Tuesday, 4/8/97
More Than Myth
The works of Indian women on display at the Craft and Folk Art
Museum weave history and spirituality together into artistic Indian
traditions.
By Alicia Cheak
Daily Bruin Contributor
rtistry is part of life, sometimes even daily life with the
women of India, whose works preserve their culture’s social and
spiritual present and past. Their art is featured in "Spirit of
India: Painted Prayers and Epic Stories" at the Folk and Craft Art
Museum of Los Angeles until July 20. "Spirit" is a look at some
amazing feats by women whose works, besides being intricate and
symbolic, have also made them carriers of tradition through
time.
The folk museum is the perfect home for their efforts, which
might not otherwise have an audience outside the village
boundaries. The 20 paper-mached figures are folk art, because they
come out of everyday living – depicting a wedding ceremony, ink
drawings of Hindu gods and myths, and colored photographs by
cultural anthropologist, Dr. Stephen Huyler. These capture the
women diligently at work painting the ground or their brick
abodes.
While an artist might be inspired to create a piece of work,
these women draw, paint and mold because it is part of their
personal, social and religious life. The images interpreted and
reinterpreted in an individual’s lifespan contribute to the
artform’s evolution through generations. Designs become more
complex, and reflect an artistry which can only be acquired through
continual practice and devotion. And while modes of expression and
even the tools of expression (some women use commercial dyes) have
changed over time, the ideas remain the same.
Three paper-mached figures greet visitors to the exhibit. The
large-eyed, stubby-fingered figures resist preconceptions of
artwork from an Indian village. Looking very much like animated
clay models, the front piece, along with 19 others positioned
throughout the exhibit, were created as part of the Festival of
Sama-Chakaiva, which celebrates a brother’s love and protection of
sisters. These lend an almost playful air to the exhibit, as if one
were stepping into a children’s world.
The "Epic Stories" part of the exhibit is centered on Mithila, a
region home to Buddha and Mahavira (founder of Jainism), as well as
the poet Valmiki, who transcribed the oral tradition of Ramayana
into 24,000 couplets. Mithila is a matriarchal society, where women
are the guardians and transmitters of ancient myths. The detail and
geometry of the works reflect both the talents as well as how
seriously the women take their roles.
The collection of inks on paper known as Madhubani (or forest of
honey) comes from a region in Mithila once lush with vegetation. A
drought in 1960 which upset the ecology required the paintings be
sold for survival. Thus, the images were transferred from the
grounds and walls of homes onto paper. The pictures,
interpretations of popular Hindu gods and myths, still share common
themes like creation, war and rebirth, which are governed by values
like love, devotion and mercy and sustained by the fortitude of
community. They also illustrate the battle between good and evil,
an idea which surfaces in Western culture, though with much more
skepticism.
The Hindu gods are important to the Indian people because they
ensure health and well-being. The presence of the gods is implied
in the behaviors of the Indian women Huyler photographed.
In one picture, an elderly woman works diligently on a design on
the brick courtyard of her home. She does this every morning and
prides herself in the fact that no design is ever repeated.
Generating a novel design is taxing enough, and she has been doing
it everyday for 65 years! Yet, the frequency of the designs vary
regionally. Some women only decorate the walls or grounds during
religious festivals.
But the common thread lies in the fact that the paintings are
acts of devotion. The designs are created for the gods, not because
the people fear them, but because they are devoted to them.
Although the act of painting is a part of religious ritual, perhaps
it is the nature of devotion which has allowed the gods to persist
and remain powerful through time.
The fable-like movement around the exhibit shows us how Indian
tradition remains rich through imagination and hard work. The idea
of reincarnation, a powerful facet of the Hindu religion, fits in
nicely with the fact that the epic story Ramayana and what its
characters represent are still meaningful 3,000 years later.
Yet, the exhibit can also serve as a mirror for the viewer. The
characters might be unfamiliar; they do look fantastical (Brahma,
the god of wisdom, has four heads); and it might also take a while
to get the names right. For those unacquainted with the various
gods and myths, the emblems become an added challenge.
But auxiliary information is always provided and time put into a
deeper understanding might bring greater appreciation for the works
and the purpose behind them. The root of the myths and the reason
for their existence will come into focus, becoming recognizable and
perhaps relevant through the devoted artistry of women in a foreign
land.
ART: "Spirit of India: Painted Prayers and Epic Stories" at the
Craft & Folk Art Museum until July 20. Tuesday – Sunday, 11
a.m. to 5 p.m. Students, $2.50 (with ID). Free parking on Curson
Avenue. For more information, call (213) 937-5544.Photos by Stephen
Huyler
(above and top) Photos of women at work painting by cultural
anthropologist Dr. Stephen Huyler are a part of the exhibit "Spirit
of India: Painted Prayers and Epic Stories" at the Craft and Folk
Art Museum.