The term folk and tribal art are products of a colonial regime where the sudden need of
preserving the non-mainstream was realised. Folk and tribal art has always been perceived
as art created only for a specific audience, reflecting a world-view held by a particular group
and not something that could be universal and spontaneous. It is an artistic practice carried
out by people dwelling in the rural heart of India, depicting their modest and simple lifestyles
in a vibrant language. Each region entails a different style, aesthetics and language depending
on their geographical location and their cultural outlook. Art is as varied as the diverse and
exuberant cultures that co-exist in this vast sub-continent of India.
In its vitality, harmony and purity of form, folk and tribal art expresses a view of life that
is profoundly close to nature. Tribal artists’ innate comprehension and deep admiration for
the natural world forms the basis of their art. Artists become the vehicles for expressing a force
that is spontaneous and universal. Their love for nature embodied in its multiplicity of forms is
executed in murals of ‘BhitiChitra’, on cloth or paper which are known as Pata Chitras and also
for floor decoration which is called ‘Dhuli Chitra’.
These folk and tribal paintings are a product of rural India and never had the patronage of
the feudal aristocracy. Therefore, most of the folk and tribal artists worked in poverty. They have
an itinerant life, wandering from village to village for markets and Sunday fairs for audiences,
singing the songs of the subject depicted on the scroll. The audience in return donates money,
vegetables or rice to compensate for their means. Thus it becomes the oldest form of audiovisual
performance. The paintings are created for utilitarian and religious purposes maintaining
a millennium old tradition. These paintings depict religious themes based on Indian epics the
Mahabharata and Ramayana and subjects related to Indian Mythology.
The folk and tribal art that flourish in this nation are vast and staggering, however we
have tried to capture issues plaguing this art form and offer an analytical discourse for them.
Some factors that have also been discussed in this issue are the state of folk and tribal art as
opposed to contemporary art. What is it that has stagnated the growth of this art form and the
dwindling market for them? Folk and tribal art has always been pushed to the edges in terms of
the treatment and reception it receives in the art world. It has grappled to find an equal stature
especially when posed against urban fine art.
Also articles delineating the role of individual against the collective force of tradition of a
particular folk art have been discussed. It is interesting to observe that a lot of folk artists are
learning to link tradition to the present, to address issues that are relevant to all of us. They are
still traditional in their artistic practice i.e following the aesthetics of a particular lineage but
reflecting the changing urban and rural social mores and customs in a contemporary language.
Our effort has been to bring to fore the rich and varied artistic practice that has always been
sidelined or alienated, that emerge from the origins of our civilization. We sincerely hope that
readers enjoy discovering about this art that emerges from the roots of our nation, which needs
support, encouragement and growth to elevate the folk and tribal art scenario.
Your feedback is valuable for us, so please do send your feedback to artanddeal@gmail.com.
Siddhartha Tagore