Chapter 3 - Indian Textile Art Flashcards
- KALAMKARI
What is Kalamkari?
Kalamkari is a type of hand-painted cotton textile produced in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Only natural dyes are used in Kalamkari, which involves twenty-three steps.
Why is it called Kalamkari?
Deriving its name from the word ‘kalam,’ which means pen, ‘Kalamkari’ refers to a particular, intricate style of hand-painting onto cloth.
What are the different styles of Kalamkari art?
There are two types of Kalamkari painting: Srikalahasti, which is the freehand drawing style, and Machilipatnam, which is the block-printing technique.
Which motifs are used in Kalamkari?
The Tree of Life is one especially popular Kalamkari motif — deeply rooted while growing towards the sky, it connects the heavens, earth and underworld. It is also a symbol of nourishment, with many animals feeding on its leaves, living in its branches and enjoying its shade. Peacocks, tigers and deer also frequently appear.
What dye is used in Kalamkari?
Only natural vegetable dyes are used in Kalamkari. After each application of pigment, the cloth is washed, sometimes in still water in a bucket and sometimes in running water.
Which colors are used in Kalamkari?
The final colors are earthy tones of reds, blues, greens, yellows and browns. By primarily using red, indigo and yellow dyes, the artist can mix pigments to produce secondary colors, such as applying indigo dye to yellow areas to produce green.
Explain the technique behind Kalamkari
Technique
The first step in creating Kalamkari is steeping it in astringents and buffalo milk and then drying it under the sun. Afterwards, the red, black, brown, and violet portions of the designs are outlined with a mordant and cloth are then placed in a bath of alizarin. The next step is to cover the cloth, except for the parts to be dyed blue, in wax, and immerse the cloth in indigo dye. The wax is then scraped off and the remaining areas are painted by hand, similar to Indonesian batik.
To create design contours, artists use a bamboo or date palm stick pointed at one end with a bundle of fine hair attached to this pointed end to serve as the brush or pen. This pen is soaked in a mixture of jaggery and water; one by one these are applied, then the vegetable dyes are added.
In Iran, the fabric is printed using patterned wooden stamps.
- MADHUBANI
What is Madhubani?
Madhubani art is a style of painting practiced in the Mithila region of India and Nepal. It is named after the Madhubani district of Bihar, India, which is where it originated. Jitwarpur and Ranti are the two most notable cities associated with the tradition and evolution of Madhubani art.
- WARLI
What is Warli Paintng?
Warli Painting is a tribal art originated from the North Sahyadri region of Maharashtra, India.
It is a ritual art practice that involves the usage of rice flour and water to create white paint along with gum as a binder, painted on the dark red background of the interior walls of village huts.
