....Read It to Know It :D :) contd.

Keeping our words....here's Team LABA just like last time giving a peek through into the art forms before you all witness these live... 

Ummm...not so easily!! :P ;)

Picasso said "If there is something to steal, I steal it!" (Devils grin)

You guys got to accept that we have been very sincere, out to you on all the details, so going by Picasso's lines...we deserve to do this and have eventually decided not to reveal one particular thing!! And the rest keep reading....

Miniature Paintings - Miniature painting appears like a jumble and entangles of pastoral settings, dominated by mannish and feminine figures. The different schools of Indian miniatures - like the Pala, Orissa, Jain, Mughal, Rajasthani and Nepali -- did not spring up like mushrooms after isolated showers. They were the products of hothouse cultivation practiced over generations. 

The Indian paintings have now acquired a stature of their own. They use materials and techniques from all over the world but express Indian realities and Indian experiences. The respect for tradition and the ability to transcend it at the same time is clearly evident in Indian art of today. This is the essence of what has been described as the eclecticism of the Indian contemporary expression.

Karagam - Karagattam is also known by other name known as Karagam. This ancient dance form is performed in honor and praise of rain goddess Mariamman. In this beautiful folk dance the performers uses a water pot which they balance it on their head nicely. Traditionally this Karagattam dance was done in ways such as the Aatta Karakam which is executed with the decorated pot on the heads and this dance form represents the signs of happiness, entertainment and joy whereas the other one is Sakthi Karakam which is executed only in the temples in favor of religious offerings.

Karagam is the most well known dance form in Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This dance was initially performed on naiyandi melam accompaniment but now it is executed on folk songs. Moreover in this dance the performers make use of intricate and complicated steps which later on decides how well is the performer. Also this dance is only displayed by the professionals. 

Karagattam dance is the most intricate dance art which asks for great efficiency and skill. As mentioned, the performers make use of pots filled with water and balance them on their head. Now days it is seen that the pots are made from bronze ware and stainless steel but where initially women used mud pots more. In addition these pots are ornamented and decorated in various ways. Some make use of attractive flower arrangement where as other put paper parrot which swings along when they dance and this make their performance look prettier. Additionally when this dance art is performed by the men they fill their pots with uncooked rice and even their pots are surrounded by tall conical bamboo frame which is even decorated with various colorful flowers.

Its time to tell you all about each one of us (as we all here love to flaunt not only ourselves individually but also boost each other)...and how we all take shade under one umbrella, LABA - a colorful umbrella of amazing, diverse and intricate art forms....

....Read It to Know It :D :)

So this particular blog has been super delayed!! Sighs 

And if anyone wants to know the actual reason...naa please!!

Let’s not deviate into an altogether another topic...Right.

May be some other day we can hold a conversation on this...What say!! :P

If you guys recollect, the first blog, The Beginning – it said Komal came up with this initiative around three months back. While now even though it’s lesser than a month to go for the D-Day, we are walking...no no, not at all, we are actually running in the planning plus the planning-execution phase. So we know you guys can imagine the tremendous pressure building up on all of us to pay attention to the ABCs, take care of the minutest elements, and make everything fall in place before we unveil the curtains.

And for you people, we have loads and loads to talk, share and eventually surprise you with our hilarious - not always and the so called serious conversations (hand gesture of double quotation mark) which most of the times, yes you read it right...

Most of the time happens on WhatsApp (our actual physical meetings are like totally infrequent)...

and the discussions even go out of LABA scope, which is bound to happen coz that’s how a team works :D :D :D 

Be it about LABA team mates.

Be it about our in detail planning.

Be it about the various art forms.

Be it about the D-Day.

And since Team LABA is full of angels, our hallows dangling on our invisible horns...

Unlike others, and of course to keep you guys tuned in into this space, we decided not to hold back onto the most crisp, the most awaited talk.... Yup Yup, the next few words...or may be a bit more than few lines, please survive through the D-Day particulars. Sarcasm Intended!!! 

Our event will happen somewhere around Independence Day this year, and wouldn’t it be fair to keep the actual date under the carpet, to build up the curiosity and the excitement.

Next, the venue...simple straight forward reply...at a mall nearby you!!

And now the art forms...relax, calm down, we are not letting anyone down on this note and we are talking about it right away :)

Thanjavur Dolls - The traditional head-shaking dolls of Thanjavur are well known by its local name as 'Talai aati Bommai'. These dolls take their original standing position though they are moved in any angle. Handmade dolls are made with clay and Plaster of Paris. Base is completely made of clay in a form of dish. Shaped like a dish, the bottom is heavy and that’s what ensures that the dolls always remain upright. Once the clay dish has been made, it’s dried in the shade for two days and then in the sun for two days. The body of doll is created with the moulds and is attached to clay base. Then the dolls are beautifully painted with bright colors to describe the facial expressions. These dolls are used in all ritual functions especially in Kolu-ritual display of Thanjavur dolls celebrated during Dasara festival.

You can find these dolls being sold in the Palace Complex. But the mainstay are Khadi, Kuralagam and Poompuhar in Chennai. In Thanjavur, there are only, yes only 10 families involved in production of clay dolls.

It will help if the Government gives the credit to the artists on easy terms so that this art thrives.

Thanjavur Paintings - Tanjore painting (Thanjavur Oviyam) is an important form of classical South Indian painting native to the town of Thanjavur (anglicized as Tanjore) in Tamil Nadu, India. The art form dates back to about 1600 AD, a period when the Nayakas of Tanjavur encouraged art—chiefly, classical dance and music—as well as literature, both in Telugu and Tamil.

Tanjore paintings are known for their surface richness, vivid colours and compact composition. Essentially serving as devotional icons, the themes of most of these paintings are Hindu gods and goddesses, as well as saints. Episodes from Hindu tradition are drawn upon as elaborations of the main figure or figures placed in the central section of the picture.

Little else needs to be said! Photographs of the paintings on the walls of the temples are seen above. Some are almost dying; some are standing out facing the brutal leash of nature and people alike, and some are only to be imagined- 'there was once a beautiful painting on that wall!'

Perhaps nature will wash away the blooded walls before the knives again dig in for the killing......

Sanjhi - Sanjhi is an art of cutting paper or non metallic surfaces with the help of plied scissors and sharp blades that originated from the times of Lord Krishna and flourished in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh ( Vrindavan to be precise). 'Sanjhi' is a word derived from words like "Shringar' or "Sajavat" which mean 'decoration’. It was used by the Vaishnava community at Mathura, Vrindavan, Bengal and Orissa, where they lived and is found in the Vaishnava temples of the 15^th and 16^th century. Mythology says Radha used this art on the walls of her home to attract Krishna's attention which was subsequently copied by other gopis to attract Lord Krishna. Interestingly this form was also practiced by Muslim artists.

The unique part of these cuttings is that, traditionally Sanjhi works were made without any tracing or drawings. The artisans could produce the works in very less time, but for this had to put in years of diligence and practice so as to attain the skill of cutting out fine sanjhis. The Sanjhi stencils are put down on the ground and coloured powders are filled in to produce fascinating designs. This art is much more superior to the ordinary paper cutting that we or our kids indulge in and needs years of training.
Currently, Sanjhi painting is practiced by only a few artists and remains a dying tradition that too in few temples of India. Today Sanjhi stencils are used to make rangoli stencils, decorative bindis , sari borders, greeting cards, coasters and trays.

When you all buy those intricately carved bindis or see stylish designs on the sari borders spare a thought for the Sanjhi artists who made all this possible.

       

Coming Soon...with the other Art Forms... :D

The Inspiration!!! :D ;)

We have all heard about this quote ‘Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder’!!! Haven’t we??!! :D

What if we modify the above quote and put it as,

‘Art...like Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder’!! Indeed true. So now may be the question, or let us call it as the curiosity in knowing what led to this initiative would kind of set you a bit relaxed and free to think and know more about LABA.

Just like we all in the team were keen in knowing the story in and out, let’s go through the journey of what led Komal come up with this idea.

Komals’ inspiration lies in the unique fine-art work, from a town called Patan in Gujarat.

Nearly 10-14 years back Komal happened to visit this town with her family. The town is very famous from the time of Kings Rule for its finest and unique Saree weaving. These are hand woven sarees, for which each thread is dyed separately as per the design. The weavers take care of every minute detail of the designs wherein each thread is colored and the design comes up while weaving takes place. All the colors used are naturally made from flowers, vegetables and fruits. The whole process is not only time consuming but also requires their special skills and sharp focus to take care of each detailing. This is the reason for the cost of the saree to be above the normal machine made sarees. And can cost from 1 lakh to 5 lakhs or may be more.

At present, the situation of these saree artists is extremely dreadful.

Out of the hundreds of families, there are mere four families left and that too their children are not keen on continuing their heritage business. With modernization pacing, their business is impacted adversely. Over the period of time, people’s outlook, their taste has changed and plus because of its high cost, the artists do not get orders so frequently, which has posed a question on their stable income.

On learning about the current situation prevailing for this art form Komal was moved. Her mind was stuck with single question - ‘What will happen in future? What if no one continues from their family to keep the heritage alive? Will this art die and leave only memories behind?

And when Komal was asked to take up a project having three qualities –

Making difference to the society,

Valuable for the society and

Unique,

The only thing that came up to her mind is to work for the survival of such rare arts, which would surely be lost in the sands of time if no necessary steps are taken on time.

So here we are the team LABA on its toes to bring to you such unknown, unheard and unseen art forms before they could lose their charisma and end up being in books of history or in some museum.

Keep watching and refreshing for more updates on LABA....

The Beginning...

LABA – Let Art Be Alive!!! Hmmm….

“Art is not a thing, it is a way.” - Elbert Hubbard

Three months back when Komal came up to each one us with this initiative, most of us were clueless as in how would we as an individual be able to contribute towards something which we had never thought, imagined or even heard about on similar lines. What gained our interest and eventually the will of being a part of this group was it’s out of the box idea. Just keep going and a bit of patience you will come to know what LABA is all about!! :) From a huge and excited group of 30-40 people, coming from different walks of life, corporate professionals, entrepreneurs, students, free lancers etc. the number has come down to 10-12 people, the actual enthusiasts who are willing to make LABA – a reality, a dream come true.

Take my words, when all this began, we as a team really couldn’t think on how the planning, the execution, the nitty-gritty’s would go about and gradually how and what the outcome would stand in front of us. Though we knew what we wanted to achieve as the end result, while we were lost and worried about rest of the things, Komal and Hiral were the ones who boosted all of us and yes, Yes miracles do happen.  Today, things are falling in place and day by day we are getting closer to the D-Day. Accepting it unashamedly, not all of us in the group are ardent art lovers, but yaa, we all have found a connection with LABA. May be a newly found interest or may be the love for art which was hidden some where deep inside us and now ready to be explored and polished.

Now just like anyone and everyone, even I had this tight-lipped, unblinking look on my face and various questions boggling my mind what LABA is!!??

Frankly, we don’t have to sit, talk and describe the glorified history of India in terms of culture and art. India has been a melting pot of cultures, so naturally art has been an integral part during all the eras India has seen and been through. Many art forms can be traced back to have their roots in India, while many others were brought and adopted and can be seen all across the country.

Let Art Be Alive, is an initiative of young busy professionals from Mumbai to preserve, protect and promote the indigenous and traditional Indian art forms, be it performing arts or fine arts or any form of art which are on the brink of extinction. Not only does it provide a platform to the aforementioned artists to showcase their magnificent skills and the valuable talent which form the essence of rich, diverse and contemporary Indian Art but also help them to become financially strong and stable by increasing the sales of their products of creativity. In the long run, LABA plans to focus on bringing such art forms into the main stream society by encouraging the fellow folks, friends, colleagues and of all the youth and the citizens of this country to learn more and if possible and willing pursue it as an education option.

We personally feel that all this would fetch such artists the long standing recognition which they deserve and add new horizons and colors to the modern Indian society.

While looking three months back at us or for that matter even today, we are not completely aware of the art forms, be it alive or extinct. But yes, we all at LABA are set out on a journey to create awareness about the various fading art forms and the lack of platforms for such artists. We behold this idea and envision setting up an institute that would solely focus on teaching the lay man about the art forms, their importance and the role that they play in everyday life. A centre of art, a culmination of different art forms from across the country, where the artists would display, portray and bring to us their fabulous work and eventually gain fame and recognition all over the globe.

Well the best way to end as of now would be with a mesmerizing quote,

“Art is when you hear a knocking from your soul - and you answer.” - Terri Guillemots

Until next time, Team LABA...