संक्षिप्त इतिहास

Indian Art had been in existence since the 3rd millennium BC. Indian art often seems overly ornate and sensuous. “Voluptuous feeling is unusually given free expression in Indian culture.” A strong sense of design is also characteristic of Indian art and can be observed in its modern as well as in its traditional forms. As mentioned in a previous post, majority of Indian art deals with the cultural history, religions and philosophies in a social context.

Indian art can be classified into specific periods each reflecting particular religious, political and cultural developments.

Ancient period (3500 BCE-1200 CE)
Islamic ascendancy (1192-1757)
Colonial period (1757–1947)
Independence and the postcolonial period (Post-1947) 

The earliest recorded art of India originated from a religious Hindu background, but when King Asoka (ca. 270-232 BCE) converted to Buddhism, Hindu themes started to be replaced by Buddhist art. Non-the less art in India has always been inspired by spiritualism and mystical relationships between man and god.

Water colors, charcoal and vegetable dyes were popular methods of painting. Fabric painting was also extensive. The purpose of art in ancient India was not just to adorn the walls, each painting had a story to narrate.

Visually ancient Indian art was colorful, aesthetic and appealing to naked eye, and unlike ancient western art, kings would commission the artists to paint from inspiration. The artwork of both Hinduism and Buddhism, depict scenes from mythological stories, which continue to inspire artists even now.

The range of techniques used in both ancient and modern art is vast. Here is a list of some that I could find: block priniting, blue pottery, embroidery, glass work, golden nakkashi, jewllery, leatherwork, metal work, jaipur miniature paintings, paper crafts, papier mache, terracotta, tribal arts, wall paintings, woodcarving, bandhani (tie dye), bead work, cane and bamboo work, carpet/dhurries, painting (various types), batik, pottery, textiles, weaving and appliqué work…

However, for the purpose of my project, I have chosen three techniques for further research and experimentation.

Leatherwork 

Painting (this includes batik) 

Woodcarving/block printing

A disappearing act…

More than ever I have begun to realize how seemingly the traditions of many cultures are disappearing. Way of life including traditional clothing, beliefs, food, art, craft and culture in many countries are becoming more and more westernized.

More and more people appear to prefer western style weddings, wearing western style clothing, forgetting the celebrations of old traditions and customs, they are also becoming less interested in the many ancient skills and arts that history and tradition have to offer.

I’ve heard numerous friends and relatives complain that when they go on holiday, i.e. To Spain, it is just another England with better weather.

Throughout my travels I've noticed many people seem to think being western is ‘cool’. Globalization has propagated Western culture, on top of largely western government systems (democracy and constitution), many western technologies, customs, music, clothing, cars and art have been introduced across the world, they are then copied and re-created in non-western countries like Japan, India and China.

One of the main reasons for this overbearing influence of Western culture is due to our media, in particular Hollywood. In India for example Bollywood, been India’s equivalent, is seen to produce role models and the “ultimate image”, but how is Indian society meant to appreciate their traditions and culture when even Bollywood films have been influenced by Hollywood and America.

Of course the young want to challenge tradition, that is the same wherever you are in the world, but when Indian films portray a continuous trend of western aspects, of course India’s youth will be more inclined to western fashion, food, culture and way for life.

This is seen in the production of movies such as “Monsoon Wedding”. This movie represents the way Indian Culture is traveling. The influence that Hollywood has exerted on India can be seen clearly in this film.

“ The west has made it fashionable to wear jeans and tight fitting costumes and have western ideas such as sex before marriage.” 

A modern day Bollywood film poster

In the past Indian films have not portrayed any of these ideas and concepts. Indian Society has absorbed these concepts into their lives. This sort of Western influence is steadily creeping into Bollywood and through Bollywood into mainstream Indian culture.

Another factor in the disappearance of tradition is the pursuit of wealth. Many people migrate in the hope of better prospects. Immigrants can either radicalize in order to fit in or completely dissolve and assimilate into local culture. This is often the culprit behind the destruction of thousand-year-old culture and tradition.

Another major influence on the decline of tradition and culture is technology.

Today, communication can be made between two countries with no difficulty at all. The development in communication and technology has broken down barriers from the past, and because there are no longer any barriers between countries, the world has become a much smaller place. Technology has also replaced hobbies, customs and events that were normal in past years. For example, I was reading an article about Ramadan and how it has changed in Kuwait, one interviewee had this to say:

"Earlier, we did not have the technology that enables us to send a short message to congratulate relatives and friends on the coming of the month of Ramadan. But now, this is what prevents us from paying family and friends a visit, which used to have a special flavor, especially as they used to gather many relatives and friends under the same roof." 

Another Interviewee had a similar view on the influences of technology on tradition, saying that entertainment once used to be a communal thing were everyone would listen to traditional music, chat, tell riddles and play games, but now people would rather spend time watching television and using the internet.

"Neighbors used to exchange what they cooked every day, and this was called 'naksa'. Dishes used to go from house to house in the neighborhood throughout the holy month, and even on the feast day."

The Fat Duck

Heston Blumenthal is owner and chef of The Fat Duck, a three Michelin star restaurant that has been voted the best restaurant in the world. 

Heston is famous for his scientific approach and has been described as a culinary alchemist for his innovative style of cooking, although Heston himself describes his cooking as molecular gastronomy.

The reason I have chosen to discuss Heston and his cooking is because his themes and methods are similar to those I have chosen for my MA project. Heston's mantra is one of balance and contrast. All the dishes on the menu at The Fat Duck play with this balance of old and new, modern and historic. Heston is deeply interested in the history of British gastronomy and his menus reflects 2000years of culinary history though the exploration and reinterpretation of traditional British dishes.

During Edwardian times, with the presence of the British in India, curry became a well-loved English meal. An ice-cream pioneer Mrs. Marshall invented curried ice cream, which became a popular dessert at Edwardian dinners. In those days savory ice cream was rather common, however this is no longer the case. 

Mrs. Marshall

At one of his dinner parties, Heston captured this historic recipe with his curried ice balls. A dish inspired by Mrs. Marshall’s original recipe but he presented and modified the flavors in order to delight the modern palate. This is just one example of how Heston has taken traditional recipes and flavors and modernized them to make them more relevant and appreciated by the modern foody.

Tutorial 22nd Feb

In this tutorial, we each had to explain and answer one main question… What is the Project?

1. Modernizing Traditional art (techniques, methods and mediums) in order to provide greater appreciation, understanding and knowledge. The main goal of the project “a universal language” is to raise awareness. 

2. PD2, will focus on Indian Art traditions, techniques, methods, mediums and messages, creating and establishing a “system” or “format” that can be refined and extended for my Major MA project. 

3. By starting points 1 & 2 and through more research, I will consider an appropriate audience to whom the message will be aimed at. How the messaged will be communicated is also something to be considered throughout the process.

PD2 is about testing Ideas, and finding a way to balance tradition and modernization. “ It is not the solution, but the way forward”.

So… Here is what you can expect to be reading more about in the next week, a To Do list as such:

- Begin a broad research style into Indian Art, in order to gain a basic understanding of the culture and its traditions.

- Through Research, establish which areas I will focus on

- Find out why traditions vanish?

- Do some Research into events, organizations, exhibitions etc, that work could be attached to in order give the project strength, credibility and focus.

A historical process

In terms of design process, Vivienne Westwood is a strong influence, especially the way in which she directed her Historical collection. Between 2004 and 2005, she created a collection of 145 outfits, inspired by artworks from the 1970’s to the present day.

Westwood spent hours studying the artworks, and found inspiration in the costumes, colours and designs she saw in the paintings. She created statuesque dresses and poised them on platform shoes in front of the artwork, making it look as though they had stepped out of a portrait.

Throughout my research, I will use a similar technique, studying the art and culture of India. Learning about their methods, mediums and techniques. Once the research stage is complete, I intend to experiment with the information learnt by creating a series of artworks and explorations, which will respond in a modern way to these traditional techniques.

As mentioned in my first post, this blog will act as a visual diary, presenting my research, outcomes, experiments, sketches, inspiration and development as the project unfolds, in the hope that the blog will act as a tool for discussion amongst my tutors and piers, providing a means of constant feedback and advice.

Prime Candidates

...its not an election, but rather a discussion of some artists and designers that I find inspiring. Some because they may be interested in similar themes, others because they explore themes I like or create work that inspires me, and other purely because of the way in which they work.  Been aware of other artists and what they might be doing, is not only important in terms of inspiration, but also learning tool. So here are some of the artists and designers I admire.

Artists such as Jen Stark, Stephanie Posavec, Nicholas Felton and Sue Blackwell inspire me because of the way they translate inspiration and research into creative outcomes.

Jen Stark

 

You can see how her illustrations inspire her 3D work 

In terms of work methods, Thomas Heartherwick and Abrham Games have an innovative use of the design process, which leads to creative and fresh outcomes. Games would render up to 30 small preliminary sketches and then combine two or three into the final one. He would also work small, because he believed that if a poster “don't work an inch high, [it would } never work”.

Abraham Games 

Combining two or three concepts into one final outcome, gives his posters a visually interesting juxtaposition. 

Aubrey Beardsley, is one of my all time favourites. He is a leading figure in illustrative history, and I absolutely love his work. Although Beardsley was an English illustrator in the 1890’s, his drawings, executed in black ink, are influenced by the style of Japanese woodcuts, an inspiration which definitely fits in with my thematic area.

Here is an example of his work, and below it one of my illustrations, inspired by his style. 

Beardsley's Work

My Work 

As for typography, Cathrine Dixon and Phil Baines are two typographers that I would definitely like to research further. Typography has never been one of my strengths, and from their work, I could definitely learn a lot about visualizing information in typographic terms. 

Typographic work 

Tibor Kalman is an artist whom I admire because of his focus on multiculturalism and global awareness; I am inspired by his bold graphic design, typography, and combination of photographs and doctored images. 

Tibor Kalman

This is not a conclusive list of artists and designers, but rather a starting point of inspiration for my project.

Geography of Design and Illustration

In the 1990’s, graphic designer Paula Scher began painting small opinionated maps. These maps were colourful depictions of continents and regions, influenced by their neighborhoods, ethnicity, culture and art history. I suppose one of the reasons I am choosing to show her work and use Paula Scher as an influence is, because like me, she had no client in mind, no audience, and no message when she started working on them. Scher simply began by doing something that interested her, and consequently found direction. 

This is a link to an interview where Scher talks about her influences and how she stumbled upon a style. http://pentagram.com/en/new/2009/09/paula-scher-the-geography-of-d.php

Aim & Object….ive

Art has always been inspired by past ideas, methods, techniques, materials and practice. These days, art is often digital, or machine made. Many people believe that this is a lesser form of art. However, I believe if modern artists can use ancient techniques, ideology and methods, it will give place to traditional art and keep history alive through contemporary forms.

My MA project, aims to research, explore and experiment with traditional/ancient Indian art methods and techniques, whilst using them in a modern context.

I’d like to present a diverse response to what it is to be and artist in contemporary society whilst trying not to lose traditional art methods, techniques and materials, as I know this is an area many artists struggle with.

This project, gives me an opportunity to produce a body of work that responds to this struggle.

" I aim to create my own juxtaposition of digital/technological techniques with traditional and ancient ones."

The Game Plan

The schedule above plans out each necessary stage of the design process in order to insure that the project stays on track and that effective time management is achieved.

The first and second stages of the project are already underway. Over the last few weeks, research into the wider ‘thematic’ topic has allowed me to focus on a direction whilst developing a proposal/brief to be worked on over the next 11 weeks. This has involved the reading of books, articles, blogs, magazines and the analysis of any other information gathered.

It is now time to do specific research in the area described in my post “Taste Test”. The next 3 weeks will consist of in depth research into Indian art and culture. Week 1 will be general research, in order to gain a basic understanding, and allow me to find areas of specific interest.

Week 2 will focus on gaining a deeper understanding into the areas of interest discovered in week 1, while week 3 will be consolidating this knowledge and deciding how to apply it practically. It will also entail planning how the practical experiments will happen, what materials will be needed, which techniques will need to be learnt, and developing a work schedule for weeks 34-38, to ensure enough experimentation and exploration is achieved.

Whilst critical analysis will be done throughout the whole project, I feel as though it is especially important from week 35 onwards, this is a key stage of the project, as it will inform the proposal and work for semester 3.

Taste test

In order to get the ball rolling, it has been suggested that I trail a movement, period or culture… excellent advice. Therefore, I have chosen to focus on Indian art. There are a few reasons for this choice. I don’t know much about Indian art or culture, a part from enjoying the occasional curry, I am no expert, and it is certainly a culture I’d like to learn about. Indian art also includes a vast range of style, media, methods and techniques, everything from Temple art and Indian fresco to folk art and contemporary art. The majority of Indian art intertwines with the cultural history, religions and philosophies, making it the perfect candidate for my research. 

The earliest Indian paintings were rock paintings of pre-historic times, the petroglyphs, found in places like Bhimbetka, some of them older than 5500 BC. The above image is of a fresco found in the Anjata caves in the 2nd century BC. India’s Buddhist literature describes palaces of kings and aristocrats that were embellished with such paintings, but unfortunately most have not survived.

What, for who and why…

Discussions in our tutorials about our projects, boiled down to four main questions. What is our message, who is our potential client, who is the audience, and what effect will this have on us as practitioners.

In the case of a universal language, the message is about the importance of preserving traditions, and whilst they are called ‘traditions’ for a reason, the best way of doing this is to use them in a modern concept. This will make appreciation more relevant, more accessible and less tedious.

However, thinking about the other questions, I had myself going around in circles and probably on the way to a mini-meltdown, and whilst I agree that they are important. I don’t feel as though I need to have the answers at this stage of the project. After speaking to another tutor, it was agreed that my ‘thematic’ topic was a good one and while I am not sure what form the project will take, who it will be directed at, who my potential client is and what the final outcome will be, I believe that through the unfolding of the research, experimentation and exploration, this will become clear, the tutor agreed that this was acceptable reasoning for my decision.

As many tutors have pointed out in the past few weeks, this is “my MA”, and this is the way I want to direct it, whilst I agree it is not for everyone, it makes sense to my project not to be thinking of the end point, but rather to let the development of the project lead me in the right direction.

This doesn’t mean however, that my approach will be blasé and that I will sit back hoping something will come up and I’ll end up in the right place. It simply means that through the research, practical experimentation and critical analysis of results, clear thoughts will be formed in areas of particular interest that will be uncovered through this process.

A proposal of a different kind

“ Modern art is a configuration of many ancient art forms dating back thousands of years.” 

The aim of my proposed project is to explore the how’s and why’s behind the art of various cultures. This will form part of the research. However, the main objective will be to implement/experiment with the techniques, methods and materials uncovered through this research, creating a series of new and visually exciting artworks.

Many modern art techniques date back to ancient civilizations, however many traditional/ancient techniques have been forgotten or discarded. Traditional art still has deep roots in many cultures, this project is motivated by my previous travels where I experienced some of these cultures (see post: A Gap Year). I was inspired by the art, the methods/techniques used, the importance/use of the art, compared to its meaning and it’s use/importance in modern society.

This project is important to me because I believe modern artists should try to keep ancient art techniques alive by modernizing traditional techniques and methods and putting them in a modern context. To achieve this goal, I aim to research the importance of art in various cultures, and explore their methods and techniques. After which I will experiment with the methods learnt in a modern context through my own artwork.

Batik
An example of an ancient art technique that can be applied to modern art is the Batik. It is a technique commonly refered to as a wax resist dyeing technique, it is used on fabric and is an ancient art form. Discoveries show it already existed in Egypt in the 4th century BCE, where it was used to wrap mummies. Linen was soaked in wax, and scratched using a sharp tool.

However, this art form has also been used In many parts of Asia. The technique was practiced in China during the T'ang dynasty (see image below) (618-907 CE), in India and Japan during the Nara period (645-794 CE) and also in Africa where it was practiced by the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria and the Soninke and Wolof tribes in Senegal. 

This ancient technique applied melted wax to cloth before dipping it in dye. Commonly, a mixture of beeswax and paraffin wax are used. The beeswax holds to the fabric and the paraffin wax allows cracking, which is a characteristic of batik. Wherever the wax has seeped through the fabric, the dye will not penetrate. Sometimes several colors are used, with a series of dyeing, drying and waxing steps.

Tanja Chagorova is a Russian artists who has been working with this ancient technique for more than ten years (See work below). Like myself, Chagorova is interested in developing traditions from the past in a modern art context. “ It is interesting to me to study the culture and art of my native land-Russia, and to apply art of nations of the word.” Chagorova has I lead personal exhibitions in Moscow in 2005, in Hungary in 2006, in Slovakia in 2006, in Poland in 2007, and in India in Delhi in 2007. 

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/1-sari-chagorova-tanja.html

A graphic designer or an illustrator… that is the question

Over the last few months the question of whether I see myself as a graphic designer or and illustrator has been asked by a number of my tutors. So here it is, an explanation of how I see it.

Graphic design and illustration are closely related fields, which often overlap. I see myself as the overlap. To me they are not mutually exclusive. Graphic designers sometimes have a specialist area, be it typography, logo design, web design etc etc. This does not mean they are only a web designer or only a typographer. The same applies to my work. I would describe myself as a graphic designer… with a specialty in illustration, and whilst this is my passion, I am also cable of producing work in other areas.

Illustration is sometimes considered to be more like a fine art and graphic design work is more commercial, as far as I am concerned I do not see myself as a fine artist, and all my formal training has been in graphic design.

My graphic designers work generally has a message to convey or and audience to persuade, however, this also rings true for some of my illustrative work, depending on which context I have used it in.

“Illustrators can also do design work and are able to excel in both fields. An illustrator might be a great designer. ”

A perfect example of this is in the work of an artist that provides endless inspiration to my own work, through her colorful illustrations and clever application.

Lin Olofsdotter is a Swedish mixed media illustrator/graphic designer. Whist Linn flirts with both graphics and advertising, illustration is her passion. But as we can see from the images below she certainly capable of both. 

So what does this mean in terms of my Project? 
It means that through in depth research, I will uncover new methods, techniques and mediums to experiment with/incorporate in my artworks and illustrations. The context in which these outcomes are used will most likely require design skills. For example a series of art works, photographed and displayed in a magazine, on a website or in a book. 


www.gofreelance.com 
www.webdesignerwall.com/general/linn-olofsdotter/

Eagles Reach

As mentioned in the previous post about the importance of art, here is an example of Aboriginal Rock art, depicting an image in accordance with Aboriginal religious beliefs. 

The images found in the cave depict half-human, half-animal figures called “therianthropes”. These rare images include creatures with bird-like heads and others that are part kangaroo. The image above shows a kangaroo form.

“While therianthropes are very special depictions found across Australia, and in several regions overseas, the bird-headed creatures are a very rare find in the Sydney area. In Egypt such animal-headed figures are depicted as gods.” See website below

According to Aboriginal religious belief, some of these composite images are of ancestral beings. However, the Aborigines don not believe human beings painted these images, rather that they were produced by ancient ancestors settling into the cave walls, while their spirits may have travelled on.

The spiritual, social and cultural beliefs of Aboriginals are learnt through storytelling, dance, music and art, as it has been for more than forty thousand years. This makes their art of particular importance to my thematic issue, because it has as much if not more relevance today, especially now that the younger generations are slowly becoming westernized and forgetting or losing interest in their cultural history, spirituality, traditions and beliefs.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/aug2003/rock-a05.shtml

The importance of Art

From the beginning of time art has played a crucial role in our existence… i.e. prehistoric cave dwellers recording their traditions, mythology and history on cave walls. The notion that art was initially created for a specific reason and purpose is something that has begun to interest me more and more. Art was not created as a decorative tool or for self-expression. It was a necessary part of life. It might have been religious, symbolic, literal, traditional, customary, historical or journalistic. For example, African art was mainly symbolic. Masks, pottery, figures, portraits, jewelry, baskets and clothing reflected the religious belief of different tribes.

“In civilizations that had no other form of communication, art acted as a passage of time, it is thanks to cave paintings and other artistic records that we are able to understand and learn so much from the past.” (Quote taken from my proposal for PD1) 

Which brings me to how my thematic topic was chosen…As I thought more about the above statement, I remembered one of my undergrad tutors referring to art as a visual language, and this is one of the things that I appreciate the most. It can be viewed and understood by many different people without the need of voices and in explanations in their own language. These days, art can come in any shape or form, use old techniques in this modern time or modern techniques to reflect on and re make old work. It is not only something beautiful, but a learning tool.

This is what makes it so important :)

A gap year...

After completing my BA in Design Art (Graphic) in November 2009, I took a year off to travel and gain some perspective. My travels took me to a number of diverse countries such as South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Each country I visited had a rich artistic culture and history, and all very different. I found that by immersing myself in their artistic history, my passion for art was reignited and I finally found some much needed inspiration to start designing, drawing and illustrating again.

Above is one of the images that inspired my illustration below. 

 Whilst finding inspiration was fantastic and visually I learnt a lot. I found my self becoming increasingly interested in not only the aesthetic aspects of this art, but also how these cultures used art, why it was used, how it was made, what significance it had when it was made, and the relevance it has today. 

Introducing...

a universal language is the title I have given my major MA project. Essentially, it is an in depth exploration of how and why art has been used in various cultures (mainly non-western) throughout history. The aim of this study is to gather information on the methods, techniques, mediums and messages used by various cultures, to influence and inform my own design style and concepts. This will be done through experimentation with different techniques, mediums and materials, both traditional and modern. 

This blog will act as a visually diary, containing my research, reflections, inspiration and explorations. I have a very unique design process… many would call it unorganised, but it makes sense to me. Usually my visual diary (a pile of scrap paper in the corner of my room) consists of hundreds of separate images, papers, research and scribbles on anything from napkins to newspaper.  Using a blog will allow me to work in my usual way, while providing a method of organizing this usually chaotic process.