Indian Art Research Articles

Review on pattachitra

Kalamkari is a highly esteemed traditional art form that has long drawn admirers due to its intricate hand-painted designs on fabrics. This article explores the complex world of Kalamkari, a classic Indian art form that is well-known for its intricately painted textile pieces. Through a multifaceted investigation, the study seeks to understand Kalamkari's historical development, cultural value, and current relevance. The process includes a comprehensive reading of the material, a field investigation, a visual analysis of the artwork, and a comparison analysis between different locations and eras of history. While the field study entails interacting with artists and documenting their methods and processes, the literature review offers insights into the history, methods, and sociocultural aspects of Kalamkari. Visual analysis examines the narrative components, colours, and motifs in Kalamkari textiles to shed light on their artistic and symbolic meanings.

INSIGHTS INTO THE NEW INDIAN ART REGULATIONS: VOICES OF THE INDIAN FERTILITY COMMUNITY

INSIGHTS INTO THE NEW INDIAN ART REGULATIONS: VOICES OF THE INDIAN FERTILITY COMMUNITY

‘All Divine’: mapping the intersections between spirituality and modernity in independent Indian music

ABSTRACT In this paper, I examine some ways in which Indian artists explore tradition and modernity by fusing devotional music and spiritual themes with popular music. This is illustrated through examples such as ‘Krishna’ (1996) by the indipop group, Colonial Cousins, as well as works such as ‘Aathma Raama’ (2012), ‘Vaishnava Jana To’ (2019), and ‘All Divine’ (2022) by hip-hop artist Brodha V. My analysis draws upon established theoretical frameworks including cultural hybridity, globalisation theory, transculturation, and modernity. While spiritual motifs appear to be inextricably linked with traditional Indian musics, this is rarely viewed through the lens of modernity. Through a series of case studies, I explore key instances indicative of sonic conversations negotiating the global and local, emphasising the role of language and global cultural flow in facilitating both resistance and transculturation. Beyond uncovering contemporary engagements with spirituality, case studies reveal how Indian modernity is increasingly characterised by a manner of hybridity. Ultimately, the analysis contributes to our understanding of hybrid modernities and postcolonial identities.

A study on the portrayal of mythological hybrid forms in modern Indian art

Indian hybrid mythology, its historical context, its cultural connotations, and the ways in which Indian artists depict anthropomorphism in their works of Indian art and culture. Through an analysis of the artists' histories, ideologies, and methods, our research reveals how they have balanced innovation with tradition in their works. It demonstrates how artists use cultural themes, mythology, and folklore as inspiration to depict the intricacies of identity in society. The dissertation explores the impact of Indian hybrid forms and how they subvert societal norms that balance modernity and heritage in our culture. The research provides a thorough understanding of the rich Indian form and its significance on the international form arena by examining the techniques and symbols utilized by for designers and delving deeply into difficulties. In general, this study advances knowledge about hybrid form, its variety in India, and its relevance in the contemporary art scene.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONCEPT OF MORALITY FROM PHILOSOPHICAL CONTENT INTO CRITIQUE OF SATIRE IN INDIAN ART

The development of the concept of satire holds an important place in the philosophical content of Indian art as it has transformed in several ways reflecting the socio-cultural and political changes. Satire has been voiced in Indian art over the years through its varied expressions that are crucial to understanding the hidden content of commentary or the overtly implied motives of satire in different art forms. The purpose of my research is to explore two interdependent concepts, first, the kinship of satire to the concept of Indian moral philosophy; and second, the reflection of moral philosophy through varied expressions of satire in Indian art. Morality has had deep roots in Indian philosophy since ancient times. The moral and ethical framework of philosophy revolves around the concept of ‘Dharma’ that holds immense importance in the philosophical foundation of different schools such as Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. It is also central to the metaphysical identity of the Indian culture that aims to foster ethical conduct through righteousness and justice. Indian art has evolved through the ages as a reflection of society and its influence on the formation of culture and values. Teachings of morality have been integral to the Indian culture rather than the biting language of satire that found its expressions in Indian art around the later stages of development, that is around the medieval period when a deeper inflow of foreign influence began entering the Indian cultural system. I aim to understand the evolution of morality from the ancient period progressing toward the critical harsh mockery of satire in contemporary Indian art.

MOTIVES OF LAJJA GAURI IN INDIAN ART: A STUDY

Art is the expression of thoughts and feelings, which inspires by the events around oneself, it takes support of various mediums to express ones feelings and emotions. The matriarchal nature of the society in ancient times gives stability to our thinking. The reason must have been that men would have been responsible for collecting the resources for living in the society and in their absence it would have been the responsibility of women to run the social system. Almost this tradition is more or less maintained till today. Such traditions and conditions of contemporary society are depicted through various mediums of art. In these mediums, it is necessary to collect some important information regarding the marking of men and women, some are marked according to the plot described in mythology and some are independent. The detail study is discussed below with reference.

‘Bodhisattva Bodies’: Early Twentieth Century Indian Influences on Modern Japanese Buddhist Art

The first decade of the twentieth century marked a turning point for Japanese Buddhism. With the introduction of Western academia, Buddhist scholars began to uncover the history of Buddhism, and through their efforts, they discovered India as the birthplace of Buddhism. As India began to grow in importance for Japanese Buddhist circles, one unexpected area to receive the most influence was Japanese Buddhist art, especially in the representation of human figures. Some artists began to insert Indian female figures into their art, not only to add a sense of exoticism but also to experiment with novel iconographies that might modernize Buddhist art. One example included the combination of Indian and Japanese female traits to create a culturally fluid figure that highlighted the cultural connection between Japan and India. Other artists were more attracted to “Indianizing” the Buddha in paintings to create more historically authentic art, drawing references from both Indian art and observations of local people. In this paper, I highlight how developments in Buddhist studies in Japan led to a re-establishment of Indo–Japanese relationships. Furthermore, I examine how the attraction towards India for Japanese artists motivated them to travel abroad and seek inspiration to modernize Buddhist art in Japan.

Role of Artificial Intelligence in Promotion of Indian Art Culture

Both artificial intelligence (ठजप्पिप्पन्स प्ज्ञामसपहमद्बम) and culture are important hallmarks of modern times. On the one hand, while artificial intelligence attempts to mimic human intelligence, on the other hand, culture studies a person's life, language, and cultural characteristics. With the adjustment of these two, a new direction and approach is emerging in the art field which is contributing significantly to the development of our society and culture. The relationship between artificial intelligence and Indian art culture has shown a new direction that is taking Indian cultural heritage forward with modernity. This relationship not only helps in giving purpose to Indian literature and art, but also presents the diversity and richness of India to the world. The matching of artificial intelligence and Indian art culture makes it clear that the use of technology gives a new dimension to art, opening the way to artistic prosperity. This relationship has made the art more effective and unique and has also maintained the important role of Indian culture. This has not only helped in the development of Indian art culture, but has also provided a medium to take it to a higher level, through which Indian art culture can keep pace with the modern world. Artificial intelligence has also begun to be used in art culture, such as techniques for conducting cultural research on color, form, and dimension. This is giving a new direction to the diversity and richness of art and new and special forms are emerging in art craftsmanship. The modern technological contribution of this matching of artificial intelligence and art culture is opening new dimensions of art. For example, artificial intelligence is being used in painting and graphics design, creating new experiences, especially in the 3D and virtual art fields. Artificial intelligence and art culture together are opening the way to new possibilities. Both these sectors are making important contributions in building a strong and prosperous society and helping in the preservation, promotion and development of culture. The presented research article discusses in detail how artificial intelligence can play an important role in the preservation and development of Indian art culture.

PRACTICE-BASED PHD IN VISUAL ART: AN INQUIRY REGARDING THE CURRENT SITUATION OF INDIAN ART EDUCATION

This research paper deals with a research methodology for Visual Art related research. Practice-based research is common in the art institutions of Europe, America, Australia, and Asian countries like China and Japan. In India, it is not well-known. This paper has been written on the basis of the experience gathered during the practice-based doctoral research of the first author (In India) and second author (In Hungary). To understand the exact scenario the views of senior art educators and research scholars in India were also taken. It has also included the experience through participation in the workshop on practice-based doctoral research, organized by Banaras Hindu University. These experiences and views lead this research to conclude with the requirements and possibilities of implementation of the Practice-based PhD as a suggestion for Indian Art Academia.

To Fill “a Gap in Indian History”

This essay examines the category of “Company” painting, shorthand for painting associated with the East India Company, which dominates the art historiography of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century South Asia. Using the archive of Mildred Archer (1911–2005), the British Library curator who formalized this approach in Western scholarship in tandem with scholarly commentaries by art enthusiasts P. C. Manuk (1873–1946) and Rai Krishnadas (1892–1980), we highlight the complexities of Company painting as both modality and practice. Providing insight into the little-recognized role of Ishwari Prasad (1870–1949), whom Archer and Manuk lauded as the last living artist of the Mughal tradition, we examine his vanguard formulation of a Kampani qalam (“Company style”), where he reframed Mughal art in the era of Company mercantilism and thriving exchange between European and Indian artists at Patna. Further, Prasad emerges as a key interlocutor between the critic and educator E. B. Havell (1861–1934) and the artist Abanindranath Tagore (1871–1951), integrating Mughal and Company lineages within the growing pan-Asian sensibility at the Calcutta School of Art. Foregrounding Prasad's obscured history illuminates how ideas of Mughal, Company, and Modern art belonged to a common intellectual ferment; yet these approaches took separate paths in post-independence India. In tracing the genealogy of Archer's Company painting, we recover multiple voices and strands of artistry informing its gestation in addition to its colonial legacy, complicating Archer's focus on it as an artistic inheritance of the British Empire.

SOCIO-CULTURAL RESONANCE OF MAHADEV VISHWANATH DHURANDHAR’S ART: TRACING HIS INFLUENCE AND LEGACY IN INDIAN PAINTING

M.V. Dhurandhar a renowned Indian artist left an indelible mark on the world of Indian art through his unique style, technique and thematic choices. This paper aims to delve into Dhurandhar’s artistic contributions focusing on his socio-cultural significance and the lasting impact his paintings have had on Indian art. By considering his style technique and themes we can gain a deeper understanding of Dhurandhar’s artistic prowess and the socio-cultural context in which his works were created.

Decolonization of the Indian Arts and Crafts Industry

The ‘British Raj’ is known by all. It was a period during which the British had direct rule over the Indian subcontinent from 1858 up till 1947 i.e., when India and Pakistan gained independence. Previous studies have shown how colonization has dire impacts on the colonizes from an economic, social and even cultural perspective. This stands true even in the case of India. More specifically, however, there were certain industries which were more impacted than the others. In line with the aforementioned, this research paper conducts an in-depth study of the Indian arts and crafts industry to uncover its brilliance and how the British colonized it. The latter half of the paper evaluates the policies and initiatives that have been implemented by the Indian government and ministries, since 1947 to date, to understand how effective these have been in decolonizing the Indian arts and crafts Industry

Sustainable Luxury Fashion in India: A Case of Grassroot by Anita Dongre

The present case is based on an Indian fashion brand, ‘Grassroot by Anita Dongre’, focusing on sustainable luxury. Fashion designer, Anita Dongre, who is behind the brand, is helping to revive the old Indian art and crafts through its environment-friendly luxury offerings. The present study examine the issues that have aroused in sustainable luxury worldwide. It explores the various sustainable practices and challenges being face by Anita Dongre at her ‘Grassroot by Anita Dongre’ brand for inculcating sustainability. It also traverses the rise of Anita Dongre as one of the most premier fashion designer of India. The current case is an example of how and why Luxury brands should focus on sustainability as a key differentiating factor in an emerging economy like India. In future, we might come across laws and policies for the promotion and development of sustainable practices in the fashion industry, as India being the world’s largest producer of organic cotton has immense potential for future growth.

Aesthetic of Light and Time: An Intellectual History of Pictorialism from India

Pictorialism emerged in the last quarter of the nineteenth century as a global aesthetic movement that argued for photography’s artistic status on par with other plastic arts more powerfully than ever. Archives from South Asia demonstrate the movement’s thriving life in the subcontinent with Calcutta emerging as a centre and its bilingual amateur photographer-writers as major participants simultaneously engaging in globally circulating specialist discourses on pictorialism and popular discussions of their practice aimed at public pedagogy. By looking into Bangla periodical press this paper investigates how Bengali pictorialists used popular Bangla magazines in the early twentieth century to establish their distinct voice regarding what counted as artistic photography as they engaged with a non-specialist mass readership. Mass-circulated Bangla articles were not vernacular translations of knowledge and practices produced in metropolitan locations and disseminated in transregional languages like English. Vernacular was an extension of Bengali amateur photographers’ participation in global photography, as they remained grounded in their historical specificity. These amateur photographers were bilingual intellectuals who wrote in English for a global public and in Bangla for a Bangla-reading publics and refraining from translating culture as they moved across languages. Indeed, articulations in vernacular didn’t mean a venularization of practice; they indicate plurality of belonging and affiliation that crafted the pictorialist aesthetic of the Bengali amateurs. By unpacking this intellectual history, this paper decenters the Euro-US-centric history of pictorialism towards writing an interconnected history of the artistic movement, while also complicating the category of modern Indian art.

Wrestling in Indian Arts

Wrestling in Indian Arts

DECODING PATRIARCHAL BIASES AT WORK IN COMICS: A STUDY OF THE CODIFICATION OF FEMININITY THROUGH THE IMAGE-TEXT COMBINE WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO POPULAR VERNACULAR COMICS NONTE FONTE AND HANDA BHONDA

Any image accompanies with it two concepts viz. communication and representation. Both these concepts are potent tools to be analysed from the perspective of study of signs or semiotics. But the monolithic study of signs or codes embedded in representation or communication curbs the scholarly or multidimensional spaces in which a representation/image representation can be analysed, examined or investigated. If we consider a pictorial representation only as an image choosen/preferred randomly, we will miss the ideological bias in which it is produced. Therefore image representation of women/ female in any text provides the ground for analyzing the term ‘politics of representation’ since no production is devoid of power structure that always invariably empowers a dominant one dictating /controlling the production, reception and dissemination of ‘texts’ (the term text to be comprehended in post-modern sense) thus creating possibilities of stereotyping, distortion, hegemonisation, homogenization, etal of women characters. Even under the tactful gloss of figuring ideal female characters of mythology or sculptures in temples,etc in different ancient Indian art forms, the patriarchal ideology of depicting women with perfect female body according to Indian aesthetics operates. The paper focuses on the production, reception, nonreception as a result of dominant market forces of comics on women or female representation in comic’s genre. It adopts research methodology of content (image –text representataion of women) analysis as case study; paradigmatic analysis with panels from Nonte Fonte and Handa Bhonda, two popular vernacular Bengali comics to investigate how does a change in an image can affect the reception; as well as excerpts from interview with target reader/viewer of comics/audio-visual projection of comics to examine decodification of female presence by a child as receiver of such texts; and inputs from the interview with the writer –illustrator of Nonte Fonte and Handa Bhonda , have been included to examine the codification and decodification process of image-text combination of comics.

APPLICATION OF HYBRID FIGURE IN THE WORKS OF QUEEN ALEXANDRA OF VICTORIAN ERA AND THE PAINTINGS FROM INDIAN CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Throughout history, art has been used to explore and communicate the intricacies of human existence. One way this has been achieved is through the representation of hybrid beings. These figures, which combine attributes from various sources, have been a common theme across cultures. The use of hybrid figures has allowed artists to delve into themes such as identity, transformation, and the relationship between humans and nature. This study aims to analyze the symbolism and meanings behind hybrid creatures in Victorian-era photocollages and modern Indian artwork from vastly different periods in art history.Objectives of the Research StudyTo investigate the reoccurring topic of hybrid creatures in Victorian photocollages and contemporary Indian art.Examining the symbolism and significance of hybrid beings, with a focus on identity, metamorphosis, and human-nature interaction.Examining how hybridization is used by both art genres to portray complicated notions about identity, social institutions, and cultural interchange.Examining how artists use historical inspiration to produce unique works and engage in cross-cultural discussion.Using commonalities in various art forms to demonstrate the universal nature of artistic expression, transcending time, location, and culture.Significance of the Research StudyThis study has significance because it investigates the representation of hybrid beings in Victorian-era photocollages and modern Indian artwork, providing insights into the symbolism and meanings associated with hybrid creatures, specifically in the context of identity, transformation, and the human-nature relationship. This study highlights the continuing capacity of art to transcend chronological and geographical barriers by examining how both Victorian photocollages and contemporary Indian art use hybridity to express complicated notions about identity, social institutions, and cultural exchange. It also highlights the artists' ability to draw inspiration from the past, resulting in innovative works that engage in cross-cultural dialogue, ultimately demonstrating the universal nature of artistic expression and its profound impact on understanding the complexities of human existence across diverse cultural and historical contexts.Review of LiteratureTo begin, researchers like Linda Nochlin and Griselda Pollock have investigated the topic of hybridity in art, emphasising its importance in subverting conventional concepts of representation. In her important essay "The Imaginary Orient," Nochlin discusses how Victorian-era art frequently included hybrid characters to address concerns of cultural identity and colonialism. This point of view lays a solid foundation for understanding the circumstances in which Victorian-era photocollages evolved as a medium for creative expression.Scholars like Geeta Kapur and Partha Mitter have explored the evolution of Indian art in the post-colonial era, highlighting the use of hybridity as a tool for artists to negotiate cultural identity. Homi Bhabha's "The Location of Culture" provides a theoretical framework for understanding hybridity in Victorian-era and contemporary Indian art. James Elkins' "Is Art History Global?" and "Globalizing Art History" provide a contemporary lens for understanding cross-cultural dialogues in art.

A Singular Step: Freer’s Purchase of the Hanna Collection

Charles Lang Freer’s purchase of the Henry Bathurst Hanna collection of Indian paintings in 1907 can seem an anomalous, almost incidental acquisition in the career of a collector whose interests for the most part lay elsewhere. Its peculiarity makes it an intriguing episode, and one that but for the presence of some remarkable pieces might arguably be relegated to a footnote in the annals of Freer’s wide-ranging and more extensive areas of collecting. A clearer picture of his motivations comes into focus, however, by considering his pursuit of the collection within the broader range of his own experiences, his milieu, and the prevailing cultural context. This article situates Freer’s interest in a particular collection of Indian art—understood narrowly at the time as concomitant with Mughal painting—against the background of the long presence of India in the United States, the growth of interest in Eastern culture and spirituality in late nineteenth-century New England, the beginnings of the appreciation of the aesthetic value of objects from India in the early twentieth century, and the burgeoning market and place for non-Western works in art museums in metropolitan cities, including the one that Freer had committed to establishing. In so doing, one may better understand the importance he placed on the acquisition of the collection, which would be a singular step that initiated a place for India within fine art museums in the United States.

ЭВОЛЮЦИЯ ХУДОЖЕСТВЕННОГО ИЗОБРАЖЕНИЯ БУДДЫ В ИСКУССТВЕ ДРЕВНЕЙ ИНДИИ

The article considers the stages of origin and development of Buddha’s artistic image in the art of ancient India: from the early symbolic images that denoted the presence of Buddha to the colorful frescoes and sculptures of the Ajanta cave complex. The issue of originality of the Indian art is actualized in contrast to the version of borrowing the ideas of the European art and architec-ture formulated at the beginning of the last century. The proposition of the au-thenticity uniqueness of the ancient art of India is made.

Kathakali character identification – Using deep learning techniques and web technologies for Indian cultural heritage

Technology advancements have proven to benefit every part of our life. It has shown visible results in all domains including medicine, retail, governance, entertainment to quite a few. There are several ways technology has been used for art and culture. In this paper, we examine the use of technology for a 400 year old art form Kathakali, one of the most sacred arts of Indian Cultural Heritage. Kathakali is known for hand-gestures, dance elements, music and sophisticated costumes and makeups. Kathakali is salient part of Indian Cultural Heritage. However, there haven't been much work to promote this part of Indian history. Through this paper, we aim towards taking one major step between our technological field and Indian cultural heritage. We use artificial intelligence (AI) techniques such as convolutional neural networks for Kathakali character identification from images. We employ different deep learning techniques for the same and evaluate the performance of our algorithms. We observe that through rigorous parameter tuning and experiments, up to 97.5% accuracy has been obtained. We have personally recorded images of Kathakali from live performances over 20 years. The data set developed for this study contains images for 6 Kathakali characters - Pacha, Kathi, Minukku-Female, Red Beard, White Beard and Kari-Male and have been made available for the public to use in future. We then develop a web platform wherein users can upload new Kathakali images and the platform uses the AI algorithm behind to identify its character type. The web platform has been designed to deploy in a cloud environment so that it can benefit the public. We show how technology advancements can help improve audience reach for such old Indian art forms through this paper.