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Key research themes
1. How do Indian folk painting traditions preserve cultural identity while adapting to contemporary contexts?
This theme investigates the dual role of Indian folk painting traditions as carriers of cultural identity, values, and beliefs—rooted in historical, ethnic, and ritualistic contexts—and their adaptive dynamics within modern socio-political and aesthetic frameworks. It focuses on how these traditional visual languages maintain vibrancy across generations, respond to socio-economic pressures, and increasingly interact with global art discourses and modern media.
Key finding: This study demonstrates that traditional Rajasthani folk arts such as Mandana, Pichwai, and Kavad function not only as decorative motifs but as culturally embedded narratives that symbolize religious rituals, communal... Read more
Key finding: The research finds Warli painting as a predominantly female-led indigenous visual expression, characterized by simple geometric motifs reflecting daily and ritual life of the Warli tribe. The art transcends mythological... Read more
Key finding: This field study highlights the evolving continuum of regional Indian folk paintings, showing localization of styles interlinked by common literary and mythological sources. It identifies how socio-political factors—colonial... Read more
Key finding: The paper synthesizes multiple Indian folk and tribal art forms as integral, ethnically rich, and highly regionalized embodiments of cultural traditions, emphasizing their ethnic simplicity alongside vividness. It argues that... Read more
Key finding: By analyzing Pueblo painters' watercolors from the early 20th century, this paper demonstrates that indigenous artists without formal training navigated colonial and modernist influences to create hybrid visual languages... Read more
2. What role do collectors, exhibitions, and institutions play in shaping the recognition and valuation of folk and indigenous painting traditions?
This theme explores the socio-cultural mechanisms through which folk and indigenous painting traditions gain status and visibility as 'high art' or recognized art forms. It analyzes the practices and ideologies of collectors, museums, and exhibitions, and their impact on the circulation, interpretation, and commodification of folk art. It also investigates how these institutional frameworks interact with notions of nationalism, postcolonial identity, and cultural convergence.
Key finding: By examining pivotal early collections of Australian Aboriginal acrylic paintings, the paper reveals how collectors like Tim and Vivien Johnson and Dame Margaret Carnegie framed these artworks within institutional 'high art'... Read more
Key finding: The exposition of Pueblo painting at major venues such as the 1932 Exposition of Indian Tribal Arts and the Venice Biennale highlights how institutional exhibitions elevated indigenous painters to international prominence,... Read more
Key finding: Reviewing the Lloyd's Treasure Chest Gallery's pedagogical approach, the article highlights contemporary museum strategies that eschew rigid definitions of folk art in favor of participatory, multi-vocal interpretative... Read more
Key finding: The review critiques Tate Britain's 2014 exhibition for its ambivalent stance towards the contested definitions and perceived kitsch associations of British folk art. It discusses how curatorial choice in aesthetics and... Read more
Key finding: This exhibition catalogue traces how American mid-century modernist designers, notably Alexander Girard, integrated global folk art motifs into modern design projects, supported by institutional frameworks like Herman Miller... Read more
3. How do folk art and traditional painting intersect with contemporary social realities and mythological symbolism during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic?
This theme examines how folk art, with its deep cultural symbolism and traditional narratives, adapts to and serves as a medium for expressing collective experiences during crises. It analyzes the infusion of mythological motifs into contemporary pandemic-related artwork, revealing folk art's role in articulating social anxieties, resilience, and cultural continuity under global stressors. This approach situates folk painting within the emergent framework of vernacular modernism blending tradition and current global narratives.
Key finding: By close visual and thematic analysis of Durga Bai Vyam's 'Samura Manthan' and Rupsona and Bahadur Chitrakar's 'Corona Rakshasa,' the article demonstrates how Indian folk artists during COVID-19 employed mythological... Read more
Key finding: The research highlights how Warli painting, beyond its ritualistic and communal functions, serves as a living tradition that incorporates contemporary life events and challenges into its iconography. This adaptability... Read more
Key finding: The essay posits that artistic methods, including folk drawing practices concerned with categorization and labeling, can construct alternative epistemologies sensitive to social complexity and ambiguity. This methodological... Read more