectively. Objects like twigs, matchsticks and even fingers are used to create the paintings.

Madhubani paintings originated in the Mithila region of Bihar border of Indian & Nepal. Heritage of Madhubani art goes back a minimum of 2,500 years and its celebrated figures embody Buddha and Mahavira. it’s additionally the birthplace of mythical being ‘Sita’, the central character in Ramayana. Hence, her life stories are oftentimes represented within the native art.

Madhubani literally means ‘forests of honey’ and refers to paintings, from the Bihar-Nepal border region, in a distinct style that captures viewers’ attention with their vibrancy.

Some of the initial references to the Madhubani painting are often found within the Hindu epic Sanskrit literature ‘Ramayana’, This painting depicts the theme of Ram Sita Vivah. It is believed that King Janak ordered his kingdom to decorate the town for the wedding of his daughter Sita. The knowledge was passed down from generation to generation and the paintings began to adorn the houses of the region. The women of the village practiced these paintings on the walls of their respective home. Their paintings often illustrated their thoughts, hopes and dreams.

Styles & Designs of Mithila art

Even though this art is very old, it’s preserved its original vogue and content in its place of birth of Mithila. These ancient artists still build their own colors by extracting them from plants. Madhubani art has five distinctive styles, namely, Bharni, Katchni, Tantrik, Godna and Kohbar. In the 1960s Bharni, Kachni and Tantrik style were mainly done by Brahman and Kayashth women, who are ‘upper caste’ women in India and Nepal.

The colouring is of two styles- Kachni (hatching) and Bharni (shading.) Kachni uses delicate fine lines to fill the painting and not much color is used. Bharni (shading) uses solid colors to shade and fill the pictures. It uses black outlines filled with vibrant colors. A variety of inventive patterns are made with hatching and stippling. The designs announce the occasion of the celebration and solicit good fortune and divine blessings

Some Fun Facts about Madhubani Painting

From period of Ramayana.
Origin of this art was famous ‘sita Kalyana’ It’s said that king Janaka arranged quite number of artist to create painting of marriage.
Madhubani painting prevented deforestation
Madhubani paintings prevent deforestation as artists painted Hindu deities on Trees, restraining people from cutting.
Mud walls to on canvas to Bangles
find Madhubani paintings on canvas, cushions, paper or even cloths.
Geometric Based Design

Indian Miniature Mughal Paintings – The Mughal & Persian school

brainartadmin — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 07:20:43 +0000

To understand this school in its proper perspective, the traditions in which it has its roots should be considered. The source of Mughal painting was Persian. The art of Persia was greatly influenced by Mongolian art. Mughal paintings is distinctive but Indian. It has the flavour of Persia but the inborn charm of Indian tradition.

Miniature paintings made as either book illustration or as a single works. These paintings evolved during rule of various Mughal Emperors in India. The paintings often revolved around themes like battles, legendary stories, Hunting scenes, wildlife. These painting plays important medium to narrate the tall tales of Mughal emperors. Popularity of this art made its way to various Indian courts as well. Victoria & Albert Museum in London has largest and impressive collection of these paintings.

Miniature Painting Origin

When Humayun, returned from his exile he bought two Persian artists – Mir sayyid Ali & Abd as-Samad. Humayun instructed artist to create many paintings which also includes ‘Khamsa of Nizami’. These paintings had influence of traditional style Persian art. This new style of art form called as ‘Mughal Painting’ was born. Mughal Painting was further developed by subsequent Mughal emperors. Idea of self portait was intreseting for many rulers. Mugal Art gained popularity among Royals. It was a great artistic medium to display there bravery and achivements. After death of Humayun, his son Akbar made Mughal painting further more famous.

Under the reign of Akbar Mughal paintings evolved and developed at a rapid pace. As he ordered creation of many paintings kept close attention to final output. He was very particular about details and artistic elements. Tutinama’ which translates to ‘Tales of a Parrot.’ ‘Tutinama’ is an Persian story divided into 52 parts. Akbar commissioned 250 miniature paintings that narrated ‘Tutinama’ in an artistic manner. Abdus Samad and Mir Sayyid Ali Iranian artist completed this work, it took almost 5 years to complete. During this period artist’s illustrated Babar Nama, Akbar nama, Hamza nama & razm nama and other beautifully illustrated manuscripts. ‘Gulistan’, which was Saadi Shirazi’s masterpiece, created at Fatehpur Sikri. 1570 to 1585, Akbar hired 100’s of artists who practiced Paintings in his court.

After the death of Akbar, Mughal Painting continued to grow under the reign of Jahangir. He ordered his artist’s to follow ‘Single Point Perspective’, influenced by Eurpoean paintings. This gave a whole new perspective to Mughal painting. Paintings commissioned by Jahangir had finer brush strokes and ligher colors in artwork. ‘Jahangir nama‘ commissioned by him.

Prominent Painters During the Mughal Period

Mughal art, which started as an art of illustration and excelled in portraiture in the succeeding period, which was the best, became at last a rather weak expression of life around in pictorial terms. Starting with strong Persian bias, it slowly assimilated a blend of the indigenous with an efflorescence in which the foreign flavour was finally eliminated almost completely. No description of Mughal painting would be complete with a reference of the delicate treatments of birds, animals and plants which rank among some of the greatest masterpieces of the period.

Initially, Persian painters, such as Mir Sayyid Ali and Abd al-Samad played a key role in the growth and development of Mughal paintings in India. Later on, during the 16th and 17th centuries, painters like Daswanth, Basawan, Miskin and Lal worked in the Mughal court and kept the art alive.

During Akbar’s reign, an artist named Kesu Das started implementing European techniques in Mughal paintings. A renowned painter named Govardhan worked under three major Mughal emperors – Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan. Other prominent artists of the Mughal period were Kamal, Mushfiq and Fazl. Many other artists, including Bhawanidas and Dalchand, started working at Rajput courts when the Mughal Empire began to decline.

Class Objective of Mughal art for 14yrs+

Explanation of history and origin of Mughal Art. How Mughal art was influenced by Persia & Mongolian art.
Mir sayyid Ali & Abd as-Samad two important names in miniature paintings
Known paintings created during Humayun & Akbar period
Introduction to Mughal architecture which is remarkably symmetrical and decorative amalgam of Persian, Turkish, and Indian architecture.

Huichol Art – Yarn Painting for kids

brainartadmin — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 10:32:19 +0000

Huichol art is made by Huichol tribe, they live in Sierra Madre mountains in Mexico. They live in area of Jalisco, Durango and part of Nayarit in north central Mexico. Tribe known for beautiful yarn painting & bead works. These people call themselves as ‘Wirrarika’ which means soothsayer or medicine man. This art dates back centuries.

Originally these paintings where done on stone, but now it is replaced by base of wood. This tribe used beewax which was spread on wood and then left in the sun to soften / melt. Than the artist scratches their design into the wax using sharpened stick. Than they pushed colorful yarn in to the wax to create the artworks. This tribe religion consists of four principals deities. Corn, Kayumarie (A blue deer), Hikuri & Eagle all descended from their sun god.

Todays’ this art uses modern and commercial products like yarn & small beads. Tribe has replaced many of the traditional materials used for this art. They make use of traditional materials like clay stone & vegetable dyes. They made & used beads made of bones, clay, stone, coral, jade & seeds. This was even before importation of European glass beads. Huichol Art first documented in late 19th Century.

Religious & Cultural significance

Huichol patterns and designs have religious & cultural significance. Their patterns can be spot on wide varieties of objects. Mask, musical instruments, embroidery on cloths like sashes, hand bags, belts & more. Religious or ceremonial items all aspects from materials to design are important. As they identified with particular gods. Motifs used in this in this art has three most important elements in their painting. This can seen in most of they designs – Deers, Corn & Peyote. First two are primary source of food. And last important for Shamans visions. Paintings are really mesmerising. Here are some extraordinary examples of :

Yarn painting

Works by kids during online art classes

Inspired by Huichol , Kids can create a vibrant textured artwork by using yarn and PVA glue (White glue). The process of making is relaxing, less messy & will keep kids busy. This colorful cultural art will also help developing patience and fine motor skills in children. Class objective is to teach background of this painting. Guide children through the steps of creating this beautiful yarn painting. This activity is for the multi-age. We have done this activity with age group 5 to 7yrs. Project done by kids during the online class with BrainArt.

Warli Folk Art of India

brainartadmin — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 08:33:44 +0000

Warli art is a easiest art for kids to start with. Kids can easily relate to simple geometrical figures that warli art consist of. One of the great way to teach kids about Lines, Shapes, dots and circles. Its very easy to get attention of kids with vibrant colors and simple warli art. Our class objective to teach about origin of folk art warli, composition with lines or stick figures. Great activity for kids to create and draw story from here imagination.

Warli folk Art History

Warli painting originated in Maharashtra, where it is still in practice today. The warli tribe is one of the largest tribe in india which is located outside of Mumbai. In 1970, these paintings were recognised, even though this style of Art is date back as early as 10 century A.D. The idea of warli centred around the concept of Mother Nature and parts of nature.

Farming was the main source of life for this tribe. Since the nature precedes the resources for life they respect nature and wildlife. clay hut used as canvas by artist’s, same as how ancient people used the cave walls as their canvases.

This art uses set of basic geometric shapes like circle, triangle, lines and square. These shapes were different elements of nature. Circles represented sun and moon while triangle represented mountains and pointed trees. In ritual paintings festivals and dances were common. People and animals represented by two inverse triangles joined at there tip. Warli also represent day to day life and activities of village people.

One of the aspects that this art depicts is the ‘Tarpa dance. Tarpa is a trumpet-like instruments played by village mens in turns. Men and women entwine there and hands and move in circle around the Tarpa player. Formation of circle by men and women in village said resemblance of circle of life.

Objective of Class activity

Introducing folk art of Indian tribal Art Warli. This art class children will investigate the motivations, uses and traditions of this art and create their own self-inspired drawings in form of story. Class objectives:

Introducing line drawing – composition with line drawing / stick figures
Paper recycling – using old newspapers to create the backdrop/canvas
Weaving
Create art supported their own narrative by group action with a number of their most valued recollections or life experiences.
Using acrylic paints or oil pastels on paper (recycle news paper using paper mache technique) and using technique like mixing & Smudging to create artwork
Learn how to use pattern and repetition to assist recreate a true sensory experience in a very two-dimensional work space by observing samples of Warli paintings and the way they successfully used those techniques in their work.

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