Download to read offline
Tribal & folk trends
- 1. TRIBAL & FOLKTRENDS IN FASHION Dr Manjula Jagatramka National Conference on Emerging Trends, Fabrics & Finishes January 30th & 31st 2006 ERODE
- 2.
- 3.
- 4. The term ‘folk’has been related to a peasant society in which an oral tradition is most prevalent. In India, where there is a marked tribal-peasant continuum, the folk also encompasses tribal (once called ‘primitive’) arts and crafts. Folk art can be categorized as two- and three- dimensional artwork or as artistic and crafted items that are handmade. It can introduce uniqueness, individuality and beauty to Fashion.
- 5. Folk culture wasdisdained and ignored for long by scholars and historians but gained ‘respectability’ after Independence as an expression of ‘indigenous’ culture and a celebration of the nation’s diversity.
- 6. Today, ethnicity isin vogue. The traditional paintings and crafts created in villages have found urban niche markets in India and abroad. The surging demand has resulted in certain distinct trends, clearly visible in the contemporary evolution of all tribal & folk craft forms. The product can only be marketable if it is attractive to the consumer i.e. the traditional skill is adapted and designed to suit contemporary tastes and needs.
- 7. Design does not meanmaking pretty patterns. It is matching technique with a function.
- 8. Today, it iseasier to buy a folk product through the internet than learn about its history, the social relations of the community of producers and the techniques that have been perfected over generations. There are very few examples of ethnographic studies to ‘communicate tacit knowledge across cultures’, or to understand the ‘contending art worlds’ of craft persons and elite consumers.
- 9. The changing ‘materiality’of folk cultures in general and the gendering of crafts in particular, needs to be archived through participatory documentation and using multi- media, such as photography, film and video. One can tentatively suggest that the collective solidarity of craftswomen’s groups beyond family and caste, and their ability to encompass a range of modern communication tools, would have a vital impact on the sustainability of their art and livelihoods.
- 10. The most urgentneed is to facilitate the formation of craftsperson’s groups & to develop their capacities to use a range of tools so as to record the production process of the crafts and explicitly include their own contribution (often hidden from public gaze).
- 11. This is especiallyimportant because in the future the craftsperson may have to assert new intellectual property rights (IPR). It is a moot point whether it would be possible for the Mithila village painters to claim the ‘Madhubani’ name under IPR legislation such as India’s Geographical Indications Act, 2001.
- 12. Another urgent needis for training to use electronic media (including the internet) to market their products directly to customers without the exploitation of profiteering traders and the ‘protective’ intervention of the men of their own communities. If such a vision were realized, the crafts persons would gain the strength to protect their intellectual & artistic knowledge, skills and earnings from the unseen ‘demons’ across the threshold.
- 13. Their art andcraft might then enable them to traverse the rainbow bridge between mud walls and websites, oral traditions and ICT… The vital difference between the documentation of an oral tradition in words and in visual images: while the one tends to inhibit future possibilities of development, the visual is open, reflecting the changing inflections of a living community.
- 14. In a mass-productionworld where everyone can have identical copies of the same product, many customers seek a look that cannot be duplicated. One method of achieving a unique look is through the inspiration of folk art.
- 15. In folk art the quality isless important than the charm of the piece.
- 16. Flaws in materialsare sometimes considered charming, they may have a motif that is taken or adapted from a native or folk design.
- 17.
- 18. Fashion Designers whodesign the patterns for manufactured mass- produced goods go to authentic folk sources for their inspiration, then adapt, simplify or combine designs to create a pattern they hope will be in sync with current market trends.
- 19.
- 20. Folk art asa pastime is alive and well in developed countries as well. Craft supply stores exist in nearly every town and city to meet our whims. Professional crafts persons sell their work at fairs and bazaars, through the internet and in catalogues. They often will sell to a retailer or through a consortium.
- 21. The various culturalregions have their own distinct styles. Jewellery is available in a variety of gold, silver, bronze and mixed metal. Tikamgarh, Jhabua and Sheopur- Kalan are some of the major centres for folk ornaments . Ornaments made of beads, cowries and feathers are part of tribal costumes.
- 22. Folk jewellery ismost distinctive, highly artistic, elaborate and varied.
- 23. Folk art canbe an inspiration. We should sense respect for the labour involved by displaying folk art with respect to its artistic qualities. In other words, make the folk art seem important but not intimidating.
- 24.