আর্ট-ইকো: ৯ম-১০ম বিশেষ সংখ্যা---একটি দৃশ্য শিল্পের কাগজ
আর্ট-ইকো: ৯ম-১০ম বিশেষ সংখ্যা---একটি দৃশ্য শিল্পের কাগজ
On the eve of publishing our Ninth Issue
of Art Echo we have lost one of over
talented co-passenger in the galaxy of
creative world. She was Dr. Ayiriddhi
Bhattacharjee, Assistant Professor of Mass
Communication, Department of Assam
University. She breathed her last in Kolkata
Apollo Hospital on 29th May, 214. This fatal
news has come to us as bolt from the blue.
We are deeply shocked at her premature
demise. At the time of death, she was only
29 years old. This is a irreparable loss for the
creative world in Barak Valley in particular we
recall our Eighth Issue where we could
publish a brilliant article of Ayriddhi the title
of which was Suchitra Sen : the Mystique
Mahanayika. We are not publishing any
writing on film in this issue to show our
respect for Ayriddhi. Let her soul rest in
eternal peace.
Like other issue, we have published
different articles on visual art in Ninth Issue
also.
We renew our vow again for relentless
journey to achieve our goal.
We welcome always the valued
suggestions of our patrons and well wisher.
Cover Artist
NABANITA GUHA
Let all be happy both in physique and
mind.
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
FROM EDITOR'S DESK
CONTRIBUTORS
PINAK PANI NATH is a freelance artist, writer and research
scholar of Deptt. Of Visual Arts, Assam University Silchar.
ANJAN SEN is a Poet and Art Critics based in KOLKATA.
SUDESHNA DAS is a research scholar of Deptt. of Visual
Arts, Assam University, Silchar.
ROLLIE MUKHERJEE is Desire paths publishers, Vadodara
(Baroda) based Independent Artist-Critic-Poet-Research
Editor.
AAROGHYA KAPIL CHOWDHRY is a research scholar of
Deptt. Of Visual Arts, Assam University, Silchar.
DIPJIT PAUL is a research scholar of Deptt. of Visual Arts,
Assam University, Silchar.
ARUP MAZUMDER A Silchar based freelance artist and
photographer.
STEPHANIE STRASNICK is associate editor of @
ARTnewsmag. New York.
KUMAR AJIT DUTTA is a Guwahati based art critics and writer.
MOUSHUMI KANDALI Asstt. Professor Ambedkar
University Delhi & well-known Assamese writer-translator
and art historian .
BARBARA POLLACK arts writer, contributing editor
Artnews, published author of The Wild, Wild East, expert
on Chinese contemporary art.
ALEXANDRA PECHMAN Freelance writer Greater New York
City Area, Copy Editor at ARTnews, Research Assistant at
Northwestern University.
CYNTHIA NADELMAN New York based art critic poet &
Contributing Editor of ARTnews
CLAIRE RIGBY A British freelance journalist and editor
based in So Paulo, Brazil.
DIBYENDU DAS Silchar based freelance Photographer.
Hans Hofmann
Hans Hofmann was a Germanborn American abstract
expressionist painter.
Born : March 21, 1880,
Weibenburg in Bayern,
Germany
Died : February 17, 1966, New York City, United States
Periods : Modern art, Abstract expressionism
Education : Art Students League of New York, Acadmie
de la Grande Chaumire
FAMOUS ARTWORK
The Golden Wall (1961), City Horizon (1959), Kaleidos (1958)
"The child is really an artist, and the artist should be
like a child, but he should not stay a child. He must
become an artist. That means he cannot permit himself
to become sentimental or something like that. He must
know what he is doing" Hans Hofmann
Anjan Sen
The Idol Making of Urban Potters in Silchar
Dipjit Paul
Dhamail
Pinak Pani Nath
Hindu Marriage and Ritualistic Motifs
Sudeshna Das
10
(In) to the middle of the "stories"
Rollie Mukherjee
14
The Strange Story of Afghan War Rugs
Stephanie Strasnick
17
Gallery Report
Expressionism in Germany and France
From Van Gogh to Kandinsky
19
Changing faces of Indian Advertisement
Kapil Chowdhury
21
x ~ !e!#
%y x! _
24
Photo Essay
Art & Architecture of Rajasthan
Arup Mazumder
29
Few Printmakers from North East
Moushumi Kandali
32
Raj Kumar Mazinder
36
Most Expensive Indian Paintings
38
Conflicts are Productive...
Claire Rigby
43
Francesco Clemente Channels....
Barbara Pollack
46
Decorum: Carpets and ......
Alexandra Pechman
47
Adia Millett At Mixed Greens
Cynthia Nadelman
48
Visual Music... An Art Exhibition
Art Echo Correspondent
49
Infinity to Sonbeel
Dibyendu Das
51
Copyrights of the articles belong to the respective authors.
All the views expressed in the writings are of the respective
authors. The publication does not necessarily subscribe
to the views expressed by the contributors.
Printed at :
N. N. Dutta Road, Silchar - 1, Ph. +91-9401140888
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
xy! D %
Special Issue | July-December, 2014
Chief Advisor
Prof. Tapodhir Bhattacharjee
Ex-Vice Chancellor, Assam University, Silchar
Advisor
Dr. Nirmal Kanti Roy
Dr. Meghali Goswami
Rajkumar Mazindar
Dr. Ganesh Nandi
Publisher & Printer
Sandipan Dutta Purkayastha
+91-9864374011, 9401236225
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Tapojyoti Bhattacharjee
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Contributing Editor
Dhaneswar Shah (New Delhi)
Anjan Sen (Kolkata)
Kumar Ajit Dutta (Guwahati)
Ashok Barma (Silchar)
Managing Editor
Sanjay De
Cover Design
Kanika Chanda
Asstt. Editor
Pinak Pani Nath
Creative & Production
Mithun Paul
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Binay Paul
Joydeep Bhattacharjee
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Arup Mazumder
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Anurupa Bhattacharjee
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ESSAY
- ~! !ey
4
FEATURE
The Idol Making Of
Urban Potters in Silchar
Dipjit P
aul
Paul
It goes with out saying
that the existence of potters
in Barak Valley doesn't
depend on any introduction
but formally their instinct art
trend should be introduced in
front of the people. From the
ancient age, potters have
great relevance in the
upliftment of North East art
works and Barak Valley takes
a great impact on that.
Basically there are many
potters in Barak Valley who
are natives of Barak Valley but
many of them are migrated
from many places, though the
lifestyle and daily activities
have great relevance in Barak
Valley potter's development.
There are many more potters living in different places in Silchar, but here only the lifestyle of
those who are located in Purnapal Road of Silchar are taken into account. Some potters' family in this
colony do not actually belong from the Idol making background. But no one can believe that true
because at present they have showing their level best in Idol-making with more artistic sense and
perfection. The potters colony is named according to their caste as 'Paul', so this may be seen what
kind of authenticity they carry through their existence and practice of work.
Potters are the introducer of small scale industry of village since the ancient period of India.
This profession is one of the major backbones of village people of North East India. Once upon a time
the products made by the potters were used in the household goods as well as any function, now
which is gone down due to big industry. Economic condition of any village depends on any kind of
small scale industries for which Government also introducing many schemes to save this small scale
industries but all this are gone vain due to lack of proper awareness. Our first effort should be to bring
the awareness to the village people by constant hammering to save this profession as well the culture
of ancient India.
The history of Silchar potters is not much evident in any book or journal or any research work
on it. So, their history and development have been taken only from the living workers in idol making
of Silchar. This history could be treated as the oral history and collected from the people who are now
working in the idol making colony of Silchar.
As stated earlier, the urban potters of Silchar are located at Purnapal Road, Silchar. They all are
doing idol making. Through idol making they use to do some little bit of extra work with pottery. They
5
all have their own individual history, some are migrated people and settled here and engaged in idol
making work, while some are local. In this potters colony there only 4 or 5 potters family reside
permanently working and some of them are - Sri Ramesh Paul ( age- 81 ), Sri Banka Paul ( age- 63 ),
Sri Shyamal Paul ( age- 57 ). Sri Ramesh Paul resides in Silchar Purnapal Road; his father's name was
late Sri Purna Paul. From his father's name, this colony was known as 'Purnapal Road'. Sri Purna Paul
came here around 80 to 82 years ago, after completion of his education. He came from Bangladesh.
His grandfather and father also used to work in the same manner. They used to make pottery and
icons too. They usually start making icons in the month of Kartik of every Bengali year. They prepare
various daily usage accessories but the trend of making icons is high. Though now his father and
uncle are not alive but he is still working with his co-staffs. The economic condition of their family is
good but it is not only for their job of icon-making but for their other business; his sons are not
engaged with their traditional trend because they are academically educated and doing some other
jobs in stead of idol making. This is why Ramesh Paul is not able to develop this business more as he
is alone. For making icons, he has to buy various things which he cannot effort and thereforem he is
not doing the icons more except the icons of small sizes.
According to 'Banka Paul' (age-63 years), their forefathers had firstly worked in Kolkata. They
originally are goldsmith but they never practiced in clay. Later, his father and grandfather came in to
Silchar and settled at Meherpur and began to learn how to make the icons. Thereafter they opened
their own shops as well as workshops. As the year passed, 'Banka Paul' became expert in process of
making icons which he learnt from his father; he opened his own shop at Purnapal Road at Silchar.
Before him, his elder brother Sri 'Gouranga Paul' had an establishment where he worked in the same
process and he is one of the famous persons of Purnapal Road. Due to his illness, 'Gouranga Paul'
could not be able to work frequently and thus 'Banka Paul' took over as one of the famous icon makers
of this potters' colony. The main source of potters income is only the idol making. Though they are not
well established but still they can manage to handle their lifestyle in a good way. During 'Durgapuja',
'Banka Paul' produces idols in Silchar. One of his sons is engaged with the task of idol making while
another son is studying and he does not want to drag him in the same business. Sri 'Shyamal Paul' is
the younger brother of 'Banka Paul', his age is 57 years. He came in this business before 15-17 years.
Most of his sons are doing these jobs, some with clay and some with paints. Their economic conditions
are much better. It has been analyzed that all though their lifestyles are not same but according to
ritual belief they all are united.
They believe that they are very devoted to God, which is what they are able to make these
fantastic icons of God. They believe that lord 'Biswakarma' has absolute power and through their
devotion to God they are able to feed their families. These idol-makers have a different history of their
identification, one is 'Rudra Paul' and another is 'Bhadra Paul' and at present they are famous as
'Kumar Paul'. They agree that their economic condition is little bit sound and that is only for their idol
making business. There is a great influence taken place through the works of the artists coming from
'Kolkata', by which they developed their own style. The village potters and urban potters have a great
difference according to the cost. The village potters can sell their idol cheaper than the urban potters
because in village materials like bamboos and clay are available, whereas in urban areas it is not so.
But urban potters are satisfied because of the demand and modern skill.
Presently there are 30 approximate potters exist in Silchar, who are engaged with the idol
making and potteries. Idol needs materials for its preparation. They buy bamboos from'Baskandi' near
Silchar and the most important clay from the bank of river. They buy the ornaments and the weapons
from Janiganj, Silchar but in future most of them want to get materials directly from Kolkata or
outside of Silchar. For beginning of making idols they need armature of wood and which they buy or
collect from the old icons. They first bind the shape of icon through rope then they put the layer of
clay over the entire icon. They also use the plaster of cotton cloth over the entire icon, to protect it
from cracks. This cotton cloth they usually collect from the secondhand cloth sellers. Then they uses
full clay layer over all cotton plastered icon and make the icon dry in low sunlight and after that they
put a white colour coat over all icons, so that the main colours should not get faded. There after they
put the individual colour according to God, and then dresses the idols with home prepared glue, along
6
with finishing touch with the ornaments. They usually get 7-8 days for big works where as they get 45 days for small works. The whole year they produce anonymous idols and 'Durga Puja' is one of the
flourishing times. They prepare some idols at home and some in pandals. They prepare various small
icons as 'Ganesh', 'Lakshmi', 'Saraswati', 'Kali' and also they produce Kali and Saraswati in big sizes.
They also prepare other idols like, 'Manasha', 'Bipadnashini', 'Shani', and 'Biswakarma'. Most of the
small size icons remain and that they repairs and sell in the next year. The face of every size idols are
prepared from the mould cast, which they believes as assets. They generally use earth colours for
painting the idols then they apply brushing for glaze.
Their economic conditions are not so good because they have to buy materials. Sometimes, it
happens that they get order of big idols but the client do not turn up for any reason; so, it creates net
loss. Idols which remain unsold are kept for next year in spite of all damages and repairs and redecoration
made but ultimately it creates a lot of loss.
They now have explored other sources of income like the shops of daily accessories made of
terracotta at Purnapal Road. The traditional old puja's had earlier the transaction of idols from this
kumar para, but now they are inclined to have idols from Kolkata which also cause losses to the
business of kumar para artists. There is another factor that outsider artists get more demands for
their works, but local artists are somewhat ignored. But they are no less than outside artists in skill
and innovative concept. To meet the challenge, now they also appoint support-artists from Kolkata
and getting the equivalent demand.
Artistically, they are more developed than ever before. They are now confident and agreed that
they can compete with modern works. Now the local artists are getting more demands because newgeneration local artists have got new skill to execute modern works. They earlier had tendency to
build the 'Durga' idol in one slab but now they are separating the idols which is a new innovation. Now
clay idols are decorated in various manner. They agree that they are influenced from outside works
and thus their work has been developed. They are not only doing artistic idols but also the traditional
ones, this is where the Silchar 'Purnapal Road' thrives in trade and fame.
According to the Idol makers of Purnapal Road, their work demand is good but in monetary
parameter they don't get the actual value of their works. They have now future plans to further
develop their style and they want to send their sons for higher studies in idol making. Almost all of
them want to obtain their materials like ornaments and weapons at cheaper prices directly from the
outside like Kolkata to ensure fair profit.
Finally, we find that the Government should come out with necessary measures for their support
so that this profession as well as the local idol-making industry survives with its rich heritage.
F E AT U R E
Dhamail
Pinak Pani Nath
Folk dances are ingenious impulse of Barak Valley; these dances exist with us since time
immemorial. Demonstration of optimism, liveliness, and distress are the part of folk-dances. Dhamail
dance of Barak Valley is the part and parcel of cultural life of Hindu Bengalis of Barak valley. Radha
Raman Dutta (1833-1915) is well known in Barak Valley as the father of Dhamail songs. He was an
influential Sylheti folk music composer and poet from the Sunamganj district in Sylhet, Bangladesh.
Most of the people of Barak Valley depend on farming. Sometimes they want relaxation from
their regular activities in paddy field. Therefore, they use Dhamail as their medium of recreation.
Dhamail is fundamentally based on dance, song and music, etc. Dhamail depicts societal, radical,
effectual, spiritual, and consistent events of life. Dhamail song is first started by the leader and then
followed by the chorus, steadily the beat / tempo upsurge and finally stretches to the climax. Besides
that, dancer strains to create an impressive joy through Dhamail dance. This Dhamail dances and
songs accentuated the social, ethical and devotional aspects of Barak valley. Dhamail is not only
performed by female alone, sometimes males also join Dhamail dance. But, the inclination of Dhamail
dance is upholded by the female of Barak Valley. Dhamail dance can be synchronous in festivals,
Dhamail songs of this region are divided into four stages - Fairy tale Songs, Vow songs, Occupational
songs, and Secular songs. Again secular songs are divided into two stages- Ordinary songs and Festival
songs. The acclamation of hands, body movements, leg movements, hand movements, and head
movements, these are the major features of dhamail dance. Once, in 1919, Dhamail dance of Barak
valley was accomplished in front of Rabindranath Tagore when he reached Badarpur Railway Station
and this dance was cherished by Tagore. Dhamail and Dhamali words are very close and approachable
in Bengali language, since time immemorial. 'Surja brota' or 'Thakur brota', is a popular festival of this
region and it is celebrated during the month of Baishakh (Bengali Month), mid-March to mid- April,
8
special attraction of this festival is Dhamai dance. In the day of 'Buddha Purnima' another kind of
Dhamail dance is celebrated by the females of Barak Valley, which is prevalently known as 'Fuldole'.
These above cited Dhamail dances are different than the others dhamail dances. In Joll dhamail, the
use of clay pitcher is very conspicuous. In Joll Dhamail, dancers put their pitchers in the middle of
dhamail place and then they consolidate their dance around the pitcher.
Some exceptional kinds of songs are practicing by the Muslims of Barak Valley. Dr. Shibtapan
Basu, a well-known intellectual of this valley, has written that a similar kind of songs like dhamail
which still exist in Muslim Community.
Dhamail
songs
always imitate the existing
metaphysical, spiritual,
ceremonial, aesthetical,
and intangible ideas, for
instance - i) Kachuripaana
ii) Malariya iii) Bidhaba
Bibaha iv) Rail Garhi v)
Swadesh Chetona vi)
Mahatma Gandhi, etc. as
well
as
everlasting
phenomena like love and
marriage etc. These above
mentioned
themes
replicate the different
perspectives of social life.
These said subjects have
given a great significance
for the development of
social structure of Barak
region. In many cases
these songs are playing a
role of communication.
But, not the conventional
ways of communication, it
is very entertaining mode of
communication. Durga
Puja is one of the major
occasions for Bengalis.
During Durga puja,
Dhamail dancers of Barak
Valley perform different
modes of dhamail songs
and dances. On the days of
'Shosthi puja', dancers
perform Agomoni gaan
(song of invocation) and
Dhamail dance. Second day
when Devi comes to
mandapa, dancers perform
another type of songs &
dances. Special kinds of
songs and dances are
performed in third, fourth
and fifth day gradually.
Marriage customary is the
key social festival for
Bengali
community.
Dhamail is part and parcel
of marriage customary of
Bengalis. Five days are special during marriage, for instance - Mangolacharan, Paanokhilee, Adrisnaan,
Adhibaas, Biya and Baasibiya. Dancer played different types of Dhamail dance and songs in these
days. Artisans also execute whole night programs during adhibaas.
Some other important aspects of Dhamail are equally idiosyncratic during performance.
These are - i) Dress ii) Ornament iii) Hair Style iv) Facial looks v) Alta (Red colour) etc.
i) Dress - Dancers use white sari with red border. It is made with cotton, this sari is very
comfortable to control during presentation. Along with, they use cotton blouse; the use of sari reflects
the special kind of Bengali uniqueness. Sari is Common in Dhamail dance.
ii) Ornament-. In Dhamail, dancers use very common ornaments which are very easily accessible
in the market of Barak Valley. Occasionally they use natural flowers as one of the most significant
ornament for Dhamail Dance.
iii) Hair style - For Dhamail dance, the entertainers use Khopa (knot of hair), it is very common
type of hair style for Bengali ladies. Dancers use diverse kinds of flowers on khopa as well as small lot
of sari just tidy with khopa.
iv) Facial Looks: Dancers use very simple kind of cosmetics for enhancement. Dancers alone
formulate themselves for dance.
9
v) Red Colour- In Dhamail
dance, alta (red colour fluid) is
used by the dancer. They use alta
on their palm as well as they make
lines on their feet. These
arrangements give them special
fascination and it generates a
visual understanding with the
spectators.
Aesthetical practices
depend in each people
autonomously. According to
Natya Shastra, there are eight
types of rasa and later, one more
rasa added with them and now
these are total nine numbers.
These all rasas are very much
nearer with every people. Because consciously and sub - consciously everyone is performing these
rule of rasas. Nature is an absolute teacher; she has very proficiently placed all these rasas into
human beings and gives them chance to feel it. Dhamail delivers each rasas correspondingly, these
are - Shringara, Hasya, Karuna, Rudra, Vira, Bhayankar, Bibhatsa, Adbhut and Shanta.
The uses of musical instruments in Dhamail also put an equal effort. The major musical
instruments, which are used in Dhamail, are i) Mridanga - Its body was originally made of clay. But at present is made of wood.
ii) Khol - Khol may be called a renovate form of Mridanga. Like Mridanga, it is also played with
the fingers.
iii) Dhol - Dhol is a cylindrical wooden drum, the player beats it with one small bamboo stick in
right hand and by hand on the skin cover by the left side.
iv) Dhak - Dhak is an old and very big percussion instrument and one of the most popular
instruments of Bengalis. Its ancient name is Dhakka. It is used in rural religious festivals.
v) Cymbal - A musical instrument in the form of a round metal plate.
Refer
ences :References
1)
Bhattacharjee, Prof. Mukundada; "Barak Upatyakar Loknritya Gramin Nritya Kala (Folk Dances
of Barak Valley)", 1995.
2)
Basu, Dr. Shibtapan; "Barak Upatyakar Lok Sanskriti," 2001.
3)
Barthakur, Dilip Ranjan; "The Music and musical Instruments of North Eastern India", 2003.
4)
Paul, Nikhil; "Proshna Uttare Rabindranath", 2005.
5)
Bhattacharjee, Prof. Mukundadas; "Gramin Nritya-Kala (Articles on Folk Dance and other)'',
2005.
6)
Sharma, Dr. Prabal; "Music Culture of North- East India", 2008.
7)
Bhattacharjee, Dr. Amolendu; "Personal Interview'', Silchar, Assam, 2012.
8)
Nath, Binapani ; "Personal Interview'', Silchar, Assam, 2012.
9)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Move-to-revive-dhamail-dance/articleshow/
12337482.cms
10
F E AT U R E
Hindu Marriage and Ritualistic Motifs
Special focus on Sylheti culture of Barak Valley
Sudeshna Das
Marriage is a universal social bond between permissible mates. It is established by the human
society to control and regulate man and woman as husband and wife with rituals where different
Parvana are performed and then the whole festival becomes sacrament. Marriage in Bengali community
has diversification in parts of the country in different sections. Marriage has got a definite cause and
curriculum and characteristics in different societies. Generally in Bengali communities the system of
marriage though more or less alike yet a bit deviation is found which strategically feature in Barak
Valley. The Valley consists of Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj District. Some of the people long ago
were migrated from Sylhet district, at present in Bangladesh, and permanently settled in these districts
and adjusted themselves with the people of Barak Valley, mostly dominated by different categories of
Bengali people. As the ritual motifs of the local people follows the implication of the cultures of
marriage system and the functions go as per their modalities, similarity pervades the marriage system
in Sylhet district. Simultaneously the other people also adopted the same procedure. The ritual motifs
of marriage in Barak Valley are similar to other Bengali marriage (i.e., West Bengal) functions and the
meanings are also the same consensus. Though there is same social significance yet there appends
some status in adding extra rituals here. The marital relation is the same in all aspects. The marriage
system of West Bengal and Barak Valley the rituals are same but the names of the Parvana differ.
Marriage is a virtuous ceremony of the Sylhetee people as because the people worship different
Gods and Goddesses before the beginning of the marriage. They regard the function as sacrament; so
they worship the Goddess Kali, Durga and so on to have divine grace for the "Bratas" and "Parvanas"
to conjugate the men and women as husband and wife. Marriage starts with the different rituals of
purification of the body and souls, and never completed without the benediction of Fire (Agni).
Traditionally different objects are used for marriage rituals such asEarthen pot of various sizes
and qualities, Sarapatil, Alponaa, Dala and Kula made of bamboo. Generally infinite numbers of
motifs used in the objects or objects are sometimes directly becomes motifs in visual aspects. Amongst
11
the people, there are certain rites which must be performed for marriage to be completed. The main
rites are Vakyadan, Mangalacharan, Paner Khili, worship of Ruposhi, odhibash, Dodhimongal,
Kanyadan, Hoam and other rites go step by step serially. So, in Sylheti marriage firstly the name and
gotras of bridegroom and bride are announced along with the avouchment that the both families are
ready for marriage and the date of marriage settled according to Almanac (Ponjeeka) to confirm a
ShubhaDin (auspicious day ) for the Mangalacharan and the Marriage. Sylheti people in Barak Valley
celebrate their marriage in very ritualistic manner, and all the articles they used are very much
commonly used for everyday in home like kalash, dhail-chiya, daalaa, small brass pot, etc, etc.
Different motifs of various significance are used in metaphorical character with well grounded
ritual customs in Sylhetee people. These have important rule. There are different types of motif used
in marriage and the meaning and symbols have individual character which means fertility. The motifs
are :-Biyer Chithi (invitation car
d) :- The prolonged preparations of Bengali wedding start with the
card)
invitation card (Chithi). According to the tradition the extended families, friends and relatives all are
invited to attend the marriage function. The invitation card plays important role to let the guests
know the marriage date, venue and other details. Wedding is a very auspicious occasion for the
Bengalis and wedding invitation cards (Chithi) are an integral part of a Bengali marriage. The content
of the cards usually starts with a mantra- "om sri sri projapotoye nomoh nomoh" Usually the invitation
cards are traditional and bear an ethnic touch in them but contemporary versions are also gaining
popularity these days. The traditional design usually includes religious signs like swastika, Om, betel
leaves and kalash. The cover page also contains the picture of God. At times the impression of Baraat
and Palki are also imprinted on the card. The conventional colours for Bengali wedding card are red,
yellow, golden, green etc.
Ghat (vessels) :- Ghat is very important motif in a marriage; it symbolizes the auspicious
"Mangolic". Generally the pots used are filled with either water paddy or rice up to the brim. In a
marriage there are many sizes of Ghat used and specially made of earth. Ghat symbolizes the women
womb and the plentitude of it is the symbol of fertility. All Ghats are painted with "Swastika sign" and
some are painted just with "Sindur tika" (vermillion mark) which indicates the good wishes. As the
Ghats are always filled up it means womb of the woman going to marry is always full. It is the Zeitgeist
and believed enthusiastically.
Projaapotee :- This is butterfly regarded as heaven-sent opportunity. So, in an invitation card
written the "Sri Sri projapotoye Nomoh Nomoh", means the faith towards the God Projaapotee "The
Brahma". There is believed that Brahma is the creator of the earth which has very significance to fight
for health and attar. The marriage place is holy Dom and the motif butterfly in the invitation card or
marriage ceremony regards as a sign of good speed of marriage life. There is a mythological belief that
without the "Projaapotee Nirbondhana" or Bless of Projaapotee or Brahma no marriage will take place.
Here it is seen that Projaapotee or Butterfly with various beautiful attractive colours and species fly
from flower to flower and absorbs its juices to live. Here in rituals rites Projaapotee focuses the
diversification of various colours relating the various lightening in the marriage function. Generally
butterfly moves flower to flower in propagation of pollination for breeding. This is also an important
factor to use symbol of butterfly. The vivid colour admixes the adorable blessings to the Bride for her
colourful and attractive future for family as well as society . Hence the symbol of Projaapotee found in
different places includes different motifs. Various types of sweets are also prepared designed like
Projaapotee and these sweets are given to the bride.
Fish :- Fish is used as motifs in marriage because it has also an important part of it. In Barak
Valley the farming of fish are meliorated in the village area and the mass people choose fish farming
in each and every pond under their housing boundary. I doubt whether it has any religious links with
the festival or not but the people use the fish and regards as symbol of bonanza. The Bengali people
like fishes in their dishes and prepare variety of fish items and also gift in the marriage as one of the
items in Tattwa. The reproduction capacity of fish is much higher, so fish is regarded as sign of
fertility.
12
Alponaa :- Alponaa means daub. Originally Alponaa is done with rice paste paint which is a
ritualistic folk art, delivered in different names in different customs. This kind of art carries the social
character with cultural background of different areas through the rituals like Bratas, Parvanas and Pujas
and Marriages. In painting, now a days various techniques are used to visualize the sculptures like
geometrical paintings to show case. They display the Alponaa with various colours to attract the viewers.
Sora P
atil :- Sora Patils are nothing but earthen materials or pottery goods. From time imperials
Patil
the Sora Patils are used in marriage purpose. These are regarded as the good will and benevolence.
These are filled up with water and various rituals are performed by this Sora Patil as MONGAL GHAT.
Sometimes this Sora Patil is painted with thumbnail sketch and light of a lamp is kept over the Sora
Patil.
Pan :- Generally Pan-Supari (Betel nut and leaf) are given in marriage as rites and rituals of
Hindu marriage. The Bride is regarded as the Lakshmi of a family. So, in Hindu marriage suitably in
Sylheti marriage, Pan-Suparies are given for token of Goddess of wealth and prosperity.
Kunja :- Kunja is the most attractive motif of a marriage. It is generally constructed varieties of
articles and decorated with attractive design to draw attention of the marriage. It is of circle in size
and one banana trees are placed in each corner of the Kunja; total seven nos. of banana trees required
for a Kunja and it is symbol of Astha Shakti of ritual myth. Seven Ghats filled with water, rice and
Amra Pallav is placed in the seven corners of the Kunja in front of Banana trees. To speak, Kunja is an
arbour(shady resting place in the park), and the Bride and Groom perform some ritual rites on the
night of marriage in Bride's house. It is decorated with Alponaa and light illuminating various colours
to make it more attractive.
Flower (L
otus) :- In Hindu religion, the Lotus flower is regarded pious and symbol of God
(Lotus)
Vishnu, the Padma-Nava. Here the mythology stands right that the Lotus is Goddess Lakshmi,
represents beauty, love and good fortune. In Hinduism, the Lotus flower has become a symbol for
awakening to the spiritual reality of life. On the other hand, the Padma-Yoni the God Brahma comes
out from the naval of God Vishnu. In one sense, Lotus is also a symbol of womb and it is taken as a part
of female. It also indicates the significance of a virgin and the bleeding from the female part is red
which has similarity with the red colour of a flower. After the menstruation, the girl becomes mature
and ready for breed. There are several superstitions with stories of lotus relating to marriage.
Shankha, Kor
hi :- Shankha and Korhi are the conch shell which is of ritual and religious
Korhi
important in Hinduism. Shankha is a sacred emblem of the Hindu God Vishnu and still used as a
trumpet in Hindu ritual and in past was for war trumpet. The Shankha and Korhi are the abode of
Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and wife of Lord Vishnu, where Vishnu holding Shankha in one of his
hand. Shankha and Korhi both are the aquatic as symbol of water, associated with female fertility
because water itself symbolizes fertility.
13
There is different meaning of fertility. The procreation of children perceptual increase of family
and upbringing of children are the main meaning of Fertility. On the otherwise the meaning of Fertility
means to make fertile of the whole family to live in happiness and nurture the progeny in good way to
stand fruitfully for his life in acquiring education etc in future. In ancient time during draught the
Aadibashi people adopted several religious superstitious rites to bring rain. They used to make hole in
a place and the males used to dance around the hole and forcibly hit the place with the spear. As per
their custom if they hit hole then there must be male female co-relation and as a result they believe
rain will fall and fertile the land. There are several mythological superstitions amongst the Aadibaasis
to use different motifs in fertility cult. Secondly, one important point to be noted in marriage that the
bride uses SINDUR (Vermillion) in her forehead to indicate that the bride is married or that particular
women are married. It is known as Sindurdaan or painting on the part of the hair on Bride's forehead
with vermillion and putting lace bangles in her hands by the Groom. Rice and green grasses are used
for the sign of benevolence. For the welfare of the Bride and Bridegroom, the elderly person gives this
motif to the Bride and Bridegroom's head with joker (a sound uttered but women during marriage or
puja festival).
In Marriage, woman or bride takes a vital role as for fertility. In Monogamy form of marriage,
one man marries one woman and the woman is given the highest status for fertility and production of
children. Women are regarded with great exception but in most of the areas hold the women as
Pativrata. Here women is also regarded Generatrix. The society believes it is a matter of religious duty
and considers marriage sacred.
The culture and ritual ceremonies of Sylheti marriage is very interesting, specially the Dhamail
song and dance which is performed in marriage and the all motifs used are totally folk type but in
believe with mythology. Every motif or the designs on the earthen pots, kulas, dalas are painted with
red yellow and white colour and the patterns are like polka design, circular design, coil design type,
than zigzag, straight line, dots, wave line; sometimes, they use human figure in folk style pattern, any
kind of flower design, kolki design and so many. Each and every material with the motif is very
important part of a Bengali marriage ritually.
14
Review
(In) to the middle of the "stories"
Rollie Mukherjee
It seems that we are ever standing in the middle of everything. The slippery site of the present
is constantly visited/ revisited by the past and the possibilities of the future. The middle of the stories
is full of disruptions, dilemmas, disorder and confusions. This is a tricky, slippery and non-linear site
where several things overlaps and intersects and never can we in fact come out of it. Novelist Mona
Simpson says in her A Sister's Eulogy - "we all in the end die (in) Media's res- in the middle of a story
of many stories... when we die, our part of the grand narrative of this world may be finished but it lives
on- so to speak in the lives of others in which we play a role."
"In medias res" or "Into the middle
of things" is a trope first used by the Roman
lyric poet satirist Horace in his Arspoetica
in C13B.C. This technique has been used
extensively in literature and in movies as
a strategy, to begin the narration in the
middle of a crucial situation. It starts by
disrupting the central character's status
quo. Epics like the odyssey, the Iliad, the
Aeneid, the Paradise lost, Mahabharata
has employed the convention of beginning
a story in Medias res. Shakespearean plays
effectively utilized this trope. Modern
novelists like William Faulkner and Toni
Morrison have employed this, to crumble
the time sequence of the story for a non-linear narrative. The modern crime thrillers, action thrillers,
Film noir, war movies extensively use media res for a dramatic, mysterious start where the story starts
in investigating the plot.
Reading a work of art in 'Medias Res' demands reading through a complex array of overlapping
frames about artist thinking processes, practices, production, and circulation of a work of art. When
a work of art is exhibited in a gallery, it is always in the Medias Res. The work of art as a text produced
by the artist is now open for the viewers for an interpretation. The artwork is in fact read in the Medias
Res where the overlapping meaning of a work of art as an aesthetic experience, as a commodity, as a
virtual entity, as an ideology etc merges.
The viewer has to map out how to interpret a work of art in the Medias res and to comprehend
the several overlapping of meanings within which the work of art passes through and it generates and
frames itself and engender a dissemination of the creative production. Michel Foucault reads a work
of art as hetrochronic. Just as the subject's life is constructed out of constant interruptions as symptoms
or geographical dislocation/displacements creating disjunctions of space and an overlapping of visual
signs languages gestures or artefacts, so is the viewing of a artwork entails such an response in the
viewer. Also British Psychoanalyst Christopher Bollas says in his book "Shadow of the object" 1987, an
artist is through the aesthetic, transformed into his or her thought. The work of art is a transformation
of subjectivity into thought. He also says the artist does reside within the image but that the maker has
only partial mastery over the result. This view gives an importance to the viewer. The subject is not the
director of the play rather just a character not a hero. The meaning of the artwork is based as a split
within the individuality of the maker. On the one hand the maker's thought is in the image and on the
15
other side she does not wholly master it- neither the thought itself nor the transformation that produced
it. The subject is dependent on the 2nd person. It's dependent on the viewers' willingness to be the
work's 2nd person.
Painting in Medias res was a well known convention of painting during the romantic era.
Postmodernism /modernism/realism has taken some aspects of Romanticism in an engagement with
all levels of inward and outward experiences and its emphasis on the movement of becoming.
Since painting is synchronic in nature with diverse layering of time and spaces with its mysterious
trappings of conscious, unconscious, real, fiction. So reading and interpreting a work of art can never
follow a fixed ordered sequential predictable manner. Thus we are epistemologically and ontologically
in the middle of the things.
Norman Bryson in his critique on Gombrich says that one need to examine the social character
of the image and its reality as a sign. Art is in constant touch with the signifying forces outside
painting, Forces that cannot be accounted for by "structural explanation". He says viewing is an activity
of transforming the material of painting into meaning and this transformation is perceptual, nothing
can arrest it. A viewer is not a changeless anatomy of vision.
Thus a work of art is a complex net of overlaps, the viewer with his/ her baggage of experiences,
knowledge, ideology, sensibilities and different frames of mind, opens a work to newer levels. An
active viewer may grasp and unfold a lot of things to give conclusiveness to a work of art. Yet still the
viewer might not get the entire comprehension of a work. The viewer is often in the midst of a mystery
before a work of art. This mystery is inherent in a work because a viewer only perceives a work as a
virtual glimpse of the long process involved in making each painting. The viewer is clueless about its
beginning. The story of the processes, the inspiration, and the modus operandi all witnessed within
the artist studio. And so every time there is a requirement felt for an artist statement/intentional
fallacy, for an authorial authorship.
Thus the ambiguity in a work is generated not only by what a painting provokes/ evokes /
describes or defines structurally but what remains invisible from the spectrum of the viewer what the
viewer can't grasp and understands is the process of making a work of art. The long process of thinking/
experiences/ readings an artist engages in. Thus we can say that a painting always exist in the medias
res. Frozen in a mysteriousness structurally in terms of settings objects, gestures lines, colours how
these are articulated by the artist but also in its long process of making it.
One can see parallel in such reading what Michel Foucault says in "the Archaeology of
Knowledge".1969 "Archaeology does not imply the search for a beginning. It does not relate analysis
to genealogical excavation. It designates the general theme of a description that questions the already
said at the level of its existence; of the enunciative function that operates within it, of the discursive
formation and the general archive system to which it belongs. Archaeology describes discourses as
practices specified in the element of the archive." He says it is not the expression itself, but the rules
which make an expression discursively meaningful. So if the attempt is towards reading the statements
within the context of the overall structure where the work is produced, exchanged, viewed, it would
be an enriching experience. Sometimes certain statement doesn't offer any meaning other than itself
thereby becoming empty signs if not read within the entire context of production and circulation.
Thus, the meaning of expressions depends on the conditions in which they emerge and exist within
a field of discourse; the discursive meaning of an expression is reliant on the succession of statements
that precede and follow it.
My attempt below entails such a process of reading the work in the middle of the various events
towards this grouping of artists. The attempt however is not exhaustive but is just an introductory
view or one of the many ways to initiate a dialogue with the works being discussed.
Sarika Mehta by her minimalist approach generates a textile tangibility of an ordinary object
and its hidden life implicated in it. Her paintings evoke a suspended world of material and immaterial.
The ordinary attains a sublime and a transcendental aura.
In Shivani bhalla the conjunction of fact, fiction, the metaphoric and metonymic relationship
16
between objects and the nonlinear overlaps of palimpsest of images are layered over to navigate the
female domain in her works. Where the female are omnipotent as a child with her traumas, confusions
and as a powerful female in a matriarchal structure where she brings the contradictory female face to
face as heroine and as anti heroine.
The representational documentary mode of Priti vadakkath works with an abstraction lays
open an ambiguous space. Her work plays with the notion of memory inscribed in the family snapshots.
Most of her works mixes the world of a child with that of grownups. The contradiction that exists
between the world of innocence and the cynical logical giving explanatory world of elders.
In Shruti mahajan's works one sense a synecdoche of absence- presence, the overlapping
memories of belonging/loss/displacement and the changing cosmos of home with her minimalist
approach which is intensified by the play of shadows and line rendering of images almost as a phantom
presence. The nook and corners she chooses to paint. The interiors in her paintings are ancestral
home culled from memories.
Puja puri with her documentary approach with graphic delineation of children and ragged
people seem to be self engrossed and the soldiers gazing straight into the eyes of the viewers. The title
of her paintings "A muted existence/ when war intrudes table talks/ warrior etc., talks about how war
becomes a casual normal event in everyday life.
Sajeev visweshwaran's drawings are controlled and geared towards an economy of lines. His
drawing sometimes catches the glimpses of the day to day ordinariness of our being and sometimes
treads towards symbolic with undefined territory or space of emptiness. Majorly his paintings bring in
a nostalgic recollection of his native place. The presence of her grandmother and the fertile vegetation
of his native land preoccupy the artist and revisit him like a reveries over and over again with the pain
of loss of his grandma and the lingering presence of her in his memory.
Sujith S N visualize the contemporary city as a site of disciplining differences in its hierarchies
of ordering as a violent structure embedded in the development agendas. The conflicts and psychological
fragmentation and alienation is what he thrusts upon in his paintings. The gruesome scapes of dystopia
where any future possibilities and hopes vaporizes and the traumas of "being" in the fragility of our
ephemerality is thrust upon in his works.
Mahesh Baliga generates a visual poetry through varied representational modalities and painterly
strategies and there by aestheticize the mundane world with all its paradoxes and problems and
transcends it. The toxic garbage heaps gets transformed to magical nuances of hues captivating the
viewers in its beauty. The ambiguity is generated by means of incomprehensible postures of the
protagonist and by unusual juxtapositions. He attempts at subtly bringing in the questions of identity
and the inescapable urban situations.
My (Rollie Mukherjee) recent series emphasize that freedom is an illusion in a patriarchal
coldblooded repressive world which rattles woman's world from inside and from outside. The patriarchal
police inflict violence on women as a strategy of control. The "Home" as a site is Janus faced .On the
one hand it is often seen as a zone of no-conflict yet on the other hand in reality it is a domain of unfulfilled dreams and desires and also an inescapable trap. A female resides in an imagined subjectivity
where she is always seen in binaries. Outside the frame of docility and conformity, women is forced
into a self-doubt with a split in her existence as a "subject".
Reading a work of art in 'Medias Res' means being conscious and aware of the various processes
and events that happens before and after the particular act of reading or contemplating about the
work already seen. The significance of such a reading is that one doesn't start from or search for a
primordial beginning of a work which has been for long the guarded territory of the author or artist.
One begins from ones own position as a viewer responding to a visual text at front which is already
mediated and permeated by various ideologies. The unwanted attachment with the illusionistic idea
of an innocent and honest eye of viewing is done away to a matured responsible and conscious
viewing process. This consciousness of being in the middle of a chain of events helps the viewer to
transform from his/her given position.
17
International
From Combat to Carpet :
The Strange Story of Afghan War Rugs
Stephanie Strasnick
AFGHANIST
AN'S
FGHANISTAN
WOMEN WEA
VERS HA
VE TRANSFORMED TRADITIONAL TEXTILES
WEAVERS
HAVE
INTO AMAZING AND COMPLEX ICONS OF WAR, CHANGE, AND MODERNITY
From the more than 50 years of conflict and military
intervention in Afghanistan has emerged a surprising
textile phenomenon-war rugs. A mash-up of centuriesold techniques and modern symbols of war that include
AK-47 assault rifles and artillery tanks, these complex,
visually stunning rugs are woven by Afghan women and
were originally marketed to visiting troops.
War rugs-which can take up to one year to weavemake up just 1 percent of the rugs produced in
Afghanistan and are not exhibited often in the United
States. An exhibition opening Saturday at Florida's Boca
Museum of Art, however, will offer a rare opportunity to
view more than 40 of these rugs up close. Titled "Afghan
War Rugs: The Contemporary Art of Central Asia," the
show-which
traveled to the
Boca
Museum
from the Villa
Terrace Decorative
War Rug with Map of Afghanistan,
Arts Museum in
1998, knotted wool, Baghlan
(Afghanistan); acquired in Peshawar
M i l w a u ke e - w a s
(Pakistan). PRIVATE COLLECTION
curated
by
Annemarie Sawkins and Enrico Mascelloni.
While the exact origin of Afghan war rugs is unknown,
many historians trace the tradition to the mid-20th century,
after the 1947 invention of the Kalashnikov assault rifle,
or AK-47. When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979,
Afghan weavers found that combat-inspired rugs were
marketable to Russian troops, and later, beginning in 2001,
to American troops. The rugs made their way into more
mainstream markets and are now collected by buyers
around the world.
War Rug, 1996, knotted wool, Herat
(Afghanistan); acquired in Peshawar
(Pakistan). PRIVATE COLLECTION.
Guns and other weapons were likely the impetus for
the creation of war rugs, but other motifs like maps, local
landmarks, and portraits are also popular among weavers
18
and buyers. The jewel-tone Portrait Rug (Am?null?h Khan), 1985, for example, depicts the leader
who ruled Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929. Am?null?h, who lead the country to independence
from Britain, is considered by many Afghanis to be one of the country's first modern leaders. By
framing the portrait with toy-like images of contemporary artillery, the artist (who is unknown)
positioned him as such. Pictorial rugs like this one were so popular that weavers continued their
production even while under the control of the Taliban, whose members oppose idolatry.
Inspired by postcards, photographs, and propaganda posters, Afghanistan's nomadic and
semi-nomadic weavers also depict feats of architecture and civil engineering. One rug in this
show features one of Afghanistan's major engineering projects, the Naghlu Dam. The dam, which
supports Afghanistan's largest power plant-is a symbol of progress.
On the rug, throngs of low-flying helicopters and advancing tanks encircle the dam-an
earnest reminder that military presence has become part of the country's landscape. "Wrapped
up in the three British wars, the Soviet invasion, the American invasion, the civil wars, and the
conflicts," says Sawkins, "is the war rug."
Portrait Rug (Aminullah Khan), 1985, knotted wool,
Afghanistan; acquired in Peshawar (Pakistan).
PRIVATE COLLECTION.
War Rug with Naghlu Dam, late 1970s, knotted
wool, Afghanistan; acquired in Kabul
(Afghanistan). PRIVATE COLLECTION.
Courtesy : @ ARTnewsmag. New York
19
Gallery Report
Expressionism in Germany and France
From Van Gogh to Kandinsky
On View
Location
:
:
June 8-September 14, 2014
LACMA (the Los Angeles County Museum of Art), Resnick Pavilion
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) presents Expressionism in Germany and
France: From Van Gogh to Kandinsky (June 8-September 14, 2014), an exhibition that sheds new
light on the extraordinary response of artists in Germany and France to key developments in modern
art in the early 20th century. For the first time in a major museum exhibition, Expressionism is
presented not as a distinctly German style but as an international movement in which artists in
Germany and France responded with
various aesthetic approaches to modern
masters such as Vincent van Gogh, Paul
Czanne, Henri Matisse, and Paul
Gauguin, among others. Over 40 artistsincluding Wassily Kandinsky,
Emil Nolde, Gabrielle Mnter, Franz
Marc, Robert Delaunay, and Pierre
Bonnard-are represented in over 90
paintings and 45 works on paper, in
addition to approximately 30 ephemera
objects.
"Expressionism in Germany and
France offers a unique opportunity to
observe the ways that a generation of
artists was influenced by some of the
greatest names in modern art history," says
exhibition curator Timothy O. Benson.
"Our visitors will gain insight into the
culturally rich cosmopolitan milieu
established by the many exhibitions,
collectors, gallerists, critics, and not least
the artists of the time (many of whom
traveled between Paris and Germany) and
how this cultural atmosphere transcended
national borders."
"This exhibition is a fascinating look
at artistic influence in Europe that shatters
barriers of nationality," says Michael
Govan, LACMA CEO and Wallis
Annenberg Director. "These artists'
practices were not constrained by their
borders-and in fact many creative
breakthroughs of the 20th century happened thanks to this dialogue between these two countries, as
artists reshaped their national identities."
The exhibition is currently on view at the Kunsthaus Zrich (Febraury 7-May 11, 2014), where
20
it goes by the title Expressionism in Germany and France: From Matisse to the Blue Rider. Following
its presentation at LACMA, the exhibition travels to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (October 6,
2014-January 25, 2015).
EXHIBITION OVER
VIEW
OVERVIEW
Expressionism in Germany and France explores the process of artistic influence and contributes
to new scholarship on issues of French-German relations. The exhibition offers insight into how the
visual arts are conveyed between cultures and are influenced by ideas of national identity and cultural
heritage.
Expressionism, an artistic movement in which pictorial imagery is depicted through dramatically
expressive colors and brushwork, digresses from traditional representation in which artists attempted
to recreate a likeness of reality; instead, the movement gives form to artists' individual perceptions,
feelings, and psychologies. While Expressionism has come to be recognized as a predominately German
movement, this association evolved
gradually long after the movement
had begun and is partially attributed
to the first book on Expressionism,
authored by the German art critic
Paul Fechter in 1914 and on view in
the exhibition. The publication
imbued the movement with a
national identity, commensurate with
the patriotic tone in Germany during
World War I. In reality, Expressionism
was born from a shared advance
toward modernism among French
and German artists as the latest
French trends reached Germany
through a network of collectors,
critics, and art lovers, creating a
mutually rich cosmopolitan milieu.
Expressionists discovered new
artistic possibilities through the first
modern masters. They recognized
expressive gesture and color in Van
Gogh, nascent abstraction in
Czanne, and a new approach to the
decorative in Gauguin and Matisse.
Expressionism in Germany and
France brings together significant
works that Expressionists would have
seen and carefully studied in
exhibitions and collections of the
time throughout Germany as well as
Paris. Through a process of give and
take, the Expressionists moved
toward an international art while also
seeking to maintain their national
cultural heritage, combining tradition
with aesthetic evolution.
21
Media & Communication
Changing Faces of Indian Advertisement
Kapil Chowdhury
Like many other commonplace words - think of art, love and justice; advertising is surprisingly
hard to define with precision. Advertising is an organized method of communicating information
about a product or service which a company or individual wants to sell to the people. Advertising is a
paid announcement that is expressed or conveyed through word, text, pictures, music (audio) and
action in a medium which is used by the potential buyers. It is also defined as -"advertising is a
communication which expresses for the purpose of selling a product or service." Process of planning,
execution, the pricing, promotion and distribution of a product to create exchanges that satisfy both
individual needs and organization goals, this process is known as Advertising. Actually advertising is
also defined as "public announcement". We can also say that Advertising means "Any paid for nonpersonal presentation for the promotion of any ideas, goods and services by an identified sponsor".
Even Advertising is a form of persuasive communication with the consumer or audience. In the time
of digital communication, television commercial is now one of the most popular and successive media
in advertising industry. It is also true that each subliminal advertisings have always the power of
insidiousness and which is more evident. This kind of advertisings are basically based on two basic
techniques; one is allowing words to flash during commercials, which are not consciously seen but
still have strong impact on people's mind; another is the using of "testimonial" or "brand ambassador"
or celebrities who are symbolized as guarantee for the brand through their fame. So result is that the
celebrities He or She using a product means the product is good, so the target audience would tempt
to buy it. Advertising is a paid-for communication intended to inform and persuade one or more
people. An interesting fact is that we can't strictly declare advertising as a paid-for communication; if
no cost is involved in advertising yet it has the communication, persuasive and achieves good publicity,
but it is not technically advertising in terms of Corporate world. Yes, at that time we can consider it as
an advertising which is produced deliberately been given away free or without any cost (for exampleto a charity). Every advertisement runs as a bridge in between the gap of the sender and the receiver.
This bridge is a communication. To buy a newspaper which is totally blank whether in words or
pictures or both, then it cannot communicate with the people. So, likewise advertisements also
communicate something to whoever see or hear it.
Advertising is a very important tool which works as an effective multiple salesmen. It may
appeal to thousands while the salesman talks to one, it means when a salesman interact with an only
one consumer, an advertising communicates with millions of consumer at a same time. Even it involves
a corresponding cost compared with a salesman. So a salesman's mistake may cost little but an
advertiser's mistake may cost a thousand times bigger than a salesman's mistakes. Hence the advertiser
should be more cautious, more exacting towards his idea, concept and in everything of his
advertisement. Because a little mistake of an advertisement can affect very badly in various field.
Actually a flawless and errorless advertisement is the Golden Key to achieve the success in the marketing
communication. A successful advertisement creates by some significant elements and these elements
are honesty, truthfulness, simple and clear concept (message), morality and so on.
But from Egyptian's papyrus to the web advertisement, advertising has developed so incredibly
that nothing is impossible to do in the advertising either in concept or in technology. Concept and
technology are the main factors or limbs of advertising and these two are the major route through
which advertising has evolved. The emergence of this advertising industry can be identified through
the study and analysis of some early and modern print advertisements in India. It will also help to
understand the development of the advertisers' knowledge, skills, creativity and imagination. Fevicol
is the most successful adhesive product of India and it is very popular for its commercials. In the year
22
of 1959, Pidilite Production Company launched this white synthetic
Adhesive in the market. So a print ad of Fevicol was made in the year 1959 when printing
technology was not developed in India. At that time, offset printing was the main source for print
advertisement and in the meantime newspaper was often used for the advertisement. This
advertisement was printed through offset lithography. Set in greyscale, the illustration was composed
with some containers of Fevicol in the left side and in the right side of the advertisement the Logo
of Fevicol was placed in a big size. A tag line "Stick with the Best" also placed over the logo. So it is
a very simple and greyscale advertisement. On the other hand another print advertisement of
Fevicol was made in the year 2008. In a first glimpse it shows the impact of digital technology which
already emerged in the advertising industry. In last three decades, Fevicol has maintained it its
common features in advertisements such as, simplicity, humour, concept and creativity. In this
print advertisement, advertiser has designed the advertisement with the amalgamation of Hindu
mythology and the bond of Fevicol very creatively and humorously. Here the advertiser has executed
the illustrations in a form of cartoon characters. In this advertisement, Yama (the God of death)
was showed who is sitting on a buffalo and trying to pull out the soul of a man who committed
suicide. The body of the man is on the foreground along with the figure of Yama and his buffalo
proportionally depicted bigger than the man and his soul. Now the twist of this advertisement is
that the man is wearing the t-shirt of Fevicol so, Yama cannot pulled out the soul or life of the man
from his body. And the best thing is the tagline of the advertisement which says "Fevicol aise jod
lagaaye Yamraaj bhi na tod paaye", it means Fevicol fix such a way that Yama can not break its bond.
The theme, concept and the amalgamation of both are done brilliantly. Key features of this
advertisement are: it says about the effective bond of Fevicol, simple and effective way of storytelling,
punches of tagline and humour that gains the attention of the audience. So the study has analyzed
the emergence of advertising in India in last few decades. The former advertisement has not included
any concept or message in itself. Basically two or three brands/companies were there in market for
particular categories of product. So the competition was very less in number. Whereas the
advertisements of Surf washing powder are the source through which symbolized the emergence of
the India advertising industry. Earlier advertisements of Surf had some common visual aspects
such big packet of Surf with illusionistic background. In the year 1970, Surf presented a lady
"Lalitaji" with holding some clothes and a packet of Surf over the clothes. Here the lady is seen with
a glowing white saree and the clothes are also in glowing white along with illusionistic background.
Whereas the advertisement is in greyscale colour mode so it has become more effective to turn the
attention of the audience toward itself though as a black and white print advertisement. But after
few years the concept of this detergent powder changed in broader emotional way and brought the
needs of Indian people especially for women. Next advertisement of Lalitaji ad campaign came
with a tagline "Surf ki kharidari mein hi samajdari hain" (It makes better sense to buy Surf). Through
this tagline it created a great impact in the minds of the audience and as well as psychologically it
claimed as better detergent powder in the market. When this product was launched as a "Surf
Excel" under the Hindustan Unilever then it came with a new and brilliant concept. Where it has
started to used negative aspect in positive manner. With a new and attractive tagline "Daag acche
hain" - it turned more effective than the former taglines. Here it executed two girls to lie down on
the grass and having fun with paints in their face and all around clothes. This advertisement
approaches the negative aspect of staining in a very positive way to signify that now staining is not
big problem in cleaning. The brand targeted the housewives and the mothers who face problems
with their children's dirty and stained clothes. It also shows some development in particular aspects
such as now the size of the product or packet of Surf excel get small in size. The copywriting or text
information is placed under the white vector along with logo of Surf excel in the bottom. The
concept of using negative aspect in a positive way became very useful and successive idea for this
product. The recent print advertisement of Surf excel is also based on this concept along with the
amalgamation of cricket world of 2015 and "Lagaan" (the film). In a first glimpse it exactly looks
like a poster of the movie Lagaan. In this commercial eleven boys are standing with dirty clothes
along with holding cricket stuffs. "Practice karenge daag lagayenge 2015 mein toh World cup le
aayenge"- this tagline also inspires the Indian cricket team to win again world cup in 2015. These
23
print commercials of Surf excel has avoided to
execute unhappy housewives toiling hard with
dirty clothes or a woman with glowing white
clothes. With the concept of "Daag Achche Hai"
the brand has tried to give the message to live
the life with joy and to be stress-less about the
dirt and grime on clothes. The study and
analysis have helped to understand and
experience the development of print
advertisement, even it has also signified the
development of the advertiser. The emergence
of this advertising industry has happened for
the advertiser, who introduced creative and
innovative ideas in this field. For this reason it
could happen that the Indian advertising
industry has got the tag of entertainment.
Advertisers through their concept and ideas
made the people or audience to think beyond
the reality or imagination. Along with these
innovative and creative ideas, fulfilling the
expectations and requirements of the brands/
companies/ trade or product to survive and do
good business in the commercial field thrive on.
With the help of digitalization and modern
technology, the advertiser brought lots of
changes and penetrated many features into the
advertisement. Numerous software have been
introduced to make designs for the print media
such as CorelDraw, Adobe Indesign, Adobe
Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop. Though, we
all know that human wants are unlimited, so
the increasing number of brands and companies
in the market necessitate for the advertiser to
do more different and innovative job for creating
advertisements. Due to this the audience or the
people will experience numerous conceptual
and technological changes with lots of twist and
turns in Indian advertising.
24
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