‘Art’, isn’t simply a word rather a feeling, a person or anything that embodies the traits of ‘not ordinary’. It can be anything from the twilight dew drops to a pencil scratch, so then if anything and everything can be turned into art and its mere perspective, then who determines the art from the ordinary.
A debate whether it’s the masterpiece that holds value or the artistic hands and vision that created it, we need to track the roots of this phenomenon. The history of art simply put is the day when one man said that this apple is red and the other said it’s crimson. The perspective around an object built concepts which when added with colours, lines formed an unique symmetry called, ‘Art’.
Indian art is one of the oldest known cultures in the history of mankind. Depicted through sculptures in temples, engraving on walls, woven in intricate textiles and performed in intangible dance, Indian art form transcends the concept of pen, paper scripting.
This diverse culture is also contributed by one of the pillars of Indian history- Spirituality. Spirituality lies in the very ethos of the way of life, where a beautiful copper thali for prayer when decorated with a simple arrangement of flowers is also a form of art.
It’s this spirituality that paved a path for art forms like Pichwaai. What started as a depiction to worship the life of Lord Krishna is now an inspiration for various modern art techniques.
Speculated to have originated during the Indus Valley Civilization, the walls of caves and homes turned into canvas to write tales of valiant heroes and painting of new ideas of living. Cut to today’s era, art is broadly divided into major arts like painting, sculpture and architecture and minor arts that compromise decorative art styles.
With evolution, every style of stroke has made room for specialized art be it Pichwaai, Kalamkari, Warli, Tanjore painting to name a few of these traditional special art forms.
Made on paper and fabric ideally, modern artists have found a way to model them in natural elements like water. Now, this makes things interesting. It’s a junction where traditional art is adapted, rather transformed into a new being without losing its true essence.
Then should we conclude that its the Artist who envisioned Rangoli art to be made in water that made it great, was it is the artist that sought the technique, experimented and figured out the right combination to try and present it in a new light to the world or was it the art, whose nature is dynamic that is supported and moulded itself effortlessly in the artist’s vision.
Well, art or the artist, eventually it’s all in the thought. Art is deep, intricate where a simple line may seem uncomplicated, but can be made of infinite dots placed so close for the naked eye to observe that they make the line.
What is it for you, the art or the artist?