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Advanced Research | 21Feb2017 | TEXT 02: 'Subtle Technology: The design Innovation of Indian Artisanship'

The nostalgia of personal objects depicts human attachment with their past memories. Similarly, the contemporary craft can be considered as the part of the same. The activity of capturing photos preserves the remembrance of some moment, condition, product and the even relation which can be never forgotten.

'Subtle Technology: The design Innovation of Indian Artisanship', written by Ken Botnick appears interesting to me since it tells a story about small objects, habits, lifestyle and facts in India by capturing its photographs. On the other hand, I could see the similar fact in the text written by Rendell, Jave's sharing stories of personal belongings. However, both the texts have a small difference when it comes to individual memories attached to the past than social memories during travel.

My research topic is cultural patterns can be including various areas such as food, travel, lifestyle, people, fashion, and language. I believe these single object/travel photographs can help me in my research as a starting point. It inspires me to find memories or reading stories shared by people.

Ken Botnick shares some photographs from India depicting culture, habits, and craft. 

Vehicles, Animals, and Transport:

‘Sound as embellishment: Embellishing is the way we identify the object as part of a larger cultural tradition using colors, symbols, patterns, and even language. It is what takes a generic, functional thing and places it firmly in a larger cultural context. It makes the object simultaneously more particular to the maker’s personality and brings it into the shared cultural values of beauty and function.’

Traditionally, buffaloes used to play a role in a vehicle since there were no vehicles available for transport in rural areas. Apart from decorating animal, small bells hung on the legs functions to create a sound so that people come to know it is animal walking somewhere by recognizing the sound.

Painted truck with the eye. (left)

“I am the holy basil plant of your courtyard.”- sentence painted in the Hindi language at the back of the truck. (Right)

‘The use of soft and expandable sides allows for these overloaded trucks to carry the absolute maximum, which also maximizes the danger of encountering one on the road.’ (left)

The shape of the basket places the load highest on the back and allows for more to be carried in every trip, Manali. (right)

Situation:

Used saris (Indian fabric worn by women) are soft enough to cradle children.(left)

Same fabric material (sari) used here as fencing around a newly planted vegetable garden, Rajasthan. (right)

A water tap near Kalleda, Andhra Pradesh. (above): Pot are carried out by women on the top of her head and placed in the ascending size of the pots to balance weight.

Food:

The classic Indian tiffin (above) has different compartments for each course. For instance, salad, curries, bread, and rice. 

The terracotta tumblers (“kulhad”) used for serving tea on train platforms. (left) When they are thrown out on the track or in nature, they can either be reabsorbed into the soil or is sometimes reused by the potter to make new cups.

The leaf bowls that are filled with dal and quickly handed off to arriving or departing passengers (right). When the bowl becomes saturated (passengers must eat in a hurry, even as they must find their seat), it can be discarded on the railway platform, where it becomes fodder for the cows.

Questions:

Apart from India, there can be unique contemporary crafts in various countries depending on the conditions. How those can be gathered together to make a theme?