Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space: Spaces that speak about Craft By SurpritKaur Dang

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space: Spaces that speak about Craft By SurpritKaur Dang Submitted to NIFT in partial Fulfillment of the requirement...
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Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space: Spaces that speak about Craft

By SurpritKaur Dang

Submitted to NIFT in partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of

Master of Design Department of Design Space

Faculty Guide: Dr. Sharmila Dua Advisor: Ms. Nisha Vikram, CraftCanvas

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY Mumbai 2015 Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space: Space that speak about Craft Surpritkaur Dang M.DES 2013-2015 Submitted by Ms. Surpritkaur Dang to NIFT in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master in Design of the National Institute of Fashion Technology at Mumbai and herby certify that in the judgment of the following members of jury it is worth of acceptance-

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Remarks regarding fulfilling further requirements, if any: ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

Signature of CC, Design Space

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Declaration

This thesis is a presentation of my original research work. Wherever contributions of others are involved, every effort is made to indicate this clearly, with due reference to the literature,

and acknowledgement of collaborative research and discussions. The work was done under the guidance of Professor Sharmila Dua, at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai.

Surpritkaur Dang

In my capacity as supervisor of the candidate’s thesis, I certify that the above statements are

true to the best of my knowledge.

Dr. Sharmila Dua Date:

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Abstract

For centuries, manufacturing activity in rural India has been done exclusively by hereditary artisanal castes bound to the dominant agricultural castes by traditionalties. Traditional built

in form of India also used a wide plethora of crafts in it. These crafts are known as Space Making Crafts. The productive activity of these artisans was not projected towards commodity/service production on competitive lines, but towards maintaining the community life of the village as a whole. But with the changing times, the lifestyle of the people changed and with the advent of machine there has been a dramatic shift in consumer choice from artisanal goods to factory-made products. Lots of efforts have been taken in the form of design interventions, exhibitions and creation of craft museums to make the craft sector sustainable. But the efforts are not able of create the effect it should make

because of the lack of exposure.

John Berger in his book Ways of Seeing said that one sees hundreds of images every day; one may remember or forgot these images but briefly takes them in which later stimulates their imagination. Keeping this concept in mind this research focuses on bring crafts into public domain through Public Art. Crafts in the built landscape hold special significance since space is always coming together of many conditions and contexts, and a public art/craft punctuates our surroundings. It reminds us of important moments in history, and it honors

the fallen. It also humanizes the built environment and invigorates public spaces. Moreover it would give the right amount of exposure to the crafts which is required to sustain it.

This research was basically conducted to understand the different ways through which crafts can be brought in to the public space. The methods applied were an exploratory Interview with the experts in this field and observation of Public spaces with crafts. It helped in

v forming the key considerations to take up any craft related public project. This key considerations were applied to develop the concept and design for a live project in Ahmedabad, where a contemporary mural is being made using an ages old Gond Painting of Madhya Pradesh with the same technique and materials as used earlier. Natural Paints and Modern design are the Unique Selling Point of this Public Craft project.

Keywords: - Indian Handicrafts, Public Space, Public Art and Craft, Natural Paints, Space Making Crafts

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Dedication

Every challenging work needs self-efforts as well as guidance of elders especially those who

are very close to our hearts. This dissertation is dedicated to my parents, Jaspal Singh Dang and Jabirkaur Dang, who made education a priority for me. It is their unconditional love that motivates me to set higher targets. Thanks for your great support and continuous care.

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Acknowledgement

On the very outset of this dissertation, I would like to extend my sincere and heartfelt obligation towards all the personages who have helped me in this endeavor. Without their active guidance, help, cooperation and encouragement, I would not have made headway in the project.

I wish to express my indebted gratitude and special thanks to my dissertation mentor “Dr. Sharmila Dua” who has the attitude and the substance of a genius: she continually and convincingly conveyed a spirit of adventure in regard to research and scholarship. Without her guidance and persistent help this dissertation would not have been possible.

I am ineffably indebted to my dissertation advisor “Ms. Nisha Vikram, founder CraftCanvas”, who has been an invaluable friend and mentor. Her gift for conceptualization, her enduring encouragement, and her practical advice have been an inestimable source of support for me during this process.

I would also like to thank all those who gave me their valuable time and contributed to my research. And finally I extend my gratitude to National Institute of Fashion Technology for giving me this opportunity.

Any omission in this acknowledgement does not mean lack of gratitude.

Thanking You Surpritkaur Dang PGDS 2013-2015

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Table of Contents

CERTIFICATE……………………………………………………………………………………...ii DECLARATION………………………………………………………………….……………...iii ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………….……………….iv DEDICATION…………………………………………………………………..…………….....vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENT…………………………………………………….…………….…vii LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………………………………xi LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………...………xii

CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH

Introduction……………………………............................................................................................03 Ways of Seeing…………………………….......................................................................................06 Definition of Public Art……………........................................................................................….06 Project Brief……………………………............................................................................................09 Objectives……………………………...............................................................................................09 Significance…………………………….............................................................................................09 Statement of Purpose…………………….....................................................................................10 Limitations……………………………..............................................................................................10

Company Profile……….……………............................................................................................10 CHAPTER 2- REVIEW OF LITERATURE Theoretical Research Review Evolution of Term Craft …………………………………………………………………………………….…………….15 Changing perception towards crafts………………………………………………………………………………..16

Crafts and Interior Architecture ………………………………………………………………….…………………..19 Types of Space Making Crafts ………………………………………………………………….….………………….20 Public Art and its Benefits ………………………………………………………………………………………………27 Key Features of successful Public Art/Craft …………………………………………………………………….30 Public Art: Reflection of Place and Time …………………………………………………………………………31 Factors inhibiting use of crafts in the Public Space ………………………………………………………….34 Related Research Review Mumbai T2 Terminus………………………………………………………………………………………………………34

Craft Canvas ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………38 Y-Walls…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….39 Baaya Designs …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………42

ix CHAPTER 3- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Perspective………………............................................................................................45 Research Design……………………………......................................................................................46 Research Design Model……………......................................................................…………………..47 Settings……………………………....................................................................................................51 Participants…………………………….............................................................................................53 Instruments…………………………….............................................................................................57 Data Analysis……………………...................................................................................................58

Ethical Issues………..………………..............................................................................................59 CHAPTER 4- RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Thematic Analysis of the data………………..............................................................................63 Craft as a Design Expression ………….....................................................................................63 Creativity of the Artisans……………......................................................................………………..65 Craft Adaptability ……………………………..................................................................................66 Intention and Expectation………………………….........................................................................68 Government Support and policies……………………………..........................................................70 Observation Analysis…………………….......................................................................................70 Key Considerations………..……………….....................................................................................73 CHAPTER 5- DESIGN PROCESS Project Brief……………………………………………............................................................................77 Background Study…………......................................................................................................79 What are Paints?……………...................................................................................………………..79 Pigments…………………………….................................................................................................79 Binders………………………….......................................................................................................83 Solvents ……………………………..................................................................................................86 Additives……………………..........................................................................................................91 Performance………..………………...............................................................................................93 The real cost of paint ………….................................................................................................95 Concept Development…………...............................................................................................96 Design Development…………................................................................................................102

x CHAPTER 6- SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION Summary and Conclusion………………...................................................................................111 Beneficiaries……………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..114 Further Research……………………………………………………………………………………………………………115 Appendix 1: Interview Guide ……………….............................................................................116 Appendix 2: Public Craft project self help question List……………….....................................120 Appendix 3: Natural Paint Recipes …………….......................................................................122 Bibliography………………........................................................................................................126

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

List of Tables

Table 1:- List of Public Art/Craft observed……………..............................................................51 Table 2:- Participant Category: Academicians………..............................................................54 Table 3:- Participant Category: Professionals……………..........................................……………..54 Table 4:- Participant Category: Students……………………………................................................55 Table 5:- Participant Category: Common Public………………...................................................56

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List of Figures

Figure 1:- Gap Identified…………….........................................................................................04 Figure 2:- Types of Public Art………........................................................................................05 Figure 3:- Stone carving at Adalaj Stepwell (Adalaj ni Vav), an example of a construction oriented Space Making Crafts……………..................................................................……………..22 Figure 4:- Blue pottery tiles at Chini Ka Rauza, Agra, an example of a surface oriented

Space making Crafts…………….…………….................................................................................22 Figure 5:- Mahubani Painting done on the wall, an example of a finish oriented Space Making Crafts ……………….......................................................................................................23 Figure 6:- Hand Painted Wooden furniture of Sankheda, an example of a object oriented Space making Crafts……………….............................................................................................23 Figure 7:-Life span of Space Making Crafts……………………………………………………………………….25

Figure 8:- A tomb in Nakodar Punjab……………………………………………………………………………….26 Figure 9:- Taj Mahal, Agra, a place of historical importance with fine work of craft……......33 Figure 10:- Victoria Terminus, Bombay…………………………………………………………………………….33 Figure 11:-Madras High Court………………………………………………………………………………………….33 Figure 12:-Peacock Ceiling at the entrance of T2 Terminus……………………..……………………….36 Figure 13:-The Udan Khatola sculpture………………………………………………..………………………….36

Figure 14:-Shaped like a Pagadi- “Touche” ………………………………………………..…………….…….36

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Figure 15:- Gond Painting done in a Hotel Room.................................................................37 Figure 16:- Mural at Development 2020 Corporate office...................................................37 Figure 17:- Hand-dyes cloth kites mural at corporate office ……………..................……………..37 Figure 18:- Kalamkari ceiling done at a hotel’s waiting area…………................ ...................40 Figure 19:- Installation made out of Sandstone at Ministry of External Affairs………..........40 Figure 20:- Buddha Installation made out of brass at Ministry of External Affairs……….....40 Figure 21:-Temporary Warli Art Installation done at Kala Ghoda Art Festival……….………….41 Figure 22:- Terracotta Mural at Axis Bank ……………………………………………………………………….41 Figure 23:- Beaten brass and Lippan installation at a restaurant…………………………..……......41 Figure 24:-Research design Model: Phase 1…………………………………………………………………….48 Figure 25:-Research design Model: Phase 2…………………………………………………………………….49 Figure 26:-Research design Model: Phase 3……………………..……………………………….…………….50 Figure 27:-Observation Analysis………………………………………………..…………………………………….72 Figure 28:-Key Design Considerations chart………………………………………………..………………….74 Figure 29:- Elevation Plan of the Project……………………………………………………………………..…..78 Figure 30:- Natural Paint Making Process………………………………………………………………………..97 Figure 31:- Swatch of Natural Paints Made…………………………….………………………………………..98 Figure 32:- Natural Paints applied on Wet and Dry plaster tiles…………………………………....…99 Figure 33:- Nesting – Design Exploration 1 ………………………………………...…………………………104 Figure 34:- Nesting – Design Exploration 2 ………………………………………...…………………………105 Figure 35:- Nesting – Design Exploration 3………………………………………...…………………….……106 Figure 36:- Nesting – Design Exploration 4……………………………………...……………………….……107 Figure 37:- Nesting – Final Design…………………………………….……………...……………………………108

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1

2

CHAPTER 1

Introduction to Research

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Introduction

The attitude towards crafts has been in constant flux over the last many years. It started with people making basic everyday items. Soon it translated to making the objects with cultural, aesthetic and functional importance. But with the changing times, the lifestyle of the people changed, and with the advent of machines crafts lost its identity. Today crafts are generally perceived as objects with aesthetics from the past, unlike the traditional architecture of India where a wide range of crafts have been used. The crafts which are integrated in the making of space are known “ It stuns me that our architectural crafts — find no place in contemporary public architecture or interiors. ” Laila Tyabji

as Space Making Crafts.

Today some of the historical places where these crafts have been used have become the places of national importance. They have brought our country to International limelight and have also contributed to the increased tourism. All this happened because these crafts received the public exposure at a large scale.

John Berger in his book Ways of Seeing said that we see hundreds of images every day; one may remember or forgot these images but briefly one takes them in which later stimulates their imagination. Crafts if brought into public domain may help in sustaining our traditional art form. One such way of bringing crafts into public domain was through Public Art/Craft. Public art/craft punctuates our surroundings. It reminds us of important moments in history, and it honors the fallen. It provides an intersection

between past, present and future, between disciplines, and between ideas. It also humanizes the built environment and invigorates public spaces. Cities/ Countries gain cultural, social, and economic value through this Public art/ craft. This research is an

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Gallery Space

Awareness

Exposure

Gap Identified Public Space

Through Gallery Space Through Public Space Figure 1 Gap Identified Level of exposure one gets and the awareness which is created through Public Space is much more then a gallery space. The difference is the gap which is identified for the research.

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Types of Public Art

Figure 2

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

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attempt to understand the different ways in which crafts can be brought into Public domain. It would focus on building the process for incorporating crafts in the Public spaces through Public Art

Ways of Seeing

According to John Berger in the cities we live, all of us see hundreds of images every day of our lives. No other kind of image confronts us so frequently. One may remember or forgot these messages but briefly takes them in, and for a moment they stimulate the imagination by way of either memory or expectation. We are now so accustomed to being addressed by these images that we scarcely notice their total impact. . Definition of Public Art

Public art is art in any media that has been planned and executed with the intention of being staged in the physical public domain, usually outdoors and universally accessible. In simple terms, public art is art work in the public realm, regardless of whether it is situated on public or private property, or whether it is acquired through public or private funding. Public art is significant within the art world, amongst curators, commissioning bodies and practitioners of public art but also to its audience as it increases community involvement and collaboration. Public art may include any art which is exhibited in a public space including publicly accessible buildings, but often it is not that simple. Rather, the relationship between the content and audience, what the art is saying and to whom, is just as important if not more important than its physical location.

“Public art is almost subversive. Maybe people see it and maybe they don’t, but with art being insinuated into their lives, they get their art without quite realizing it.”

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Public art can take the form of a sculpture, mural, paving pattern, lighting, seating, building facade, kiosk, gate, fountain, play equipment, engraving, carving, fresco, mobile, collage, mosaic, bas relief, tapestry, photograph, drawing, or earthwork. Public art is not confined to physical objects; Dance, procession, street theatre and even poetry have proponents that specialize in public art.

According to Elisa Vladilo (ICO, 2008) Public art in some places is more connected to the social climate, directly involving people from the street with actions, performances, video or pictures and sound effects. In other places it is more connected with the urban – architectural-natural environment, producing structural elements which dialogue with public spaces. This diversity makes it possible “ Public art, whether permanent or installation art, is an essential ingredient to creating truly great public places. “ - Carl M. Maxey, Architect, California

for art to come out from the art world system, (which quite often is very dedicated only to a small part of the people) and be exposed to the common person.

Public art presupposes the public sphere and produces a public in relation to that concept. Unlike popular or mass art, it does not assume a preexistent generic audience to be entertained or instructed but sets out to forge a specific public by means of an aesthetic interaction. The constructed public's response need not be unanimous or favorable, but a reaction is crucial to the work's actualization. The art-making is implicitly a social process: it can be exhortative, commemorative, triumphal, perhaps expressive of collective

grief,

anger,

and

celebration—or

occasionally

aggressively provocative. The public may be enlisted to join a movement or antagonized, incited to protest or exhilarated. Personal expression is not the central motivator of public art, and originality is less imperative for public than for private art, where the individual artist's psyche initiates the work.

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Cher Krause Knight states, "art's publicness rests in the quality and impact of its exchange with audiences…at its most public, art extends opportunities for community engagement but cannot demand particular conclusion”, it introduces social ideas but leaves room for the public to come to their own conclusions.

In recent years, public art has increasingly begun to expand in scope and application — both into other wider and challenging areas of art form, and also across a much broader range of what might be called our 'public realm'. Such cultural interventions have often been realized in response to creatively engaging a community's sense of 'place' or 'wellbeing' in society. Such commissions can still result in physical, permanent artworks and sculptures. These also often involve increasingly integrated and applied arts type applications. However, they are also beginning to include other, much more process driven and action research based artistic practices as well. As such, these do not always rely on the production of a physical or permanent artwork at all (though they still often do of course). This expanded scope of public art can embrace many diverse practices and art forms. These might be implemented as standalone, or as collaborative hybrids involving a multidisciplinary approach. The range of its potential is of course endless, ever changing, and subject to continual debate and differences of opinion among artists, funders, curators, and commissioning clients.

Monuments, memorials and civic statuary are perhaps the oldest and most obvious form of officially sanctioned public art, although it could be said that architectural sculpture and even architecture itself is more widespread and fulfills the definition of public art.

“Public art can be a point of departure, or a point of entry a passport to the world.” – Jack Becker , Editor, Public Art Review

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Project Brief

Since there is possibility that crafts awareness can be increased by bringing them in to public domain, the main focus of the project is to study and analyze different ways in which crafts can be brought into public space through public art. Also to understand different

factors that needs to be taken care of while taking a public craft project. The development of key considerations is the main aim of this dissertation. This is followed by the application of these key considerations to construct a live public installation, as per the project provided by the company. Gallery Space Public Space

Objectives



To study the evolution of craft and understand how they are perceived today.



To understand the benefits of using Art/Craft in public domain.



To explore the different ways in which crafts can be brought in to Public domain.



To study and analyze the existing work in Public Space using traditional handicrafts.



To identify a public space and conceptualize an appropriate craft installation for the same.

Significance • To come up with key design considerations to use crafts in the public space • To apply this key consideration for the concept and design development of a live project

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• Enabling crafts in public space in such a way that it increases the awareness of traditional Indian Handicrafts

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of this Exploratory Research is to develop key considerations that should be taken care of while taking a public art project where Indian Handicrafts has been used. For the purpose of this study, following question is addressed: • What should be the process of incorporating traditional crafts into Public Space?

Limitations Crafts in Public Space

• Only Indian Craft Industry scenario was studied while doing the research. • Same design solution in different places bound to fetch different results depending upon the specification of the place. • Application of the key considerations developed are applied to a specific scenario, it may be different in different situations • The effect is subjective in nature as it varies from person to person.

Company Profile

CraftCanvas is a link between artisan communities and the urban customer,

translated

an

ages

old

craft

into

something

contemporary. They offer a range of handicraft products from across India, hand-painted wall mural services, custom handcrafted furniture, soft furnishings, tribal/folk paintings & accessories and craft workshops for children and adults.

More Exposure More Awareness

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Founded in 2011, my Ms. Nisha Vikram CraftCanvas believes that there is a place for India’s traditional crafts even in the most modern of spaces, and for that they strive to bridge the gap between the artisans and the urban customer, translating an age old craft into something modern and relevant.

After working on and simultaneously learning from various projects, CraftCanvas now have a structured process to transform ideas to a stunning finished product with a very high level of artistry. Their

projects have ranged from translating the local

Kalamkari (Mata Ni Pachedi) textile craft to a cheerful wall mural in a lush bamboo garden to creating a city skyline on Uttarayan (Annual Kite-flying festival) using simple metal frames and traditional textiles. Their solutions run the entire gamut of interior design elements- wall murals, soft furnishings, paintings, furniture and lighting among many others. “There is a place for India’s traditional crafts even in the most modern of spaces.” - Nisha Vikram Founder CraftCanvas

They envision a range of home décor products in partnership with artisan communities and design schools. A wonderful mix of high quality craftsmanship and design coupled with the functionality of everyday use. For now, they work with more than 20 different crafts from across the country and the list is always growing.

Apart from this in order to offer a glimpse into our beautiful world, they organize various craft based events like workshops, craft tours, artisan interactions and curated exhibitions.

They believe in- A world of crafts, every day, everywhere

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Companies' area of work

• Online store CraftCanvas sell a range of Handcrafted products ranging from Hand painted Madhubani Tissue Box to Beautifully crafted Gond style Ceramic tiles and Jaali to adore home. • Art and Craft Installation It also provides Art and Craft Installation services where they send the artisans to your home to give a wall treatment. • Craft Workshops CraftCanvas also organize Craft work shop for adults and kids to create awareness about our traditional crafts. Artisan

Designer

Entrepreneur

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CHAPTER 2

Review of Literature

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

A review was conducted for the same, and is divided into two main parts: - 1) Theoretical Review and 2) Related Review research.

Theoretical Research Review

Evolution of term Craft

According to Jain (2012) Craft is a term so prodigious that it encompasses skill, knowledge, culture, community, society, tradition and many other myriad aspects which are intangible to be enlisted. For many years now, the major debate within the craft The word inherent in Indian culture is kala, which unified the concepts of craft, art, skill and technique.

world has been about the status of the word itself. Many experts and scholars have taken possession of the word, latched it on to a number of previous and partial definitions and also tried and developed individualized philosophies, aesthetics, techniques and etymologies of the term ‘craft.

Worldwide and specifically in India, crafts have been a reflection of the immense creativity of ordinary people in a quest of selfexpression and contentment. The crafts and craftspeople in India are an integral part of folk and classical traditions and historical assimilations which have spanned over many millenniums. The word inherent in Indian culture is kala, which unified the concepts of craft, art, skill and technique. Craft has never been an isolated term in the Indian context. Transmitted through means of demonstration and participation, kala has been an intrinsic part of the Indian culture and society. The demarcations between craft and art and other such related disciplines have been recent developments as earlier it was the word kala that encapsulated all these related forms of self-expression.

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Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

The concept of craft is deeply embedded in various cultures across the world; the craft traditions have got many different traditional, folk and religious connotations as well. The term craft was used as verb since the old English period which was largely referred to as artful construction. On looking for a brief history of the word i.e. looking at it etymologically, the origin of the term ‘Craft’ can be traced from the old English word craft, which meant ‘strength, skill,’ considered to be of Germanic origin. It was also related to Dutch word kracht, German Kraft, and Swedish kraft meaning ‘strength’ (the change of sense to ‘skill’ occurring only in English). Epistemologically, or in our ways of knowing craft, it may be defined not only in the context of traditional skill or usage of tools and materials but also in a contemporary context where similar ideologies might exist but may be unrecognized on historic grounds. The usage of the term, in linguistics and its usage per se

connotations, it rather than being skill-oriented, also has to do

“The attitudes towards crafts have been in constant flux over the last many years”.

with the power of decision-making. It is also connected with the

- Smriti Saraswat

has been centrally focused on ‘related to skill’ or being ‘made by hand’. While the meaning has got larger implications and

indulgence or the involvement a person has to his work and where the person working has full control on the final output too. Also the idea of communities, their culture, the myths and stories in various religions have contributed considerably to the expression of craft, especially in the Indian context.

Changing Perception towards Crafts

According to Saraswat (2011) the attitudes towards crafts have been in constant flux over the last many years. Initiated with a search for shelter, craft acted as a creator of life for many ages reflecting back to primitive people. The earliest cultures began to

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Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

ornament their articles of daily use, then their weapons and later their garments and eventually their surroundings. The rough and unfinished walls of their shelters became a canvas to showcase their creativity. A separate term called ‘craftsman’ was not defined then. The attitude further developed with the idea of craft as a self-sustained practice when people started living collectively in communities, and vernacular or indigenous methods of making were explored. Here the shelter became more refined with respect to the context, construction and the culture of particular region. Colonialism brought the division between craft and design.

The concept of maker and user went hand in hand. As communities grew, crafts with the idea of patronage became prevalent with the construction of built objects and spaces like Stupas and Chaityas. The kings and royal patrons commissioned the guilds largely to build for them. This was further intensified

when a number of religious structures were being built and the concept of sacred builder as ‘stapathi’ got further developed. The idea of craftsmanship is elaborated during the construction of exuberant temples and religious structures along with royal patronage during the setting upon Mughal Empire in India, and many other kingdoms. There is the building of palace complexes which were made out of more durable materials i.e. stone and brick on lavish scales, and the idea of craftsmanship gained

momentum when there was considerable importance given to detailing, intricacy and the visual appeal.

Gradually, over a period of time, and especially with colonialism, the division between craft and design started appearing. This gap was further widened with the idea of an architect/designer as a professional distinct from a craftsperson. Thus, the idea of craft as a skill-based involvement was seen emerging. Also, this led to

evolution of new styles which showed a merging of various types

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of architecture which were not of Indian origin. Suddenly, the landscape of Indian architecture witnessed styles like Gothic Revival, Indo Saracenic architecture, Art Deco, Arts and Crafts movement etc. There was a new language of crafts which started developing along with a completely new aesthetic sensibility. The craftsperson was unaware of the forms and motifs he made, he became a skilled labourer blindly making what was given to him. A landscape of pluralism was seen in the country during and after Independence.

During the last few decades, India witnessed political, cultural and social transitions which were highly influential in shaping the myriad discourses on the interior architecture front. Globalization, coupled with emerging design professionals who sought newness in their work, resulted in a highly varied and pluralistic architectural landscape. Alongside many western styles and ideologies there remained an urge to search the idea of ‘Indianness’ in the buildings. Crafts became a medium to root the architecture back within the context. The space-making crafts were a medium to elaborate the issue of identity which many architects then were trying to project. The amalgamation of modern and industrialized modes of construction with the traditional techniques became a stylistic statement. Once again, today there are various new directions emerging in the practices of interior architecture, where there is an endeavor to position itself in the globalized world, the ‘connection with the roots’ is equally strengthening. What broadens the horizons of interior architecture landscape in India today is the interplay of new and the old, the disparities in the building techniques and the division between maker and user.

Alongside many western styles and ideologies there remained an urge to search the idea of ‘Indianness’ in the buildings.

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Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Crafts and Interior Architecture

Today crafts are generally perceived as small handicrafts items which are generally of aesthetic importance from our past, but the traditional interior architecture in India has exhibited immense usage of a huge plethora of crafts. The solutions within a built form evolved as a response to the creative pursuit for the survival and celebrations alike. For instance, a house of Bamboo in the north-eastern parts of India was often decorated with red appliquéd forms, transformed into a votive offering being considered as a symbol for good harvest. Distinct styles of expressions were seen, ranging from the palatial complexes of Kings and Royal Patrons and the vernacular houses meant for the common man. Where few took into account decorative motifs and

surface ornamentation, and in few others, an untouched sense of peace with the material and magnificent proportions evokes soft feelings even when a hard material like metal is used. With a rich Crafts in the built landscape hold special significance, the space being a holistic confluence of the environmental, sociocultural, emotional and resource conditions of the context it represents.

ancient craft tradition, Indian buildings have been an interesting panorama of people, culture, religion and social values all deeplyrooted in tradition. As we progress, the beliefs in tradition change, so do the living patterns and lifestyles; and it becomes necessary to re-evaluate and reposition them.

Crafts in the built landscape hold special significance, the space being a holistic confluence of the environmental, socio-cultural, emotional and resource conditions of the context it represents. The spaces are a result of the interaction a human being has with nature and his own aspirations. The space design is often a complex construct and has to deal with the encoding of spatial narratives when being constructed and has to offer clues for

decoding them when perceived by the observer. Thus this

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encoding and decoding within a small space becomes a dialogue between the craftsperson who made it and the onlooker who perceives it (Jain, 2014). The crafts applied for space making reflected the lifestyle of the occupants and the intentions of the craftspeople who constructed it physically. Such crafts then become a way of living; the stories and fables attached to these kinds of crafts are thus hardly told but are demonstrated with the usage of space making crafts within a particular built environment. Also, the crafts applied to spaces become the function of time and skills in the area.

Types of Space Making Crafts

Craft Integrated in making of Interior and Architecture spaces are known as Space Making Crafts. -Jay Thakkar

According to Thakkar (2014) Space Making craft (SMCs), the term defines the Craft Integrated in making of Interior and Architecture spaces. These crafts are applied to the built form either by way of construction i.e. in the making of the buildings or in the form of components or an elemental level; or in the form of a visual layer at a surface. These largely can be termed as crafts which enhance the space, and are directly related to space making. Space-making crafts are the reflection of the immediate response of the humans to many incontrollable and uncertain factors such as climate, available materials and resources skills of a person etc. Thus broadly implies that the space making crafts are the various tangible and intangible expressions lent to an architectural space by a skilled craftsperson(s) or artisan(s) using various materials, processes, tools and techniques which modify or add to its cultural aesthetic. Space-making crafts include a wide plethora of crafts that are directly or indirectly related to a built environment ranging from wall decorations, furniture, products, interiorarchitecture elements to structural elements and processes of

20

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

building; all of which essentially involve the active participation of a craftsperson(s). These skills or techniques that make up a threedimensional space are indigenous in origin but may or may not be so in expression and execution. Space-making crafts consist of a huge array of crafts which include both the hard and soft materials and the respective techniques used. They are not only confined to the techniques of construction or the skill of creating the elements. They engage through the senses, spiritually, physically as well as psychically.

The space-making crafts, on the basis of their usage and Space Making Crafts are the various tangible and intangible expressions lent to an architectural space which modify or add to its cultural aesthetic

application can be largely divided into four different kinds. Different typologies of buildings have witnessed the usage of space-making crafts in various degrees, and they have been integrated at various levels within the built form.

The first one, the construction-oriented crafts are the most commonly seen space-making crafts in the context of traditional buildings. They largely involve the crafts which are directly related to the construction of the building; these are inseparable and contribute to a three-dimensional space. Stone masonry, mud walls, bamboo walls, stone and wood construction, load bearing elements like columns, doors, windows, brackets etc. which cannot be separated from the system.

The second one, the surface-oriented crafts are more visual in nature with intent to largely add an aesthetic sense to the space. They are embedded into the construction system but if required can be modified or removed over a period of time. The impact is largely visual but sometimes also contributes to the structural strengths. Stucco work, blue pottery tiles, terracotta tiles, terrazzo

21

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Figure 3 Stone carving at Adalaj Stepwell (Adalaj ni Vav), an example of a construction oriented Space Making Crafts

Figure 4 Blue pottery tiles at Chini Ka Rauza, Agra, an example of a surface oriented Space making Crafts

22

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Figure 5 Mahubani Painting done on the wall, an example of a finish oriented Space Making Crafts

Figure 6 Hand Painted Wooden furniture of Sankheda, an example of a object oriented Space making Crafts

23

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

floors, clay relief work, ceramic tiles (embossed or handmade), lime plaster can be seen as some examples of this type of craft which are non-structural. On the other hand, various surface adornments applied on columns, bands and other space-making elements will be more focused under the structural head.

The third one, add-on crafts (temporary)/finish-oriented crafts extend the quality of the surface oriented crafts, but are more temporary in nature. They do not cater to the construction of the space, and are merely confined to visual appeal. Specific crafts which could be categorized under this would be Madhubani painting, Warli wall paintings, foil work, Pichwai painting etc.

And the last, object-oriented crafts are primarily associated with artifacts, objects and furniture pieces. The crafts applied to the making of furniture, objects, accessories etc. would be categorized under this subhead. This might be integrated complete with the furniture or the object or are merely an independent layer on it.

The life of different space making craft varies. Construction oriented space making have the highest life followed by surface oriented and finish oriented respectively. Most of the finish oriented crafts in India have a life span of one year. They are done in a periodic cycle. Object oriented space makings crafts have lowest life of all. They can be changed whenever needed. But in some object oriented crafts are made using construction oriented surface oriented technique or finish oriented technique. For

example, marble inlay table is an example object oriented craft made using construction oriented technique.

Space Making Crafts engage through the senses, spiritually, physically as well as psychically.

24

Construction Oriented Space Making Crafts

Finish Oriented Space Making Crafts

Life span of Space Making Crafts

Figure 7

Surface Oriented Space Making Crafts

Object Oriented Space Making Crafts

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

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Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Figure 8 A tomb in Nakodar Punjab: A Distinct example of Mughal architecture in India, showing three layers of craft, Brick Masonry as construction oriented, Stucco as structure oriented and the painted surface as finish oriented

26

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Public Art and its Benefits

Art when applied into a public space have changed its meaning from an art form to a principle and a mechanism of improving the changing environment. It has a significant impact on the local environment and has encouraged regeneration and enhancements of public or private spaces. It has also played an important role in enhancing communities

and

complementing

together,

environments,

offering

social

and

bringing educational

opportunities and promoting tourism.

Cultural Value and Community Identity The point with Public Art, I think is that it helps people form a sense that there’s something special about it. - Andy Stewart

Having a particular community identity, especially in terms of what our towns look like, is becoming even more important in a world where everyplace tends to looks like everyplace else. Places with strong public art expressions break the trend of blandness and sameness, and give communities a stronger sense of place and identity. When we think about memorable places, we think about their icons – consider the St. Louis Arch, the totem poles of Vancouver, the heads at Easter Island. All of these were the work of creative people who captured the spirit and atmosphere of their cultural milieu. Absent public art, we would be absent our human identities.

The Artist as Contributor to Cultural Value Public art brings artists and their creative vision into the civic decision making process. In addition the aesthetic benefits of having works of art in public places, artists can make valuable contributions when they are included in the mix of planners, engineers,

designers,

elected

officials,

and

community

stakeholders who are involved in planning public spaces and

27

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

amenities. Artists bring their own creative skill set to those conversations, which can also inspire creativity in others, ideally bringing the means of decisions and problem-solving to a more responsive and imaginative result. However, artists inevitably bring personal and distinctive interpretations to each idea, site, social construct, and aesthetic potential. In this way, artists can be social and civic leaders, advocating through art for alternative perspectives that can challenge assumptions, beliefs, and community values.

Social Value and Placemaking Public art is a reflection of its place and time. It acts as a place marker in all human settlements. Artworks like Cloud Gate in Chicago's Millennium Park are intertwined with our images of

those cities. Transient artworks, like Christo and Jean Claude's Running Fence in California or the Sultan's Elephant in London, have become memorable moments in time, captured in picture

“It was Public Art, defines as art that is purchased by experts who are spending their own personal money.”

postcards and in family photo albums. Public art activates the imagination and encourages people to pay attention and perceive more deeply the environment they occupy. Public art stimulates learning and thought about art and society, about our interconnected lives, and about the social sphere as a whole. It is

uniquely accessible and enables people to experience art in the course of daily life, outside of museums or other cultural institutions. Public art provides everyone in the community direct and ongoing encounters with art. It engages social interaction— both during the selection process and following installation. And, an artwork can lead the viewer toward self-reflection and awareness.

- Dave Barry

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Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Social Value and Placemaking Public art is a reflection of its place and time. It acts as a place marker in all human settlements. Artworks like Cloud Gate in Chicago's Millennium Park are intertwined with our images of those cities. Transient artworks, like Christo and Jean Claude's Running Fence in California or the Sultan's Elephant in London, have become memorable moments in time, captured in picture postcards and in family photo albums. Public art activates the imagination and encourages people to pay attention and perceive more deeply the environment they occupy. Public art stimulates learning and thought about art and society, about our interconnected lives, and about the social sphere as a whole. It is uniquely accessible and enables people to experience art in the course of daily life, outside of museums or other cultural institutions. Public art provides everyone in the community direct and ongoing encounters with art. It engages social interaction— both during the selection process and following installation. And, an artwork can lead the viewer toward self-reflection and “Art is a language and public art is a public speech”.

awareness.

- Janathan Jones, The Guardian

Social Value and Collaboration The effort of creating art for public space is not solitary: the public art process asks the artist to share his/her creative point of view and approach to art-making, and to collaborate with others

throughout its development. In consequence, the work can reverberate throughout the community, thereby encouraging a sense of shared ownership and collective affiliation. The inclusion of artists' thinking, creative input, aesthetic contributions and problem solving methods in the public realm engage ways of working in the built environment that is different from the approaches of practitioners of other disciplines because their

29

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

concerns are different.

Economic Value and Regeneration As has been witnessed throughout history, public art can be an essential element when a municipality wishes to progress economically and to be viable to its current and prospective citizens. Data strongly indicates that cities with an active and dynamic cultural scene are more attractive to individuals and business. Public art can be a key factor in establishing a unique and culturally active place. Public art can create civic icons, but it also can transform our playgrounds, train stations, traffic circles, hospitals, water treatment facilities, and airports into more vibrant expressions of human imagination. By building and reinforcing community culture, public art can act as a catalyst for community generation or regeneration. In this case, size does not necessarily matter. Public art can be very visible, large, permanent and unmistakable as an art experience; but it can also be very subtle, short lived or seamlessly integrated into one’s experience of a place. Public art matters.

Key features of a successful Public Art

The most crucial elements to consider when diagnosing unsuccessful spaces are: • It should be visually stunning (aesthetics) • It should increase sociability • Uses and Activities • It should be Comfortable • It should be easily accessible • It should be made out of durable material • It should require less Maintenance

“ Public art is meeting of minds at many levels.” - Garrison Roots (Roots (2006) Designing World’s Best Public Art, Images Publishing Dist Ac)

30

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

• It should be somewhat inexpensive • It should communicate about the place and the people • It should not offend the political , religious or moral sensibilities

Public Art: Reflection of Place and Time

Place is not merely what was there, but also the interaction of what is there and what happened there. For most people, it is probably not the architecture that turns a physical locale into well“Public art, in all its diversity can mediate all spaces as places.”

loved place; it is more often the remembrance of human

- John Newling

patterns of life lived in a particular building or space that creates

interaction that helps us to claim it. It is the recollection of

the “cornerstones” of mental association and gives such places the patina of affection. (Fleming, 2007)

According to Carl M. Maxey (ICO, 2008) Public art, whether permanent or installation art is an essential ingredient to creating truly great public places. It is said that societies are judged by the art and architecture they leave behind. Great societies leave impressive examples of both as testaments to their achievements. Public art humanizes the built environment and invigorates public spaces. It provides an intersection between past, present and

future, between disciplines, and between ideas. It is a reflection of its place and time. It acts as a place marker in all human settlements (Ozsoy & Byram, 2007).

Whatever its form, public art attracts attention. By its presence alone public art can heighten our awareness, question our assumptions, transform our landscape, or express community values, and for these reasons it can have the power, over time to

transform the image of the Village. Public art helps define an

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Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

entire community’s identity and reveal the unique character of a specific neighborhood.

Perhaps in the not-too- distant future, the concept of sustainability, another architectural term much in the limelight, will include the capacity of a building to hold memory. The second requirement of sustainability memory in the building design would encourage the use of the artist’s or craftsman’s eye to tell the story of the building’s intention. The designer needs to leave pegs for the imagination to hang on so that each generation can regenerate and reinterpret the meaning for their own time. Designers can also use sensory impression to incorporate memory pegs into buildings spaces and thus humanize environments today. (Fleming, 2007)

One such example of timeless Public art is Taj Mahal of Agra. It is considered as an architecture marvel of Mughal era in India. While the arch-and-dome profile of clean white marble has become iconic, other beauties lie in the Taj Mahal’s painstaking details: inlaid semiprecious stones and carvings and Koranic verse in calligraphy create an enchanting interior space. Today it is a place of National Importance. Thousands of people visit it every year. Apart from it, it’s also a place of religious importance. Similarly the Indo-Saracenic style architecture of Victoria terminus Bombay and Madras High Court reminds us of British era of late 19th century.

These Public arts are a distinguish part of our public history. It reflects and reveals our society, adds meaning to our cities and uniqueness to our communities. Moreover it increases tourism and brings our country to international limelight.

“Public art is about the free field, the play of creative vision.” - Patricia Philips

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Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Figure 9 Taj Mahal, Agra, a place of historical importance with fine work of craft

Figure 10

Figure 11

Victoria Terminus, Bombay

Madras High Court

33

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Factors inhibiting use of Craft in Public Space

Public art contends with the world at large. The urban realm is a complex environment full of unpredictable activities that exert their forces on even the simplest of objects. A city is a lively, active world with an intense level of usage. Changing weather (Ultraviolet light, Rain), little security (easily accessible to-people, animals, birds), pollution and the surrounding environment (architectural and industrial developments) are also part of the

public art installation’s reality. Apart from this people perception towards crafts has also changed. It is really important that one keeps these factors in mind while designing or planning a Public Art/Craft Installation.

Related Research Review

Mumbai T2 Terminus “JAYA HE” Project

The new iconic Terminal 2, is India’s first and most advanced vertical passenger terminal that integrates world class design, architecture, infrastructure and operational efficiency, with a rich infusion

of

Indian

heritage

and

cultural

character.

The

transformation of CSIA, a brown-field project, is a one-of-its-kind unique infrastructural project in the world, unlike any other airport development projects. With a vision to become one of the world’s

best airports, GVK has been continuously and consistently upgrading CSIA to an airport that delights its guests by offering best in class comfort and convenience.

The T2 is home to India’s largest public art programme, titled ‘Jaya He’, in the form of a 3.2 km multi-storey Art Wall, illuminated by

“ With public art abstract spaces becomes particular places” - Jeff Kelly

34

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

skylights, that has over 7000 pieces of artwork and artifacts from every region & corner of India.

In India every rite of passage is marked and celebrated, particularly in travel – every threshold and doorway is enriched by ritual consecrating the journey through it. “Jaya He” project’s ambition was to bring this sensibility to the airport, infusing meaning into the huge spatial volumes of T2 Mumbai. Jaya He was conceived as an initiation into the immediate environment and the larger context of the airport, the city of Mumbai and of India as a whole. Reflecting the many - layered story that is India, the collection “Art should not be the privilege of just the rich or of museums. It should be displayed in large public places.” - Rajeev Sethi (Chaturvedi, P., July 2013, Live Mint)

evolved into an immense multi-disciplinary endeavor, like a new museum. Arguably India’s largest public art initiative, Jaya He had two distinct sections. The first of these was in the arrivals corridor, consisting of a series of nos. especially commissioned artworks that map the city as a layered narrative, unfolding page by page before the disembarking travellers. The second section was a wall running like a central curvilinear spine, designed to direct and control circulation of passengers through the terminal. The wall

itself is the artwork of an immense sculptural tableau of India’s plural cultural legacy, living traditions and contemporary artistic expression. Jaya He brought together designers, artists, artisans, architects, art historians, anthropologists and conservators with technicians, all working together to distil and interpret India culturally, aesthetically, historically and socially in a manner that leaves visitors with doubt that they are in the heart of the South Asian subcontinent.

“Art should not be the privilege of just the rich or of museums. It should be displayed in large public places,” says Sethi, 63. “And what’s better than an airport, which has round-the-clock security

35

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Figure 12 Peacock Ceiling at the entrance of T2 Terminus

Figure 13

Figure 14

The Udan Khatola sculpture

Shaped like a Pagadi- “Touche”

36

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Figure 15 Gond Painting done in a Hotel Room

Figure 16

Figure 17

Mural at Development 2020 Corporate office

Hand-dyes cloth kites mural at corporate office

37

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

and

a

temperature-controlled

environment,

to

do

this.”

(Chaturvedi, P., July 2013, Live Mint)

CraftCanvas

CraftCanvas is an Ahmedabad based company found by Ms. Nisha

Vikram. It is a link between artisan communities and the urban customer,

translating an ages

old craft into

something

contemporary. They offer a range of handicraft products from across India, hand-painted wall mural services, custom handcrafted furniture, soft furnishings, tribal/folk paintings & accessories and craft workshops for children and adults.

“Art helps transform an ordinary space into something

extraordinary and thought-provoking. Cities such as New York and Sacramento are famous for their street / public art installations. They have a public fund for the same and they boast of generating huge livelihood opportunities for their artists.”- Ms. Nisha Vikram

Apart from lot of interior design projects CraftCanvas also do lot of Public Installation projects using traditional handicrafts. Ms. Nisha Vikram says that she decided to work on this public craft

installation in order to showcase local craft as well as to motivate artisans.. These projects showcases how we can use a public space to create awareness about dying crafts.”

They believe that there is a place for India’s traditional crafts even in the most modern of spaces.

“The fuction of Public Art is to de-design” - Nisha Vikram, CraftCanvas

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Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Y- Walls

Y-walls Design is a multi-disciplinary design practice providing creative and context specific Interior Design and Installation Design solutions with a vision to use Indian crafts for designing contemporary spaces.

Founded by Ms. Preksha Baid, Y-Walls believes in blending craft “Public art revises the present of art and conjectures its future.”

with technology to provide visually stunning and beautifully

-Preksha Baid, Y-Walls

Airport, Luxury Retail and Residences to Mixed-Use commercial

crafted modern spaces. They design and create brand inspired built environments and interiors ranging from Hospitality and

spaces. The studio provides range of integrated design services with a strong focus on the tactile and sensory qualities of the space.

They don’t believe in a specific design style but do believe in a strong design process. There is an active engagement in integrating localized skills and resources with state of the art materials and technology.

Their vision is to design and build spaces that are cutting edge, contemporary, and instantly connects with its users. The spaces they build are narrative inspired, touched by ‘human touch’ and crafted to connect with people on all levels.

They have done a series of installations for Ministry of External Affairs. All of them are Public installations and a lot of focus has been kept on durability of the installation. Materials are chosen very wisely, keeping in mind the needs of a successful Public Art.

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Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Figure 18 Kalamkari ceiling done at a hotel’s waiting area

Figure 19

Figure 20

Installation made out of Sandstone at Ministry of External Affairs

Buddha Installation made out of brass at Ministry of External Affairs

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Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Figure 21 Temporary Warli Art Installation done at Kala Ghoda Art Festival

Figure 22

Figure 23

Terracotta Mural at Axis Bank

Beaten brass and Lippan installation at a restaurant

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Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Baaya Designs

Baaya Design is India’s first dedicated Folk art and related Home Décor Store and Studio. Founded by an NIDian Ms. Shibani Jain Baaya in the local Indian language refers to the Indian weaver bird which crafts its nest in a unique and aesthetic way.

They offer the best skills in combination with utility and beauty in their products. Their unique and natural range speaks of India’s

age old, exquisite skills while mapping the demands of current day markets. In other words, their products are contemporary expressions of traditional skills. They enable the creation of distinctive interior spaces that reflect our traditions, give us a sense of belonging and blend with the global and eclectic world we live in.

Baaya Design’s work is rooted in their social agenda and their desire to bring age old and highly specialized skills to urban markets. They endeavor to bring income and recognition to a very deserving individual- the artisan of India.

Baaya Desings has done quite a lot of projects to bring traditional crafts into Public space. Recently, Baaya Design completed two major projects for Axis Bank and Accelya to provide art from various regions in their interiors. Baaya Design has also worked with IDFC to do murals in their guest house and provide art options for their corporate office. Apart from this they have also done temporary Public Art installations for Kala Ghoda Art Festival for two consecutive years.

“ The new Public art demands and invites communication and the engagement of others”. - Shibani Jain, Baaya Designs

42

43

44

CHAPTER 3

Research Methodology

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Research Perspective

As I approached the design of my study, I took into consideration my perspective or the lens through which I wished to conduct the study. As the principal instrument of the study, all data was coded, categorized, and analyzed through the lens of my perspective. I approached this study from an interpretive and thematic point of view. In this, I mean that meaning is thematically constructed by interactions that I had with the individuals. For example, I am writing this report; however, the meaning and message has been

constructed and based on my interactions with various conversations I had with the experts in these field and with my advisors. In addition, how I interpreted actions taken by This study is approached from an interpretive and thematic point of view.

participants is based on these interactions as well as past experiences I have had with research, writing, and learning in the area of Indian Handicrafts and Public Art. In this study I interpreted and

constructed

meaning

based

on

the

participants’

communications and written products. In addition, interactions I

had with the participants through interviews helped me to build my interpretation and description of Key considerations to be taken while doing a craft based Public Art/Craft Project.

More specifically, what brought me to an interest in showcasing crafts in the public space stemmed from my experiences while doing my Masters in Design, and doing various craft projects .

As a Student with majors in Craft Studies, I found the opportunity that most of our crafts don’t get enough exposure . Most of them are displayed in Museums and gallery spaces, while does not provide it enough exposure so as to increase its awareness and prevent it from dying. If they are brought in to Public space, the

45

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

amount of exposure crafts will get would be much more, and it may help in increasing awareness about them and making them a part of every day life.

Research Design

I chose to use qualitative methods for this study because I wanted to develop the key considerations be able to keep in mind while bringing crafts in the public domain. A qualitative exploratory study design would allow me to obtain “rich data” in the form of interview and observation. In each case, an individual participant was the representative unit of analysis.

An exploratory design allows the researcher to “investigate a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context,” (Yin 2003). In this study that context was the influence of bringing crafts in public domain. In contrast to an experimental study seeking causal effects, the goal of this study was to understand the benefits of bringing craft in public domain and to develop the process of incorporating crafts in Public space. In addition, an exploratory study approach was chosen over a survey because an exploratory study can provide “rich thick description” of what is happening more so than a survey (Merriam, 1998). An exploratory study provides a more detailed picture of what is happening in the environment.

A multiple tools of exploratory study were chosen to increase the analytic generalization of the study. If similar conclusions were found in multiple cases, there is more evidence to develop the key consideration to bring crafts in the public space.(Yin, 2003). In essence, each case study becomes a test of the theoretical

Qualitative research is about exploring issues, understanding phenomena, answering questions by analyzing and making sense of unstructured data.

46

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

explanation of how different factors play a key role in building a successful Public Art/Craft.

The purpose of this study was to answer the following questions: •

What is the importance of Public Art, a what is the scope of Indian handicrafts to be used in it?



To understand the current demand of using crafts in interior architecture?



What are the different factors one should keep in mind while using traditional craft to build a Public Art?

Exploratory Research Design in which the major emphasis is on gaining ideas and insights.



What expectations one has from an Public Art?



What are the different factors that inhibit the use of crafts in Public Space?

These questions were answered through the voices of the academicians, professionals and students having knowledge in the area of Space Making Crafts, along with the common public found around the Public art installations in Ahmedabad and Mumbai. By understanding the different ways of bringing crafts in the Public space and learning the experiences and expectations one has with Public Art/Craft , I have gained a better understanding for the development of key considerations and applying it in a real life

scenario.

Research Design Model

A research design model was prepared to conduct the thesis. The model is divided into 3 phases. Following are the three phases of the research model :

47

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Phase 1

Figure 24 Research design Model: Phase 1

Within the understanding of work and research in this interest area i.e. Space design and Indian Handicrafts, the research question “Showcasing crafts in the Public Space “was posed. The faculty and industrial considerations were taken on the following points: whether the question is timely (able to be answered in a reasonable time) and whether it will have impact on the field of design and beyond. Seeking the legitimacy and answerability of the question a secondary research was conducted to determine if the question has been answered. Analysis was developed on the following topics: Evolution of the term craft, how crafts are perceived today, Indian tradition of using crafts in the Interior Architecture, Benefits of using traditional crafts in the public space. Based on the results, the question is fine-tuned, i.e. “General guidelines that need to be followed for the process of incorporating traditional art/crafts in the Public Space”.

48

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Phase 2

Figure 25 Research design Model: Phase 2

The research question was repositioned to “General guidelines needed for the process of incorporating crafts in the Public Space”’. Since it was really important to understand what are the different aspects that one should look upon while they take up Public Art/Craft project, an exploratory research was conducted. The method that was adopted was In-depth Interview and Observation. In- depth interviews was used to tap the knowledge and experience of those with information relevant to the question at hand. The Sampling type which was used was the Purposive sampling, where the Information was collected from– Academicians, Professionals, Design students and Common Public. A semiformal interview was conducted with the sample size of 50 (10 academicians, 10 professionals 10 students and 20 Common Person) to get their insights on the question in hand. Along with this 5 Public spaces with craft installations were identified and the activities done around there were observed. The results that were obtained are: Development of the key considerations that needs to be taken care of while taking a public Art/Craft Project.

49

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Phase 3

Figure 26 Research design Model: Phase 3

After the key considerations were drawn a project was identified for the design intervention. Concept was to be developed based on the key considerations. For this an empirical research was taken where results were drawn on the basis of experiments and case studies. Primary and secondary research was conducted for the concept development of project in hand . The concept developed was used during the application of the project where material explorations, and design development was done.

50

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Settings

The participants of category 1 were selected from all over the India based on their area of work. People from Ahmedabad and Mumbai were

interviewed personally on the time and date

preferred by the participants. While the participants from other places were interviewed on telephone. Those who were not able to talk personally, a list of questions were sent to them via mail. The responses were also received through mail.

Five places were selected around Mumbai and Ahmedabad for The research setting can be seen as the physical, social, and cultural site in which the researcher conducts the study.

the purpose of observation. These settings were chose for two reasons. For one reason, I have access to these Public places. The other reason these settings were chosen is that they all had an Indian Handicrafts based Installation.

Following are the five places which were selected: Table 1- List of Public Art/Craft observed Sr.No.

1

Name Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE)

Craft Used

Place

Gond, Madhya Pradesh

Ahmedabad

2

Ahmedabad Haat

Multiple Crafts

Ahmedabad

3

Nishi Nails Spa

Gond, Madhya Pradesh

Ahmedabad

4

T2 Terminus

Multiple Crafts

Mumbai

5

Mumbai University , Kalina Gate

Warli Painting

Mumbai

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Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) was chosen because its an office place. It is located in new IIM campus. The Gond ceramic mural is done on the one of the façades of the building. Basically the building is an shared place where lot of new ventures have their offices. This place was selected to understand how these murals has affected the space and the settings there.

Ahmedabad Haat is an exhibition place where lot of craft and handloom based fairs take place all around the year. The craft based paintings done their give identity to these place as an craft based space. How these paintings affect the sales around the year was the basic of aim of selecting these place.

Nishi nails Spa is a part of a Busy Mall in Ahmedabad.

The

exposure it gets in terms of public is incomparable. How this nail kiosk creates awareness about the craft used and what benefits it gets behind using the craft based decoration was the main reason why I chose this place in my list.

Everybody is aware of the Installations done at the Mumbai International Airport (T2 Terminus). It contains art work from all over the India. The place is considered as a gateway to India. How this space affects Indian tourism was the main aim to select this place.

Mumbai University Kalina Gate has Warli painting done at its entrance. All the year around it gets lots of exposure from the students and the visitors. How much awareness it has created about the art form among the students was the reason to select these place.

The sample size selected for the observation was five sites with craft based public installation.

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Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Participants

Purposive or theoretical sampling was used to choose the participants for this case study (Mason, 2004). The participants were chosen because they had experience and knowledge in the area of crafts or space design. I chose Academicians, Professionals and Students as they would be able to understand the context of the research. Apart from this common people at 5 different public places with craft based installations were observed and interviewed to understand their experience and expectation from

a public art. Purposive sampling is type of non probability sampling . It relies on the judgment of researcher when it comes to selecting the units that are to be studied.

Category 1 Participants- Academicians, Professionals and Students

Contact was made with the potential respondents with the use of telephones and e-mails for the participation of this research. The process was continued until

at least 30 participants i.e. 10

participants in each category were willing to participate in the research. An e-mail was send to the respondents with a cover letter explaining the purpose of the study .

The participants were selected on the basis of my knowledge , connection and judgment in the

area of research.

Updated

Industry news and events, referrals, personal experience and other information all helped to form the basis for the selection and ongoing maintenance of samples.

Following are the list of Participants in the Category 1:

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Table 2:- Participant Category: Academicians Sr. No.

Name

Institute

1

Professor M. P. Ranjan

Ahmedabad University

2

Professor Rishav Jain

CEPT University

3

Professor Jay Thakkar

CEPT University

4

Ms. Smiriti Saraswat

CEPT University

5

Ms. Rupa Agarwal

NIFT, Mumbai

6

Mr. Shreepathi

NIFT, Mumbai

7

Ms. Rebecca Philip

NIFT, Mumbai

8

Mr. Nandan Ghiya

IICD, Jaipur

9

Ms. Usha Prajapati

IICD, Jaipur

10

Ms. Khushboo Bharti

IICD, Jaipur

Table 3:- Participant Category: Professionals Sr. No.

Name

Organization

1

Ms. Shibani Jain

Founder, Baaya Designs

2

Ms. Neha Gandhi

Founder, Matsya Crafts

3

Ms. Brinda Miller

Chairperson- Kala Ghoda Art Festival

4

Mr. Ranjit Dahiya

Head, Bollywood Art Project

5

Ms. Geeta Castellino

Chairperson- Kala Ghoda Art Festival

6

Ms. Preksha Baid

Founder, Y-Walls

7

Ms. Nisha Vikram

Founder, CraftCanvas

8

Ms. Aditi Prakash

Founder, Pure Ghee Designs

9

Shweta Luhana

Founder, Open Window

10

Dhanya Pilo

Founder, The Wall Project

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Table 4:- Participant Category: Students Sr.

Name

Department

Institute/University

No. 1

2 3

4

Bhumir Shah

Civil Engineering

Divya Dalwani

Civil Engineering

Hiren Makhwana

Interior and Furniture Design

Venus International college of Engineering Indus University National Institute of Design

Karishma

Interior and

Datwani

Furniture Design

5

Zeenal Savaliya

Interior Design

CEPT University

6

Riddhi D. Shah

Interior Design

CEPT University

7

Mansi Vyas

Architecture

CEPT University

8

Harshpreet Singh

Architecture

Indus University

Interior Design

NSID, Rajkot

Craft Design

IICD, Jaipur

Saluja 9

Jayati Sharma

10

Apporva Maheshwari

National Institute of Design

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Table 5:- Participant Category: Common Public Sr. No.

Name

Designation

Place

1

Aashka Ghelani

Interior Designer

CIIE

2

Muskan Sohanda

Intern

CIIE

3

Swati Mishra

Business Woman

CIIE

4

Simran Arora

Intern

CIIE

5

Curie Shah

Commerce Student

Nishi Nails Spa

6

Jinali Patel

Housewife

Nishi Nails Spa

7

Nirali Zaveri

Sales Girl

Nishi Nails Spa

8

Nishi Shah

Owner- Nishi Nails

Nishi Nails Spa

9

Rinky Kalra

Housewife

Ahmedabad Haat

10

Shelly Gandhi

Housewife

Ahmedabad Haat

11

Chanchal Kabra

Student

Ahmedabad Haat

12

Riddhi Mehmotra

Housewife

Ahmedabad Haat

13

Ketan Patel

Businessman

T2 Terminus

14

Aakash Bhatia

Event Manager

T2 Terminus

15

Arpita Mehta

Business woman

T2 Terminus

16

Sagar Pandya

Businessman

T2 Terminus

17

Ravija Munshi

Student

Kalina Gate., MU

18

Anshul Mehta

Student

Kalina Gate., MU

19

Darshi Soni

Student

Kalina Gate., MU

20

Nidhi Dave

Student

Kalina Gate., MU

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Category 2 Participants- Common Public

These people were observed at five different public places with craft based installation. The process was continued until at least 20 participants were willing to participate in the research.

The participants were selected randomly on the basis of activities they doing around the Public Art/Craft. After which they were interviewed about their experience and expectations about craft. The list of participants is provided in Table 5. Depth interviews Interviews with people knowledgeable about the general subject being investigated.

Instruments

The method of personal Interview is used in this research. To conduct the interview an Interview guide was formulated aiming to ensure more in-depth in formation is provided. The questions were formulated based on the objectives, research question and purpose of the research. The questions followed a logical progression starting with general questions and progressing to specific issues to sustain the interest of the respondent and gradually stimulating question answering.

A cover letter was sent to the participants for asking them to participate in the research. The cover letter explained the purpose of the research and its relevance, and seeked their agreement to participate in this research. One of the major advantage of using this instrument was the cost efficiency.

During the interview respondents voice was recorded with their consent for the future reference. An audio recorder was used for the same.

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The second instrument that was used for the research was observation. Participants were observed in their natural settings. The activities and interactions done by them were recorded in the form of images. This was followed by the interview where they were asked about their activities to form basis for the analysis.

Data Analysis

Having collected a wealth of data through these various methods, it was important to carefully examine the data, extract the important findings and put these together into a concise analysis. It was decided while planning the interviews and observations that thematic analysis would be the most effective method to carry this out. According to Aronson (1994), ‘thematic analysis emphasizes pinpointing, examining, and recording patterns (or "themes") within data. Themes are patterns across data sets that are important to the description of a phenomenon and are associated to a specific research question.

Denzin and Lincoln ( 2008 ) compare the process of identifying and collecting themes and patterns with the bricolage metaphor referring to the researcher acting as bricoleur or quilt-maker, someone who ‘pieces together sets of representations that fit to the specifics of a complex situation’. I could relate to this role through previous practical craft projects, while the description was an appropriate way of describing the process I would take.

Braun and Clarke’s (2006) in-depth guide to thematic analysis was referred to when planning and carrying out the analysis. Firstly it was important to immerse myself in the data. This was done by listening to the interviews, transcribing them and repeatedly

Thematic analysis emphasizes pinpointing, examining, and recording patterns (or "themes") within data.

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reading them in an active way to identify meanings and patterns in the data from one interview to the next.

From the paper copies of the transcribed interviews along with the above-mentioned documents, audio and visual material and internet sites, key quotes and observations were extracted and categorized into themes relevant to the key questions of the research. Once a basic set of themes was established, each was colour coded. I then re-read through the data in detail, highlighting particular sections in the colour of the theme it related to. These themes were subsequently reviewed by distinguishing between By defining and refining each theme what was important and interesting about each in relation to research question was identified.

them, identifying whether there was enough data to support each theme, and extracting and dismissing themes depending on whether they fitted into the pattern that I could see forming. I

wouldn’t completely dismiss themes that didn’t relate to the primary themes emerging but keep them aside in case they fitted with any findings that may arise at a later stage. By defining and refining (Braun & Clarke, 2006) each theme I was able to identify what was important and interesting about each in relation to my research question and this analysis formed the structure of my discussion chapters.

It was important to be writing the analysis up in parallel with carrying out the thematic analysis as the act of writing further allowed for identifying and analyzing the emerging themes and patterns.

Ethical Issues

McNamara (1994) identified four ethical concerns to be

considered when conducting a research. These concerns dealt

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with voluntary participation on identifying purpose and sponsor, no harm to respondents, anonymity and confidentiality, and analysis and reporting. All of these concerns were taken care off while doing the research.

All the participants participated voluntarily in the research. A due permission was taken before taking the interview. All the respondents were informed in the cover email about the purpose of the study and the organizations that are sponsoring it. The cover email also explained that the results of the study would be used in a dissertation as partial fulfillment for a Masters degree.

No possible harm was done to the respondents. This include embarrassment or feeling uncomfortable about questions. This study did not included any sensitive questions that could cause embarrassment or uncomfortable feelings to the participant.

All the participants were informed prior to the interview that this research is conducted for the academic purpose. The information given by them was kept confidential and was not use of any other purpose than for fulfilling the academic requirements. Participants identification was also kept confidential and was only used in determining who had not responded for follow-up purposes.

The methods and the results of the research are accurately reported. All the problems and weakness experienced as well as the positive result are accurately reported.

Research ethics involves the application of fundamental ethical principles to a variety of topics involving research.

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CHAPTER 4

Results and Discussion

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Thematic analysis of the data

The method of thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected through interviews and observation. The data collected was segregated in to different themes to draw conclusions out of it. The different themes developed for the analysis of the data are as follows:

Craft as a Design Expression

When we talk about bring crafts in the public space in the form of a public art/craft, the design of that public art it very important. Earlier craftsmen was connected to the end user, so he was aware of the market demands but now he is disconnected from the end user

To be successful Public Art/Craft, the design has to be engaging and inviting. But when we use craft to make a Public art there are certain things are that very important which are necessary to be kept in mind. Designing using craft is one among them.

Ms. Shibani Jain, owner of Baaya Designs said that it is very important to find out the possibilities within the craft. Earlier craftsmen was connected to the end user, so he was aware of the market demands, and these market demands played a very important role in exploring new things within the craft. But now since the craftsmen is disconnected from the end user these explorations are not taking place, so now it’s the responsibility of the designer to find the all the possibilities with in the craft, and match it to the modern needs.

During interview with Professor Rishav Jain of CEPT University, he said that there is a new trend which has emerged in last few years and that is “Craftism”. Craftism is all about the expression as a moment. People want to express things about themselves, their

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origin, culture, traditions etc. And this moment has given rise to the use of handicrafts all over the world. Hand painted murals in the interiors are in trend. And this trend would be at its height in

next 10 years. So it is very important that we find enough opportunities in the field of design for the crafts, and make it suit the taste of urban needs, since there would be abundance of its demand in the near future.

But when we talk about making these crafts suitable for the urban needs it is also very important to think how we will do that. Ms. Neha Gandhi of Matsya Crafts said that Technological Intervention

in the area of craft can play a huge role, and designers can actually think upon how to incorporate technology in the design process for crafts. With new technology consistency and efficiency can be achieved.

Ms. Neha Gandhi also focused on the fact that today it is very important that whatever we design with the crafts has to go with the current trends and scenario. Similarly Ms. Brinda Miller,

Chairperson, Kala Ghoda Art Festival, said that it is very important that we work on contemporary themes and topic within the craft. People are unable to relate to the craft, and they think that it is too old fashioned. It is very important to communicate the possibilities which are available with the crafts and showcasing these possibilities through a Public art would be excellent idea. Because the amount of exposure that crafts would get the larger the amount of benefit would be.

Professor Shreepathi from NIFT, Mumbai said that when we talk about design it would be very interesting if we can convert two dimensional crafts into three dimensional and vice versa. It would

Craftism is all about the expression as a moment. People want to express things about themselves, their origin, culture, traditions etc.

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not just add a new element in the craft but would can also suffice the need of the space and make it more interactive.

Ms. Preksha Baid of Y-Walls focused on the point of showcasing skills rather than object. She said that it is very important to promote the hard work that is done behind making a handicraft rather than the aesthetics of it. And we as a designer can play a wide role in this. When designs are made aiming to promote the hard work behind it, its sure to get the fruitful results for the craft.

Professor Jay Thakkar of CEPT University stressed on the point that designs are meant to be space centric. Design should suffice the need of the space. We have a wide history of Space making crafts, Designs are meant to be space centric. Design should suffice the need of the space.

where the craft was added to the space from the point of

construction to the point of its decoration. We need to look upon all those examples and analyze why these craft was used for this specific purpose.

Creativity of the Artisan

Artisanal creativity is one things which gets the most attention when we talk about design intervention in the area of craft. There

is a belief that design interventions in the area of craft makes the designer superior and craftsmen's are treated just like a skilled labourer.

When talked about this Ms. Aditi Prakash of Pure Ghee designs said that it is necessary to give enough exposure to the artisans so that there creativity comes out. Craftsmen are now unable to understand the market needs and that’s the reason why he has

become just a labourer. He has stopped putting his creative efforts

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and is relied completely on the designers. It is important that artisans are made to understand the surroundings and the purpose behind the project. Only then and then they will be able to put their thoughts and creativity in the project. Only when the artisan will enjoy his work he will be able to create the master piece.

Talking about the same thing Ms. Rupa Agarwal, Professor, NIFT Mumbai said that there should be a loop between the artist, designer and the artisan. It is the need of the time, today we can’t leave behind any and move forward. And when we talk about bringing crafts in the public space it is necessary that all of the three work together, designer can understand the need of the space an artist can give aesthetics to the space and only an artisan

can execute these ideas with his great skills. She also focused on the point to check on the artisanal capacity to execute a certain projects. Whether the craftsmen has enough skills and resources to execute the ideas of the designer is very important. Because the scale at which the artisan works may not be the same when he works on a public art project.

Professor M.P. Ranjan said that whether the project is executed by

the artisan or a fabricator it is necessary that artisan is made stakeholder in the process. Because it is his art form that we are using. He ideas and opinions should be taken at every stage of the project, because the way he will be able to guide on the craft nobody else will be able to do that.

Craft Adaptability

Professor Jay Thakkar, CEPT University said that there is a very

Whether the project is executed by the artisan or a fabricator it is necessary that artisan is made stakeholder in the process.

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thin line between art and craft. And when we take up art project where we experiment with their form and material it is up to us where we draw that thin line between art and craft. In the process of contemporizing the craft we should not blend the craft so much that it loses its importance. Craft should always be the major factor in whatever project we take if it has to be a craft based.

Ms. Smriti Saraswat said that maintaining the essence and the dignity of the craft is very important. In a country like Indian, crafts are not done only for functional and aesthetic purpose but they are done for the religious purpose also. Lot of crafts are ritualistic in nature. It necessary to understand the nature of the craft before using them. Their contemporization should not hurt the Whenever we work with craft it is necessary that craft is the Unique Selling Point of that project.

sentiments of the artisans. The essence and the dignity of the craft

should be maintained.

Professor Ranjan also said that whenever we work with craft it is necessary that craft is the Unique Selling Point of that project. Craft should be given due importance and should not be considered as a some other design element. Handmade should be the most talked about point of that project.

Ms. Rebecca Philip, NIFT Mumbai stressed on using the same materials for the craft, as they were used earlier. Earlier the materials which were used for the specific craft were sourced locally and was considered as the most sustainable. This practice should be revive. Crafts would be retained only if they are used in their original form other wise they would just blend in with other forms and will loose its essence.

Ms. Khushboo Bharti, IICD said that the sensibilities of the craft

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should be checked on before changing their form and material. Whether craft has that adaptability or not to adapt the new form and material needs to be checked. Artisans should be concerned before doing any major change within the craft. The true essence of the craft must be maintained.

Intention and Expectation

Being experienced in the field of public art Mr. Ranjit Dahaiya , founder Bollywood Art Project, said that it is very important to understand the intention behind the project before planning it. The purpose that a Public Art should fulfill is the initial key to the whole project. Whether a project is intended to be a temporary or permanent, is it for the publicity or to make a landmark or a gateway. Depending on all these factors the planning of the project should be done.

The materials has to be chose according to the projects need. If the project is intended to age for long span of years it’s the materials of have to be chosen widely. Durability and Maintenance becomes very important in these situation. The materials and the design chosen should with stand the weather and other factors inhibiting the formation of public art project. One should also consider facts of maintenance while taking up such project. Who would maintain the public art? Who will pay for it? Will an additional source of people would be required to maintain it? What would be the cost of maintaining it? All these questions are required to be answered before initiating the process.

Even Professor Ranjan said that one should look at both the Pros and the Cons of the Project to take the safety measure. Only if one

One should look at both the Pros and the Cons of the Project to take the safety measure

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thinks of the negative aspects of the project than he would be able to find out the solutions for it.

Ms. Nisha Vikram, founder CraftCanvas sais that the Intended Use of the project is very important to understand. By then only we can decide upon the size and scale of the project. Since it’s a public project the size has to be definitely larger than life but whether the craft has that much strength is very important to understand. Adding to these Ms. Shweta Luhana, founder, Open

Window said that one should always took the consultation required. If the public project requires the consultation can be taken from the interior designers, architects, and civil engineers. Intended Use of the project is very important to understand. By then only we can decide upon the size and scale of the project.

They can provide their advice on the sustainability aspect of the project.

Talking about the expectation that people have from a public art/craft project Ms. Geeta Catellino said that an public art should

create a creative energy in the surrounding. It should inspire people to think. It should be engaging enough. It should transform the space into an interactive spot.

Ms. Shibani Jain said that if the crafts are brought in the Public space it should create an effect on the retail side as well. If the selling of crafts goes up the idea of bringing craft in the public space is fulfilled.

Ms. Usha Prajapati, Professor, IICD, said that a public art project should communicate about the place and its people. It should also speak about the stories and myths running behind that craft. The choice of the craft also has to be done very wisely. If the project is done in Mumbai than Warli should be used but if it done in

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Ahmedabad than Matani Pachedi would be the ideal choice.

Government Support and Policies

When talked about the future of Public Art in India and the scope of crafts to be used in it. majority of the people said that crafts have a good scope to be used in Public space but that depends upon the amount of support Public art gets from the government.

Ms. Brinda Miller said that there should be policies to support the Public art projects. Government should support these kind of projects . Budget should be allocated for same every year for it.

Ms. Jayati Sharma said that Competitions should be thrown every year to built up a Public art/craft. This could be a great way to encourage the youth.

Ms. Neha Gandhi said that most of the Public art projects requires lot of funds and resources. Even if the project is not taken up by the government, they can show their support by subsidizing such project, which work for the betterment of society and craft sector. By these way artisans will also get lot of exposure.

Observation Analysis

To check what kind of difference does a Public Craft project makes, five places with craft based public art were chosen and were observed in their natural settings. The five places selected were: • Nishi Nails Spa, Alpha Mall, Ahmedabad • Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship, Ahmedabad

Competitions should be thrown every year to built up a Public art/craft. This could be a great way to encourage the youth.

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• Ahmedabad Haat, Ahmedabad • Mumbai T2 Terminus, Mumbai • Kalina Gate, Mumbai University, Mumbai

At Nishi nails spa, their kiosk is painted with Gond motifs in a very contemporary manner and colours. The employees at Nishi nail spa said that ever since they have got the painting done, there is lot of demand of the textures and colours which are done on the

kiosk walls. People find it very contemporary and specially ask us to do nail art with Gond textures. There is somewhere a good response to our services after the painting is done.

At CIIE , a Gond ceramic mural was planted last year. People at that Craft Installations have made these spaces more interactive.

place say that ever since the mural has come it has changed the space. The space has become more Interactive now. Stools and Tables are shifted around the space. People sit at that place during their office breaks, or to take lunch. It is has become an ideal place to attain the phone calls. Along with this it used to take lot of group photos and selfies.

Ahmedabad Haat is an exhibition space in Ahmedabad, where all around the year crafts melas take place. NGOs like Dastakar and Craftroots also have their exhibition their once a year. When I talked to the people there they said that Public art around the space has a huge impact on the exhibition sale. They witnessed a lot more public after the painting was done. There are some people who just come around to visit the place, but end up buying quite a lot of things . These has surely increased the income around the year. Along with this lot of schools come during the exhibition to show there students the art work done around. These creates awareness about the crafts in the school childrens.

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72 Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Figure 27 Observation Analysis

Interactive Spots

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

The art installations done at Mumbai T2 terminus are considered as a Gateway to India. When people were asked about how they feel about the installations done at the airport. They said that installations

really helped in cutting the waiting time at the

airport. It was worth coming there before time. Also some of them said that the installations at the airport summarized India in short and can be a great way of increasing the tourism to India. Ms. Brinda Miller said that the installations have a great impact on the craft sector and now airport authorities are planning to open a handicrafts shop at the airport for the tourists.

Kalina gate at the Mumbai university is basically referred to as Installations at T2 Terminus have a great impact now airport authorities are planning to open a handicrafts shop at the airport for the tourists.

Warli gate because of the warli painting done at its entry gate shade.

It is a landmark place for the students meet. Some

students said that they learned about warli painting only after they started coming to college. Also when talked to University authorities about the art form they said it was done with the purpose to create an identity of the university. Warli being a local art form it was the most obvious choice , since it would fulfill the purpose very efficiently.

Key Considerations

Based on the all the above results that were obtained through primary and secondary data key considerations were developed for the process of incorporating crafts in the public space. This considerations were divided in to three stages – Concept Development, Design Development and Execution.

Following chart explains the various things one need to keep in mind while taking a craft based Public art project:

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Figure 28

Key Design Considerations chart The key considerations were divided in to three stages i.e. what are the different factors one should keep in mind at different levels of the project when they are doing a craft based public art project .

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CHAPTER 5

Design Process

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Design Process

A project was undertaken under the Industry guidelines to apply the key considerations developed on a live project. The brief of the project taken is give below.

Project Brief

Client Name: Vaishali Shah Location: Ahmedabad Sponsoring Company Name: CraftCanvas Craft to be used: Mata ni Pachedi / Gond To test the key considerations developed they were applied to the live project.

Brief given: A 23 feet long and 10.7 feet high wall between two offices was to be painted using a traditional art form. The two offices are inter-related. One of them belong to the parents and the other belong to their daughter and son-in-law. The offices are in construction stage at present. The unique thing about these offices are

that only natural materials are used for its

construction. For both exterior and interior finish lime and marble dust mixture has been used. Challenge: Since the company has never done a mural on lime and marble dust finish, it was really a challenge to experiment which paints would work on this finish. Along with this to maintain the theme of using natural materials all over was also a challenge.

So to give justice to the theme of the office i.e. to use only natural materials we decided to use only natural paints for the project. But which paints will work on the finish and how to make them was the next question in line.

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Figure 29

Elevation Plan of the Project

Scope for Artwork

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Background Study

To understand which paints would work on the lime and marble mixture finish and how to make those natural paints a background study was conducted. Following are the results to the study.

What are Paints? Paint is a way of applying and holding a film of colour to the surface of a material or object, sometimes for purely decorative reason. Additionally, it might also be used to protect and preserve the material to which it is applied. A small amount of paint can protect a manufactured building material and extend its useful life, All paint consists of a colouring pigment and a binder; to these are added solvents and additives.

and therefore any paint that performs well in this respect can be seen to be of benefit to the environment. In its basic form, all paint consists of a colouring pigment and a binder; to these are added solvents and additives.

Pigments

Colour is provided by pigments, which normally come in the form of a powder. These can be

Organic: a substance containing carbon. Carbon compound from the basis of all living organisms and their remains, including petroleum and other fossil fuels.

Inorganic: a substance based on other elements, usually mineral, including metals and silicates.

Natural: a substance produced as a result of the planet’s natural processes.

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Synthetic: a substance produced by human invention, usually as a result of human ingenuity in combining individual compounds in order to imitate particularly desirable qualities of natural material.

Examples of natural organic coloured pigments are plant and insect colours such as reds from madder or cochineal, generally extracted through a dye-making process. Alizarin, the predominant red pigment in madder root, was first synthesized in 1868. The colour obtained from madder root itself is made up not only of alizarin but also of many other pigments, including blue or sometimes yellow tones, demonstrating that, in nature, there are no solid blocks of colour but rather subtle combinations and transitions, which are usually naturally harmonious. Although beautifully pure and translucent, these natural pigments tend not to be light-fast, and will fade or alter with time.

Examples of natural inorganic coloured pigments are natural earth pigments (generally oxides of iron suspended in clay) and mineral

pigments (coloured rocks and crystals), mined from the earth and then heated and roasted to produce a variety of colours. It is difficult to achieve a flat expanse of a pure colour by using natural earth and mineral pigments, since the shades of these can vary a great deal depending on their source. In addition, their crystalline structure means that when they lie on the surface of paint, light is reflected from them in many directions, giving vibrancy and depth to the finish.

Some pigments used in synthetic paints are derived from natural heavy metals such as chromates, and in the past natural pigments like arsenic and lead were used to colour paint. These are illustrations of how ‘natural’ does not always equate with ‘

Colour is provided by pigments, which normally come in the form of a powder.

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non-toxic’; in fact, some of the strongest poisons we know of are natural substances.

Examples of synthetic organic coloured pigments are products of the petrochemical industry. Synthetic dyes, first created in 1771,

are much brighter, more light-fast, cheaper to produce and more predictably uniform in colour than naturally occurring materials.

Our choice of colours now is likely to be made purely on the basis of what suits the room and its furnishings. In earlier times, however, it was commonly understood that different colours carried specific message and had symbolic meaning. Graves have been unearthed where bodies have been painted in a ritualistic Synthetic dyes were first created in 1771.

manner, or lumps of pigment have been interred with the deceased. To the ancient Egyptians, yellow symbolized power. Later, used in a halo around depiction of Christian saints, golden yellow denoted sanctified glory. In the West, white is the colour of innocence, yet in China and India it signifies death. Red is associated with blood, the life force, and with vital, active, assertive energy. The word ‘haematite’ (the source of many red iron oxide pigments) derives from the Greek word ‘haima’, meaning ‘blood’.

In addition to providing colour, pigments can also give the paint opacity, or covering power. The most widely used ‘hiding’ pigment is titanium dioxide, an expensive but extremely opaque, and therefore highly valued, white pigment. Titanium dioxide is a natural mineral, which, in its raw state, is given a buff colour by its iron content. Purification of titanium dioxide is energy intensive and accounts for the majority of the energy consumed in producing paint. Titanium dioxide also has the reputation of being

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a cause of pollution due to sometimes poor waste-disposal management of the hydrochloric acid that is used during the purification process and of the extracted iron oxide. Legislation and research have led to production methods that may now be less harmful to the environment. There are also health concerns about the inhalation of titanium dioxide in its dry powder form. It

is vital wear a face mask when sanding down old paintwork; in fact, the inhalation of any type of dust always should be avoided if possible.

Less expensive, ‘non-hiding’ pigments or fillers are used to fill out the gaps between the more precious coloured pigments. Fillers include chalk, talc and clay.

Different pigments also have additional effect on properties of paint, such as flow and film formation. The type and the amount of pigment in a paint determines whether the finish will be matt, glossy or somewhere in between. Proportions are also dependent on the strength of the binder (the fluid in which the pigment is suspended), but matt paint usually contains around 70 percent pigment to 30 percent binder. Once the paint is dry, a good quantity of pigment remains exposed on the surface, giving it a matt quality. In some circumstances, weak binders are valued because they allow the qualities of a natural pigment to dominate the finish.

By contrast, gloss paint has around 20 percent pigment to 80 percent binder, which means that, upon drying, the most predominant ingredients would be the binder, giving both a glossy and a more durable surface to the finish.

Matt paint contains around 70% pigment to 30% binder but gloss paint has around 20% pigment to 80% binder

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Binders

A binder is the fluid in which the pigment is suspended. When liquid, it acts as a carrier for the colour during application; when dry, it also acts as a glue to hold the colour in place. There are several types of binder, both synthetic and natural, and each will result in different properties of the paint film. Each type of binder can be used alone or in combination.

Synthetic Binder

One type of paint binder, used for almost a century, is a group of alkyd resins based on synthetically modified vegetables oils. Other A binder is the fluid in which the pigment is suspended

synthetic binders, such as polyvinyl acetate and acrylic, have arisen as by-product of the petrol refining process and, like synthetic pigments, are another relatively recent development.

Petroleum, or crude oil, is a naturally occurring material. It is the product of decaying animal and plant remains that have become buried under thick layers of rock during the past 600 million years. Because it took so long to form, petroleum is considered to be a precious and non-renewable resource. This fossils fuel has been essential for technical and industrial development of our societies. At present rate of estimates expect this resource to run out in about fifty years’ time.

Crude oil consists principally of a mixture of hydrocarbons (molecules of carbon and hydrogen linked together in various shape). Various processes in the oil refinery separate the components of this mixture from each other. The first of these processes is called fractional distillation, whereby crude oil is

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heated and sent into a tower. . The vapors of the different components condense on collectors at different heights in tower, thus being ‘fractioned’. The lighter fractions, including gasoline, are in greatest demand, and so the heavy hydrocarbons are subjected to further processing, involving heat, pressure and certain catalyst, in order to break them down into smaller molecules. This secondary process is known as ‘cracking’. These processes require the input of vast amount of energy and complicated technology to achieve their end products. They also, inevitably, result in the production of undesirable waste materials. The production of each pot of paint can leave behind ten to thirty pots of waste.

There are many examples of how petroleum has polluted the

Binders

environment, not only around the refineries but also during the extraction and transportation. Many of the chemicals made from crude oil have since been proved to be toxic pollutants in themselves, and the end products of the industry are also polluting, since plastics and artificial resins do not decompose but persist in our environment long after they have lost their usefulness. Natural Binders Natural binders have been in use for thousands of years. Examples of natural binders are plant oils and resins, natural latex, casein, milk, eggs, cellulose and animal glues.

To take plant-based binders as an example, one can see that the raw material is still growing. Not only is this resource renewable, it is also absolutely vast. Approximately 170 billion tons of plant biomass is produced each year. The energy source for this

Natural Synthetic

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production is sunlight, which is used by plants through photosynthesis, and the raw materials for this plant chemistry are water and carbon dioxide.

It is possible to decide to manage the production of these raw materials in an ethical and sustainable fashion. Some natural paint producers use raw materials that have been grown organically, i.e. without the use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides and relying instead on maintaining fertile soils and healthy growing conditions.

Some raw materials, such as tree resins, can be harvested by sustainable methods and supports indigenous people at the same time. The production of dammar resin, a binder used in some Some natural paint companies are researching the production of plant materials for finding sustainable alternatives

natural paints, has already ensured the protection of part of a rain forest in Sumatra, along with the income and way of life of the people who live there. Dammar is a renewable resources because trees do not have to be cut down in order to harvest it, and it has become an economically viable alternative to the destruction of

forests containing tropical hardwoods in order to make plywood.

In Vietnam, tapping pine trees for their resin is often women’s work.it not only provides them with an income but also an incentive for the community not to over-exploit the wood in pine plantations for fuel, which is already a scarce commodity there. Developing countries could be supported by a growth in demand for renewable natural raw materials, and any dangers of

exploitation could be avoided by applying the principles of fair trade.

Some natural paint companies are researching the large-scale production of plant materials, breathing new life into our own agricultural industry and finding sustainable alternatives to our

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current reliance on resource that will soon be exhausted. One such

company is funding research that will enable farmers not only to grow traditional dye plants but also to process the raw materials on site, thus cutting down on transportation costs.

Some natural binders can be extracted in a more or less pure state and require little refining, and therefore the production processes have low energy consumption. For example, linseed oil is simply pressed from the seeds of the flax plant. If desired, it can then be

further processed in a relatively simple way by heating it to produce linseed stand oil. Cellulose, the most abundant organic compound on earth and refine it, and some natural binders go through even more complex production procedures, like making an alkyd resin from soya been oil, which involves breaking the raw material down into smaller molecules.

Inevitably, there are waste materials from natural paint

production, but these differ from the chemical waste products of synthetic paint in that they will biodegrade. Over the course of millions of years, nature has learned to reintegrate natural waste products into closed ecological cycles. Each of millions of compound produce in nature is balanced by an associated natural enzyme that can break it down, enabling it to decompose and be recycled through the planet’s natural system. As long as we do not interfere too much in natural processes by altering materials beyond the point whereby they can be recognized by nature (using genetic modification, for instance) we can work within our closed ecological system.

Solvents Solvents, or thinners, are combined with the pigments and binder

Compound produce in nature is balanced enabling it to decompose and be recycled.

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mix to make it into a usable consistency. Examples of synthetic solvents are white spirit, isoaliphatic hydrocarbons (fossils fuelderived solvents that have been purified to eliminate their more noxious properties) and turpentine substitute. Examples of natural solvents are turpentine, plant alcohol, and citrus thinners.

All of the above solvents are volatile ( i.e. They will evaporate

easily at room temperatures) and they all contain carbon in their make-up. They are therefore classed as volatile organic compound. VOCs are a source of concerns because they can be harmful both to humans’ health and to wider environment, although, in general, natural VOCs are less harmful than synthetic ones. Solvents are volatile and they all contain carbon in their makeup. They are therefore classed as volatile organic compound

The dangers of Synthetic VOCs

Most of us are familiar with the smell of fresh paint and have noticed that gloss paints can be particularly potent. This is because they tend to contain the highest proportion of solvent.

Sometimes up to two-thirds of a can of gloss paint or vanish is designs to evaporate into the atmosphere. Many of us have experienced the symptoms of short-term exposure to VOCs when painting at homes. These can include headache, nausea, dizziness,

fatigue and blurred vision. The consequences for those work as painters and decorators, and who therefore have long term exposure, are, however, more serious.

In Australia, the Occupational Health Officer of the Operative Painters and Decorators Union, Noni Holmes, coined the term ‘painters syndrome’ to describe the effects that solvents used in synthetic paints can have on those exposed to them in medium

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and longer terms. Solvents are absorbed both through the lungs and skin, and the results can include asthma, emphysema, dermatitis, and effects on central nervous system such as memory loss. In Denmark ‘painters’ dementia’ is a recognized industrial disease.

In the United States , two environmental health consultants, Dr. Otto Wong and Robert Morgan, reported to the US National Paint and Coating Association that painters experience significant increase in both lungs and bladder cancer.

These findings were echoed by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IACR), which is considered to be the pre-eminent authority on carcinogenic potential of chemicals. In 1989, IARC classified painting as high-risk occupation.

Home decorators do not experience such high exposure to solvents, and our bodies can usually so a good job of dealing with low levels of toxins, but increasing numbers of people are suffering from illnesses such as asthma and multiple chemical sensitivity, the symptoms of which can be brought on or worsened by exposure to paint fumes. It is not just the initial exposure to fresh paint that is concern. Most of us spend most time indoors, both at home and at work, and most of internal surface areas of buildings are painted. Low levels of VOCs can continue to be emitted from paint for up to five years after application, and studies have shown that the indoor environment is now up to ten times more polluted than the external environment. Paints is not the only culprit, however: modern building materials and furnishings can also emit toxic VOCs such as formaldehyde (which is not solvent). The US.

In 1989, IARC classified painting as high-risk occupation.

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environmental Protection Agency estimates that indoor pollution from VOCs is responsible for more than eleven thousand deaths a year in USA from cancers, kidney failure and respiratory problems.

Several countries have now begun to legislate on the permitted limits of VOCs content of paints. In reaction to this, and recognizing that the market is changing, some of large manufactures of synthetic paints have started to change their formulation and to label their product “low VOC’ or “zero VOC’. These are positive moves, but the negative aspect is that the consumers might equate ‘Zero VOC’ with ‘safe’, when, infact, there

are other additives and whole concern of surrounding ourselves with synthetic substances to consider. VOCs have an impact on our external environment. If released into the atmosphere, they react with other pollutants.

VOCs also have an impact on our external environment. Once released into the atmosphere, they react with other pollutants. One of the known results of this interaction, especially on warm, sunny days, is the production of low-level ozone, or smog. Government legislation on VOCS, however welcome, is concerned

only with reducing the quantities of these photo-chemically reactive compounds in the atmosphere. Other VOCs are not limited under these laws, even though some, such as formaldehyde, are known carcinogens.

Finally, we have to consider the wider effects of releasing synthetic VOCs into atmosphere. Synthetic solvents are mostly derived from fossil fuels, and the plants from which these fuels were originally

made died millions of years ago. This means that releasing carbon compounds from synthetic solvent is a one-way process, just the giving off, because the original plants are not there to reabsorb it. Such a process goes against the laws of nature and contrast starkly

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with the closed ecological system of natural solvents.

The danger of natural VOCs

VOC legislation has also affected the manufacture of natural paints, since natural solvents are also volatile and some of them are classed as toxic. Turpentine, for example, which is distilled from an oleoresin from the pine tree, is a skin, eye, mucous membrane and upper respiratory tract irritant. It may also cause skin sensitization, central nervous system damage gastrointestinal problems, and urinary tract infection. Again, the home decorator is unlikely to experience chronic exposure to turpentine, but the importance of adequate ventilation should be emphasized when working with any kind of solvent. Some users are adversely affected by high concentration of citrus thinner, and some natural paint companies have compromised on this point by using synthetic solvents such as isoaliphates, currently produced from petroleum. So, not all the ingredients in natural paint are necessarily non-toxic or 100 percent environmentally friendly.

The benefits of natural VOCs

Pine and citrus trees continuously release volatile organic carbons into the atmosphere, which creates the scent of a pine forest or orange grove. Using turpentine or citrus thinners as solvent is simply a more concentrated form of this natural process. Natural solvents release compounds from plants that are still cultivated and therefore absorb equivalent amount of compounds from the atmosphere. Unlike the use of petrochemicals, this balanced and closed ecological cycle of giving off and reabsorbing means that nature’s natural process are not affected.

Natural solvents release compounds from plants that are still cultivated

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Choosing a VOCs free alternative

As a result of the concern over the harmful effects of solvents, there has been a growth in the market for water based paints. This has had a positive effect on the release of solvents into the atmosphere

at

the

point

of

application.

Research

and

development in the paint industry as a whole has now made it possible to manufacture water-based paints that contain no solvents whatsoever. This has, however, sometimes resulted in more complex paint formulation, involving a greater number of additives such as detergents, anti-foaming agents and emulsifiers,

albeit in minute quantities, so the paints may still be harmful. An advantage of waterbased paints is that the paint can simply be washed out instead of needing a solvent to remove it.

An advantage of water-based paints is that the paint can simply be washed out of the brush under a tap instead of needing a solvent to remove it. This activity should not be encouraged, however, as it only increases the burden on our water treatment systems. Even natural paint companies recommend using old newspaper to remove as much paint as possible then washing only the last

remains from the brush. They also suggest leaving any unwanted paint to dry before putting in on the compost heap.

Additives

If synthetic paint manufacturers listed the additives contained in a can of their paint on its label, as most natural paint manufacturers do, it would be probably appear something like the list of

seemingly indecipherable E numbers on the labels of processed foods. When E numbers first appeared, we were interested-and alarmed-to see the extent of additives that the manufacturers were including in most of our foods. We became more

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knowledgeable about what these numbers meant, and put pressure on the manufacturers to produce an increased range of processed foods with fewer additives in them.

In the same way, we have a right to know what is in the paint we use in our houses so that we can make an informed choice between natural and synthetic products. Most natural paints manufacturers openly declare the ingredients in their products on their products on their labels and in their accompanying literature. Synthetic paint manufacturers will provide list of ingredients only if requested, but they do not put them on their tins. Public pressure on this issue might force synthetic manufacturers to declare their ingredients and even to produce safer paints. Additives are the list of ingredients added to the paint

Paint additives include: • Thickeners • Surfactants: these reduce the surface tension of a liquid, allowing it to foam or penetrate solids. • Anti-foaming agents. • Driers: these helps some paint formulations to dry by acting as catalyst

to

natural

processes

such

as

oxidation

and

polymerization. There are health concerns even over the siccatives used in some natural paints, however, because of the problems of their inhalation as dust when paint is being sanded down. • Biocides: these toxic additives contain both preservatives, to keep bacteria from growing in the paint can, and fungicides, to discourage mould growth after application. Some natural paints have shorter shelf life because they use safer alternatives, such as essential oils or food-grade preservatives.

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• Plasticizers: this prevents dried paints from becoming too brittle, and may be added to vinyl emulsion; examples include

phthalic acids, or phthalates, which are suspected hormone disrupters. • Coalescing co-solvents: these may be added to synthetic emulsion paints to aid film formation qualities; they are particularly unpleasant and noxious.

Performance

Natural paints for Wood and Metal

These tend to take longer to dry than their synthetic counterparts, Natural and Synthetic paints have different performance on different materials

relying more on natural processes such as the evaporation of water, oxidation and polymerisation, so more time and care may be needed for successful results. Paints that contain linseed oil, especially when used on wood, dry so slowly that they are able to penetrate deeply into the wood’s pores. In this way, the paint

forms a proper bond with the material underneath, rather than lying as a separate coating on the surface. Plant-based products also tend not to dry really hard but to remain flexible, sometimes for years, moving with the natural expansion and contraction of the wood. If applied correctly, therefore, the plant-based paints should not lift or peel.

Synthetic paints for Wood and Metal

These generally contain additives that help to make the product quick and easy to use. The paint flows on easily and dries rapidly to form a hard, smooth film, but it is more liable to crack with time, especially when applied to woods.

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Natural wall paints

Distempers and casein-based paints have given natural wall paints the reputation of not being as washable as their synthetic counterparts. Modern eco-emulations, however, have come a long way since their beginnings in the 1970s. The application of research and technology means that washable, even scrubbable, wall paints based on natural ingredients are now available. It is worth remembering, however, that not all areas in every home need to be washable.

Synthetic wall paints

These use paint binders made from petrochemicals, which have the qualities of synthetic fibers and plastic. This makes them hard wearing and long lasting, but it also means that they are statically charged and so actually attract dust to their surface.

Natural finishes The long-term economies of using natural products are especially apparent when applied to the treatment of wooden floors or exterior woodwork. When it is time to apply a new surface coat, there is no need to strip off all the old paints. Cleaning and a light sanding are all that are required before a new topcoat is painted on. Natural finishes are microporous , allowing the treated material to breathe. This means that any moisture in the substrate will be able to evaporate through the surface coating.

Synthetic finishes

These tend to trap moisture underneath the surface. The moisture

Modern ecoemulations were invented in the beginnings of 1970s.

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may eventually bubble up and break through the paintwork, or it may remain trapped and cause problems such as mould growth and rot. Impervious coating, no matter how hard wearing in themselves, are of no use if the structure is rotting away underneath.

The real cost of paints

Natural products have the reputation of being expensive. This is not true of all natural paint products, but one of the reasons why most are more expensive than their synthetic counterparts is that, until now, their production has been on a relatively small scale. We can, however, expect renewable raw materials to play a much Synthetic products, including paint, contribute to ‘sick building syndrome’

larger role in a widespread range of areas in the immediate future, and this will include the paint industry. An increase in demand for renewable ingredients may initially push prices even higher, but this should settle down once the supply increases to meet the demand. As with the recent massive growth in the recent massive growth in the organic food market, however, there will be dangers

of exploitation and unethical practice to consider.

Synthetic products, including paint, contribute to ‘sick building syndrome’ (a group of symptoms, such as headaches, eye irritation and lethargy, that may be experienced by workers in airconditioned offices) and companies occupying affected offices have witnessed a higher incidence of staff absence due to sickness. Synthetic paints may seem more economical initially, but

we need to take into account the phenomenal cost of researching cures for cancer, asthma, allergies and others health problems, all known to be related to chemical pollution, and the bills due to sickness. When we consider all these factors, we might see that

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prevention (choosing natural paints) is cheaper than curing the ill effects of synthetic paints.

For some, choosing to decorate naturally might be a personal contribution towards reducing the impact we have on the planet. For others, such as those who are among the growing number of people who experience extreme chemical sensitivity, it is part of a real need to create a space in which to live and work in safety and good health.

Concept Development

The concept development stage included , choosing the right material (paints) and theme for the Mural based on the key considerations developed.

The first point to be kept in mind was to care of the factors like durability and maintenance. Since natural paints were to be used in the process of making the mural it was very important that paints bind properly to the wall. For these lot of paints were made using the natural pigments and binders. All the natural binders like Egg, Flour, Casein, Linseed Oil, Lime, Portland Cement etc. were used and tested on the prototype created by applying the mixture of lime and marble dust on the back of a ceramic tile. The recipes of all the paints made is given in the Annexure 3.

When these paints were applied on the dry plaster they didn't stich to the surface because of the non absorbing property of the base material. All the paint were getting starched out of the base coat.

Natural paints are decided to be used in the process of making the mural

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Figure 30 Natural Paint Making Process

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Figure 31 Swatch of Natural Paints Made

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Natural Paints applied on Wet and Dry plaster tiles

Figure 32

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

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Taking this into consideration further study was done on the application of the paints. A technique of fresco was found where

paints were applied on the wet plaster (lime plaster) to increase the binding quality of the paints. Due to this process the life of the murals increased by 100 of years. Same method was experimented and the paints were applied on the fresh coat of base material. It worked really well as it increased the binding properties of the paint.

Out of all the paints applied the paint with the flour used as a binder worked really well and was selected for the final mural.

Since the traditional materials were used to make the paints, Matani Pachedi artisans were consulted during the process of making the paints ,as they still use natural pigments in the process of dying the cloth.

By addressing all these issues factors like Durability, Maintenance, Expected age of the craft, Use traditional materials and consultation were taken into consideration. Also, the factors like Need and Expectations of the clients were taken into consideration as only natural and organic materials were finalized to make the mural.

The second concept that needed to be developed was the theme for the mural. Since the mural would be the highlighting point of the office and would be seen from the outside as well, the theme should be such that it communicates the philosophy of the companies or about them. And it should also blend well with the work culture of the office.

Paint with the flour used as a binder was selected for the final mural

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Before selecting the theme for the mural clients were interviewed to know more about the company and their personal life. Information like the work culture of the offices, their hierarchical system and the things which motivate them were also collected to generate the theme for the mural.

The theme that was selected was “Nesting”. Nesting has several meaning, and each of them was taken in to consideration while selecting the theme.

The first meaning of the word Nesting which really inspired the theme was -’ a place or environment that fosters rapid growth or development’. This meaning went really well with the company’s Nesting -’ a place or environment that fosters rapid growth or development’.

philosophy. Both the companies aim at high growth in their

respective businesses. Their work culture also focuses towards the development of their employees.

The second meaning of Nesting which was looked upon was – ‘ a set of graduated size that can be stacked together, each fitting within the one immediately larger’. This meaning of nesting went really well with the hierarchical system of the companies. Both the companies follow a nested hierarchical system. Nested hierarchy

means a hierarchical ordering of nested sets, where there are multiple objects within levels but with each object having only one parent at each level.

And the last meaning which played a very crucial role in the selection of the theme was – the tendency to arrange one’s immediate surrounding, such as a work station, to create a place where one feels secure and comfortable. This meaning

immediately gave me the picture of a bird building a nest for its

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young ones to give them a secure and comfort which they need, and when the young one’s grow they make their own way and make their own nest. The similar was the story of the clients where one office was occupied by the parents and the other was with their daughter and son-in-law. The girl grew up with their parents and than one day flew away rom that shelter to an another one of its own.

Along with all these meanings, things like adaptability of the craft and the capacity of the artisans were also taken into consideration. Whatever design were made has to go with the theme but in that process artisanal creativity and the dignity of the craft should not be lost.

Design Development

The craft identified for the mural was Matani Pachedi or Gond. Matani Pachedi was selected because it is an art form from Ahmedabad. And since the offices are in Ahmedabad, Matani Pachedi would give a regional identity to the mural. Other art form which was identified was the Gond from Madhya Pradesh. It was selected because the sponsoring company has a good experience in working with the Gond artisans, and has earlier worked on the contemporary themes using Gond art form.

Before proceeding towards the design development of the mural it was very important to keep check on the things like- Needs and Expectations from the mural, capacity of the artisans, adaptability of the craft, essence and dignity of the craft, artisanal creativity and the theme of the mural.

Nesting – ‘ a set of graduated size that can be stacked together, each fitting within the one immediately larger’.

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Mural was expected to communicate about the companies and its people. This was the very important point while designing the mural. Because a great public art not only fulfills the needs of the space but also makes it more interactive. Which was the main aim of the project-to make the mural a talk point about the companies.

The second things which were given due priority were the artisanal creativity and capability. Since the final execution was meant to be done by the artisan himself it was very important to keep in mind that design should be within the creative limits of the artisan. It should not be too difficult for the artisan to execute it or to understand it. It should give new horizons to the artisans creativity within his capacity. Adaptability and dignity of the craft was very important because the craft was meant to be the unique selling point of the mural

Also the adaptability and dignity of the craft was very important because the craft was meant to be the unique selling point of the mural. The design should majorly revolve around the theme with giving due justice and new avatar to the craft. It should not take away the essence of the craft. But at the same point it should be contemporary enough to suit to the taste of modern space needs.

Keeping all these considerations concepts designs were prepared. After the approval of the Industry mentor final four designs were sent to the clients for their approval. Each design had a story running behind it which communicated either about their work culture or about their personal life.

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Figure 33 Nesting – Design Exploration 1

Design Exploration 1

Craft Identified for the Design- Matani Pachedi, Ahmedabad

Russian dolls are the best example of the Nested hierarchy . Thus it truly gave justice to the theme “Nesting”. Also one of the reason of taking the Russian dolls is to communicate about their daughter. The dolls are designed in an ascending order from parents space to the daughters space. This denotes that as the daughter started growing up she moved from the parents space to her own space. Also murals communicates about growing high and becoming successful. Along with this the craft was kept as the center of attraction of the mural by giving it a new form.

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Figure 34 Nesting – Design Exploration 2

Design Exploration 2

Craft Identified for the Design- Gond, Madhya Pradesh

As the nestlings grow up they leave their place and starts flying. They face lots of difficulties while taking their first flight, but with their hard work they keeping growing until the day, they are experienced enough to take the smoothest flight to aim the sky. This story is very well expressed in this design, where the flow and flight of the birds communicate about the ups and downs in one’s career and the zest to aim high. Also again it communicates about the daughter growing and making its own way. Gond craft was identified for this design because this art form has lot of birds and trees motifs.

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Figure 35 Nesting – Design Exploration 3

Design Exploration 3

Craft Identified for the Design- Matani Pachedi, Ahmedabad

Like an egg who is morphosised in to a beautiful flying creature , a lady a often compared to butterfly, where she leaves her childhood and is transformed into a lady. In this design the theme was to show the changing roles over the time. Whether in office or in personal, everybody has to adapt according to the situation and have to change. Change is the mantra of life. The ascending order of the butterfly also indicates its hierarchy system. Matani Pachedi’s intricate patterns were identified for this design.

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Figure 36 Nesting – Design Exploration 4

Design Exploration 4

Craft Identified for the Design- Gond, Madhya Pradesh

All of us are the designer of our own life. Everybody of us start with no where in life , but with our hard work we define our own roles and then aim at flying higher. The same concept is used in the murals. Birds are taken as the metaphor for people. The murals starts from nothing at start. Gradually it start taking shape , as it grows it becomes bigger and takes the shape of the bird and than finally it fly out like a full grown bird. Birds start moving towards the right aiming sky. The aim behind the mural was to motivate the employees to dream. It also communicates about the personal life of the clients by making birds fly in the direction

of daughter’s office.

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Figure 37 Nesting – Final Design Concept of design four was finally selected for the mural by the clients. But there were few issues in the design which were addressed before it was completely finalized. The process of shapes taking the form of the bird was not very clear. At the same time it would have been too difficult for the artisan to show this process of changing forms. Thus the design was changed to geometric form taking the shape of origami birds.

After the design was done it was send to the artisan for its approval, whether he would be

able to do it or not. Once the consent from artisan was received Gond texture were added to the final design to give an idea of the final outcome. It was then send to the clients for their final approval. The clients agreed on the design and the design was finalized.

The execution of the mural was delayed because the base coat of lime and marble dust dries too fast in summer, which makes it impossible to work on wet plaster. Keeping these things in mind the mural will be executed in winter when the atmosphere will be appropriate. Till then the remaining civil work of the site would also be completed.

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CHAPTER 6

Summary and Conclusion

Showcasing Crafts in the Public Space

Summary and Conclusion

In this chapter I am going to revisit the initial questions that frame my research. I will reflect upon the themes that have developed and the key considerations developed based on these themes, along with how these key considerations were used during the live project.

For centuries, manufacturing activity in rural India has been done exclusively by hereditary artisanal castes bound to the dominant agricultural castes by traditionalties., be these activities of The reciprocal arrangement between artisanal castes and the wider village community for the supply of goods and services was known as the jajmani system

manufactured products or the services. It also included the service of space making. This reciprocal arrangement between artisanal castes and the wider village community for the supply of goods and services was known as the jajmani system. The productive activity of these artisans was not projected towards commodity production on competitive lines, but towards maintaining the community life of the village as a whole. In times of scarcity, it provided a buffer, absent in the case of cash transactions between producer and consumer. (Sruti, 1995). But with the advent of machine there has been a dramatic shift in consumer choice from artisanal goods to factory-made products.

It became very necessary that the awareness about the crafts be created among the common public. For these lot of crafts museum and galleries were created. But the amount of exposure these

places got was very less. Along with these the general perception that people got about the craft was very limited. An opportunity was found where if these crafts were showcased in a public space it will get more exposure which will help in sustaining these crafts. Not only that but people will also get the idea of possibilities that

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are available with the crafts.

The guru of the 'global village' concept, Marshall McLuhan, predicted in 1966 that 'in the future, the role of the craftsman will be more important than ever before'.

Four decades later, there are some interesting signs sustaining this forecast: the growing awareness by the public and private sectors as well as regional and international cooperation agencies of the dual role of crafts in their blending of traditional skills and modern creativity, and in their economic and socio-cultural impact on sustainable development; and the increasing preference of the public for eco-friendly, handmade, quality products" and the greater recognition of the very qualities that we take for granted in crafts—qualities of timelessness and permanence, the adaptability of artisans and their materials to changing needs, and, above all, the spiritual dimension of crafts. These favourable trends are, nevertheless, counterbalanced by some disturbing contradictions.

In today's 'global village', the artisan is, paradoxically, more and more disconnected from consumer needs and tastes. With the extension of markets and the spectacular growth of tourism, the traditional direct, personal contact between makers and users has been disrupted. The artisan can no longer assume, as in the past, the combined role of a designer, producer, and marketer., which some where dissatisfy its consumer.

This project was an attempt to bring the crafts in the public space and showing the possibilities that are available with the craft to a larger extent. Thus thereby increasing the awareness of the craft form.

‘In the future, the role of the craftsman will be more important than ever before'. - Marshall McLuhan

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But there were lot of factors that needed to be taken care of while bringing crafts in the Public space. For these a primary and secondary research was conducted to understand two factors – what is considered as a successful public art and what should be the process of incorporating crafts in the public space in the form of public art.

Interview were taken from the people who have a deep understanding of the Indian craft sector and also who have an idea about the space making. Also places with craft based public installations were observed and the participants were interviewed. Five themes were developed on the basis of primary and secondary research done.

The results derived through these research were analyzed using thematic analysis tool. The results were divided in to five themes which were used to draw conclusions out of it.

The first theme was Craft as a design expression, where what are the different factors one should keep in mind while doing a design intervention with the crafts

for the Public art work were

discussed. The second theme was about the creativity of the artisan , which talked about how artisans should be treated while taking up such projects. The third theme was the adaptability of the craft where before

doing intervention with the craft the

different factors about the craft that need to be taken care of were discussed. The fourth theme was about the Intention and expectation. Why the Public art is being made and what people expect from it should play a very important role while taking up such projects. These factors were discussed in the fourth theme . And the last theme talked about the government support and policies for promoting such craft based public art project.

Based on the conclusions derived from these themes Key

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considerations for incorporating crafts in the public sector were developed. These key considerations were divided into three stages – Concept development, design Development and Execution.

Based on the key considerations developed the concept and the design for the Public art mural in Ahmedabad was developed. All the factors were given due considerations while planning for both the stages. Thus the key considerations developed were tested

through a live project under the industry guidelines.

People always have a certain kind of association with their surroundings. And a Public art humanize the built environment and invigorates public spaces. Whatever one sees in and around its environment they consumes it and it affects their behavior at a later stage. This research was based on the same concept where crafts were brought in to the public space to have its ongoing

effect on the common public. This investigation thus tried to develop the process for incorporating crafts in the public space to enable its effect in creating awareness about the craft and communicating the possibilities that are available with it.

Beneficiaries

The study would benefit the following stakeholders:

• Craftsmen •

Enterprise dealing with crafts based projects



Enterprise and Individuals providing Public Art Installation Services

• Interior Designers or Architects •

Individual/ Student for further research

Beneficiaries

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Further Research

The research aims at identifying and designing solutions to bring crafts in the public space. The key considerations developed were applied to a single situation and the solutions provided were for the single space. These key considerations can also be applied to an another project, and checked whether it works in that situation or not. Further improvements

can also be done in the key

consideration to be make it more reliable and practical.

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Interview Guide Appendix 1

The participants for the Interview were divided in to four categories and Interview guide for each of them was prepared separately.

Category- Academicians • Name: ____________________________________________

• Designation: ________________________________________ • Institute/ University :- _________________________________ • According to you, what defines public art? • Name some of your favorite art installations in the Public Space Sr. No

Descript ion

Locatio n

Artist Name

Interior/ Exterior

Permanent/T emporary

Craftbased (yes/no)

Form

Material used

Special technique (if any) used to make it

• Who is your favorite artist who works in the public space? And Why? • What do you think is the future of public art in the world and in India? • What are your expectations from a public art? • Do you think the idea of beautifying public spaces with traditional crafts important? 1. Why? 2. Are there other ways, maybe even better ways of doing it?

• When we talk about crafts in the public space, what care should be taken in terms of material, techniques and design? • Any other things that need to be taken care off? • What should be the basic agenda behind bringing crafts in the public space? • Do you think there would be a change in people’s perception or attitude towards crafts if they are brought in the public space? 1. Any examples where this has happened earlier?

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• According to you, what is the scope of Crafts used in Interior Architecture in near future? 1. Is the trend of using them in Public spaces on the rise? 2. What materials/crafts are used the most (have rising demand)?

3. What materials/crafts are dying (have declining demand)? • Do you suggest any reading material for me in my project? • Do you suggest any person that I should meet who would offer better insight regarding my project?

Category – Professionals • Name: ___________________________________________ • Designation: _______________________________________

• Company: _________________________________________ • Location: __________________________________________ • According to you, what defines public art? • Name some of your favorite art installations in the Public Space Sr No

Descript ion

Locati on

Artist Name

Permanent/Tem porary

Craft-based (yes/no)

Form

Mate rial used

Special technique (if any) used to make it

• Who is your favorite artist who works in the public space? And Why? • Have you done any Art Installations? Sr No

Descripti on

Locatio n

Permanent/Tempo rary

Craft-based (yes/no)

For m

Material used

Special technique (if any) used to make it

• Do Customers demand Art installations or you suggest it to them?

• Who Designs these Art Installations? o In-house Design team o Craftsmen o Customer

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• Do you think the idea of beautifying public spaces in the form of wall painting projects important? • Why? • Are there other ways, maybe even better ways of doing it? • When we talk about crafts in the public space, what care should be taken in terms of material, techniques and design? • Do you think there would be a change in people’s perception or attitude towards crafts if they are brought in the public space? 1. Any examples where this has happened earlier? • According to you, what is the scope of crafts in near future? 1. Is the trend of using them in interior spaces on the rise? 2. What materials/crafts are used the most (have rising demand)? 3. What materials/crafts are dying (have declining demand)? • Do you suggest any reading material for me in my project? • Do you suggest any person that I should meet who would offer better insight regarding my project?

Category :- Students • Name: ____________________________________________ • Institute/ University: _________________________________ • Course: ____________________________________________ • City: _______________________________________________ • According to you, what defines public art? • Name some of your favorite art installations in the Public Space Sr No

Descript ion

Locati on

Artist Name

Permanent/Tem porary

Craft-based (yes/no)

Form

Mate rial used

Special technique (if any) used to make it

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Who is your favorite artist who works in the public space? And Why?



Have you done any projects where crafts are used in Space Designing?



Do you think the idea of beautifying public spaces in the form of wall painting projects important? •

Why?



Are there other ways, maybe even better ways of doing it?

• When we talk about crafts in the public space, what care should be taken in terms of material, techniques and design? • Do you think there would be a change in people’s perception or attitude towards crafts if they are brought in the public space? • Any examples where this has happened earlier? • According to you what is the scope of Crafts in the Public Space in near future? • What materials/crafts are used the most (have rising demand)? • What materials/crafts are dying (have declining demand)?

Category – Common Public • Do you know what is public art? • What do you know about Indian Handicrafts? • What are your expectations from a public space? • Why did you chose this space to do this specific activity (shopping, Sitting, Visiting etc.)? • What do think about this space? • What makes this place better than any other space? • How does this space inspire you? • How can this space be made much better than this? • What if similar Public art was at your space? How would you feel about it?

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Public Craft project self help question list Appendix 2

Based on the interview analysis a list of following questions were made, which one should answer before planning a Public Art/ Craft installation. 1. Why is the artwork being made? Is it intended to be permanent or temporary? Is it intended for a temporary event or to create a landmark? 2. What is the object being proposed? Is the object similar in scope and materials to the artisans’ normal artistic practice? 3. Who is going to make the object? Will the artisan make it or have a fabricator do some/all of the work? If someone else is also involved, will the artisan oversee the entire production? Is the artisanal creativity kept in mind before designing the object? Are written contracts in place that outline roles or responsibilities of the fabricator as well as manufacturing specifics and warranty information? 4. What materials will be used to make the object? Is the artist or fabricator familiar and experienced with the materials? Traditional or modern materials? Artist quality or industrial grade? What is the intended use? Are the materials suitable? Are there warranty limitations to the proposed materials? 5. How is the object going to be made and where? Does the person making the artwork have experience with the fabrication process? Is additional expertise required (i.e. structural engineer, architects, artists, designers etc.)? Is a specialized space necessary for fabrication? Are there additional costs involved? 6. Where is the object going to be placed/ installed? Interior or exterior? What kind of interaction will people have with the artwork?

What kind of interaction does the artisan, designer and the owner desire? Do alterations need to be made to accommodate safe display?

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Will the artwork be subjected to adverse weather? Are security measures necessary once installed? 7. When and how will the artwork be completed and installed? Will the artisan or the fabricator coordinate the installation? Will the installation have to be coordinated with other schedules (I.e. construction)? Who needs to consult on the installation details (i.e. structural engineers, architects, designers etc.)? What equipment is necessary for installation? 8. How is the artwork intended to age? Should the artwork always look new or is the appearance meant to change over time? What are the acceptable levels of change over time (based on the materials aging or weathering)? What precautions have been taken by the artisan/designer or the owner to ensure the artwork is protected and ages appropriately? 9. Who will take care of the completed artwork? Once installation is complete, does the artisan have any responsibility to the artwork or the new owner? Has the artisan/designer provided a clear list of materials, details of fabrication and recommendations for care/maintenance? Has the artisan/ designer clearly communicated their wishes for how the artwork will age to the new owners? Does the new owner have the ability to carry out routine maintenance or will it be carried out by a third-party (i.e. a qualified conservator or maintenance staff)? Who will repair the artwork if it is damaged?

Regardless of the medium it is recommended that the artisans /designers/ consultants use the best and most appropriate materials at all stages of creating an artwork. Art materials are not cheap and artisan’s /designers/ consultants often regret watching their own artworks deteriorate over the course of time due to poor material choices. The completed artwork represents the artisan and that representation can be positive or negative depending on the appearance of the artwork and how it ages

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Natural Paint Recipes Appendix 3

Different binders were used with the pigment to make different paints, which would work on the base coat of lime and marble dust. Following are the recipes which were tried.  QUARK AND LIME PAINT

Ingredients 250g quark 25g sieved lime putty 50g lime tolerant natural pigment

Method Slake the pigment. Put the quark into a bowl and stir in the lime putty. The consistency will change quite remarkably from something resembling soft cheese to a usable paint. Add the slaked pigment.  LIME PAINT

Ingredients

1kg hydraulic lime 2 liters water 100g lime tolerant natural pigment

Method Slake the pigment. For a paler, weaker colour, use less than the full amount of pigment; do not exceed the given quantity. Place the lime in a bucket and gradually add the water, stirring continuously with a whisk

attachment for an electric drill until the paint is thoroughly mixed and even the consistency like single cream. Add the slaked pigment and combine it thoroughly with the paint.

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 OIL PAINT

Ingredients 100ml boiled linseed oil 20g pigment 50ml solvent (turpentine)

Method Make the paint by putting the pigment in a small bowl and adding enough linseed oil to blend it to a smooth paste. Gradually add the rest of the oil, and then the solvent.  EGG AND OIL PAINT

Ingredients 1 egg 80ml boiled linseed oil 80ml water 1 tablespoon natural pigment

Method Put the egg and oil in a bowl and whisk them together using an electric whisk. Then very gradually whisk in the water. Put the pigment in another bowl and mix a little of this binder into it to make a smooth, lump-free paste. Gradually add the rest of the binder.  EGG TEMPERA

Ingredients 1 egg yolk ½ teaspoon natural pigment

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Method Gently place the egg yolk on a saucer lined with a piece of kitchen towel. Leave it for about

five minutes to dry slightly so that you can gently pick it up. Place it in a shallow bowl and remove the sac by pinching it between the very tips of your forefinger and thumb while carefully piercing it with the tip of an artist’s paint brush. The contents should run out easily.

Gradually add some pigments to the yolk, mixing it in with your brush. Do not add all the pigment at once., because too much will result in a dry and flaky paint rather than a rich one.  FLOUR PAINT

Ingredients 6 tablespoon wheat flour 50ml water 1 teaspoon pigments

Method Warm the water and add flour to it until it becomes a creamy paste. Add slaked pigment into it and whisk gradually until all the lumps are removed.  FLOUR LIME PAINT

Ingredients 6 tablespoon wheat flour 1 tablespoon slaked lime 50ml water 1 teaspoon pigments

Method Warm the water and add flour to it until it becomes a creamy paste. Add the slaked lime and whisk well. Now add slaked pigment into it and mix it well.

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 PARWATI FINISH PAINT (USED IN KERALA)

Ingredients 2 parts slaked lime 1 part white cement Water Pigments as per the colour needed

Method Mix slaked lime and white cement and whisk properly to make a creamy paste. Slake the pigments and add it in to the creamy paste. Mix it well an then strain it to remove any solid particles.

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