Press Releases 2008
"Living Traditions Portrayed" New DJFC Exhibit
CONTACT: Janet Peterson,
Marketing and Public Relations Director
TEL: (856) 825-6800,
Ext. 108
FAX: (856) 825-2410
E-MAIL: jpeterson@wheatonarts.org
“Living Traditions
Portrayed: Indian Folk Art and Crafts” New exhibition in
the down jersey folklife center at wheatonarts
The
major art forms include:
■ Folk Paintings:
Traditionally painted on walls and floors, smaller versions were later painted
on surfaces ranging from scrolls and fabric to paper and palm leafs. Subjects
could include religious or epic stories, as well as scenes of everyday life.
■ Carving and Inlay Work:
Carvings in wood, metal, stone and ivory are featured. Rare woods used in the
carvings are identified with specific regions such as ebony and rosewood (Uttar
Pradesh), teakwood (Kerala), walnut and deodarwood (Kashmir), sandalwood
(Karnataka) and red sandalwood (Andhra Pradesh). Figures of deities and
legendary characters as well as utilitarian objects reveal extraordinary
mastership and artistic imagination, tell the story of the Indian beliefs and
values as incorporated in varied visual expressions. Precious stones, beads,
ivory, metal and other materials, used for inlays in stone, wood or metal
objects, are usually associated with Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, and
Karnataka regions.
■ Weaving and
Embroidery: Weavings in wool to cotton, silk, and bamboo invite regional
comparisons such as the silk saris from Karnataka and Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,
and Tamil Nadu. Originally, Indian cotton and silks were hand-spun and
hand-woven into a fabric called khadi. Fabrics that use mill-spun yarn, but are still
hand-woven are known as handloom. Embroidery
on woven cloth of cotton, wool or silk gives example to stitches named after
their place of origin, such as the phulkari
and bagh stitches of Punjab or kutchi embroidery of Gujarat. Examples
of mirrorwork from Rajasthan and
Gujarat, and bangara from Andhra
Pradesh and Gujarat, which is a mix of appliqué with mirrors and beadwork, are
also featured.
■ Beading: Unlike
other traditions in which beads are stitched onto cloth to form a pattern,
Indian craftspeople use no backing material at all. The work is often created
row by row using a tri-bead system. Many intricate patterns come from
Kathiawar in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
■ Pottery and Clay
Sculptures: While pottery for daily use is produced throughout India, certain
regions specialize in special ceremonial or decorative objects. Uttar Pradesh,
Gujarat, Karnataka and Bastar regions of Madhya Pradesh are famed for their
votive figures of elephants, serpents, birds and horses. Clay figures of
deities made for specific celebrations, and masks, jewelry, costume dolls and
other figurines, toys, puppets, leather crafts, silver, copper, brass and paper
crafts are on display.
Featured
artists in the exhibition include Narendra Amin, Alpa Thakar, Ritu Pandya and
Dhriti Bagchi. The exhibition
story is told not only through the objects on display, but also by pictures,
written narratives, audio- and video-materials that help visitors to better
understand and appreciate the mastership of the folk and traditional artists.
This exhibition is one of the highlights of
the third biennial Creative Community
Connections Project, a series of
programs inaugurated in 2004 to raise awareness of cultural heritage and create
a welcoming community setting for appreciating, preserving and perpetuating the
folk and traditional arts of the region’s rich and diverse multicultural
population. This year’s project, Old Ways
in a New Place: Celebrating Indian
Traditions and Culture in New Jersey, organized by the DJFC, reflects a
commitment to programming that celebrates, educates and unites communities to
promote tolerance and deep respect for artistic and cultural diversity. The
DJFC will present a series of visual and performing arts that introduce the
history and traditions of India and the regions’ vibrant Indian-American
culture.
WheatonArts
is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: Adults $10.00,
Senior Adults $9.00 and Students $7.00. Children five and under are free. For
more information about the DJFC or WheatonArts, call 800-998-4552 or
856-825-6800, or visit www.wheatonarts.org.
WheatonArts strives to ensure the accessibility of its exhibitions, events and programs to all persons with disabilities. Provide two weeks notice for special accommodations. Patrons with hearing and speech disabilities may contact WheatonArts through the New Jersey Relay Service (TRS) 800-852-7899 or by dialing 711.
The DJFC is a division of Wheaton Arts and Cultural
Center, Inc., a non-profit arts organization. The DJFC receives
support from the New Jersey State Council on the
Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the
Arts, and by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New Jersey Historical
Commission,
a division of Cultural Affairs in the Department of State; Geraldine
R. Dodge
Foundation, Bank of America and Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. The DJFC is
further supported by residents
and groups with an interest in the traditional art and culture of southern New
Jersey.
WheatonArts strives to ensure the accessibility of its exhibitions, events and programs to all persons with disabilities.
Provide two weeks notice for special accommodations. Patrons with hearing and speech disabilities may contact WheatonArts
through the New Jersey Relay Service (TRS) 800-852-7899 or by dialing 711.