Non-western art have multiple differences from western art which we have been several posts about in this blog, but today we are focusing more on the non-western artists and their works. It is important to understand the fundamental differences between those such as techniques, mediums used, religion, and philosophy which all can differ depending on if it is non-western art or not. For this blog post I will focus on art works from the country India since I have heritage from there and it will both be exciting for me to write but also for you to read about.
Untitled by Baua Devi
This is one of the most celebrated folk painting in India and it is called Madhubani and is a form of wall art in the Mithila region. It was unknown outside the non-western community until 1934 when William G. Archer discovered and shared it with the rest of the world. He saw it after the earthquake in Bihar when he saw the beautiful illustrations that were covering the interior walls of the houses. My aesthetic reaction to this painting is that it is eye-catching thanks to its patterns, colors, and symbolic images. The color choices makes it stand out a lot to the viewer but the geometrical patterns that it has makes it a great balance with the vibrancy of colors. This painting style is called Madhubani and that is the main reason to why it stands out from other painting styles.
These type of painting would be so cool to own, especially since I have heritage and relatives from India. This makes it easier for me to create a personal connection to the painting.
Warli Art by Unknown
Warli paintings are from the Thane and Nasik areas and are related and linked to the nature and social rituals of the tribe. This is a 2500 years old tradition and the mediums that were used to create this were usually twigs with rice paste on the mud walls of the trubal houses as a symbol of celebration or harvest. The art on these Warli paintings is also, such as the Madhubani, very linear and but more monochromatic than the other painting. Another thing that is important to mention about Warli art is that it was usually done by women.
For me, this reflects an image of social life in this tribe and something that would be a bit harder for me to connect to. I love the story and background behind the painting but I think I would rather own a piece of the Madhubani style instead. We can see that the painting illustrates people working and doing daily tasks in their social life and that would probably be one of the pros to me wanting to own something like this. But as I mentioned, the cons are bigger.
Kalighat painting by Unknown
As the other two works, this work has been popular for a long time and it was developed around the mid-19th century in Calcutta, India. This style was drawn by a group of people who called themselves "patuas" and they were illustrating both scenes from everyday life and mythological characters and things. This styles, in my opinion, differs a lot from the other two with a more free-flowing outline compared to the two linear art works that I previously wrote about. The colors in this style is similar to the first piece that was drawn on walls with very vibrant colors such as indian red, ochre, indigo etc.
Personally, I would imagine a painting like this could have something to do with religion, something that I am not quite familiar with and that is why it is hard for me to interpret what is going on in this painting. That is also one of the main differences from western art to this, the religion can differ so much and depending on your religion, it can change the whole meaning of the art piece. But since it is hard for me to connect to this because of the religion, I would rather buy and own the first painting.
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Hi Filip,
ReplyDeleteI found your post really interesting and I think I learned so much about the Indian art culture and history! Out of the three I like the Untitled by Baua Devi, the most. I think it is so impressive and if you say, that it is wall art in peoples homes, then I would love to have it too, because of the vibrant colors and life that it brings to a room. The second painting seems interesting too, with the kind of a real life episode being depicted, however I am not really a fan of the colors, since I like something more expressive, than B&W and for the third painting is interesting too, since it shows the mystic and kind of religious side of the culture and I like the backstory, however I am not sure I would have this in my home, just because of the religious aspect.
Great post overall!
Hello Filip,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed all the works posted and your descriptions were very helpful to me as I was not familiar with Indian art. Out of all the pieces you posted I enjoyed the work by Baua Devi. I enjoyed the vibrancy of the colors in comparison to the other paintings illustrated. I also like how you connected the artwork through your heritage. In my opinion, the works you picked fit the theme of this week's blog perfectly. I chose to write about Chinese art and its history and I think that Indian art is just as interesting. You did a great job on this post and I enjoyed reading your blog throughout the semester! Good luck with your future plans!
Hi Filip,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed all of the art pieces you chose for your non western art exhibit. I really liked how you chose to do yours on India, the complete opposite of European Art. My favorite piece you chose for your exhibit was the piece by Baua Devi that's untitled. I love the variety of bright vibrant colors used, and the way the artist painted the people. It reminded me of Egyptian art. I think your art pieces defiantly are related to the non western theme and art in India. The style, colors, and techniques are all presented in the Non Western India theme. One thing I wanted to add was that I totally agree with you on the last painting Kalighat by Unknown. I think the painting looks like something that would be related to religion in India. Overall, I think you did a really great job on this art exhibit!
Hello Filip,
ReplyDeleteGreat work with choosing art pieces that relate to different western cultures. My favourite piece out of the three would have to be the last one which was created in Calcutta, India. The painting reminds me of meditation which is a practice I do weekly. Having this type of connection with the painting makes me appreciate it more than usual.
Your paintings all had connections to Indian culture which follows the blog template exactly. I appreciated learning a bit more about the Indian culture though your blog post this week. Great work.
Garrett