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Gond Art : A Folk Art Form with Beautiful Tribal Colours, Themes, and Shapes

Indian Folk Art
Madhya Pradesh

The rich history of gond art, the natural themes of gond art, the exquisite shapes of gond art, the vivid colours of gond art.

The Gond tribe has its origin in Madhya Pradesh , and derived its name from the word ‘Kond’, meaning “green mountain”. Although Gond art of this tribe is considered to be primarily from Madhya Pradesh, it is also popular in regions like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra , Chhattisgarh, and Odisha . The government of India has taken several steps to preserve the art of the Gond tribe. These measures are not taken only to empower the artisans economically, but also for the sake of the future generation’s artistic fulfilment. The efforts resulted in more popularity of Gond art and paintings. Now, these folk art works are put on display with pride in various international exhibitions. They also bring in thousands of rupees.

Amongst the Gond people, painting and other forms of expressive art are a popular and traditional practice. Dating back to more than 1400 years ago, the Gond tribe has painted and carved art on the walls of caves which all belong to the Mesolithic Period. The Gonds believe that viewing good images brought in good luck. Thus, traditionally, they painted motifs, tattoos, and images on the floors and walls of their houses. Their paintings are also a means to record and pass on historical knowledge and teachings.

The Pardhan Gonds are extremely skilled artists who are renowned for their paintings and music. In the 1980s, the director of the Bharat Bhavan Museum in Bhopal, J. Swaminathan wanted to exhibit urban and tribal art together. For this purpose, he sent some of his students to various villages in the Dindori district in search of artists. One of them was the exceptional painter Jangarh Singh Shyam, a Pardhan Gond. He was the first tribal artist to use canvas and paper for his artwork.

The Gond people believe that every element of nature, be it the hills, the sky or the trees, is inhabited by a spirit. Recreating the forms of nature therefore is done with reverence and worship of their sacred essence. These paintings serve as examples of the Gond tribe’s close connection to the spirit of nature. Gond paintings take inspiration from the myths and legends of India. They also depict scenes from the contemporary life of the people. A detailed narrative portrays abstract concepts encompassing emotions, dreams, and imaginative constructs. Since many of the Pardhan Gonds are accomplished musicians, their paintings often portray the stories of their songs.

The most significant subjects explored and depicted in Gond paintings include birds, animals, and mythical beasts. Since the paintings also derive themes from the daily lives of the people, the Mahua Tree is an important subject. Considered as the Tree of Life, the flowers, fruits, seeds, and leaves from the Mahua tree serve many purposes for the tribe. Urban themes depict modern subjects such as technology and automobiles. Folktales and local deities like Phulvari Devi, Jalharin Devi, and Marahi Devi are of cultural importance.

The style that is incorporated takes care that the lines, whether of the border or the interior intricacies, that create the subjects grab the attention of the viewer instantly. The dots and dashes enhance the details with exquisite brilliance that is unique to the Gond paintings. Incorporating various geometric shapes and patterns, like the ones resembling fish scales, drops of water and seed shapes flesh out the expressive value of the art. The sense of movement is established through the curves and strokes of the lines, and hence many critics best described it as ‘on line work’.

The Gond paintings flourished with vivid colours, especially red, blue, yellow, and white, that serve the view with their excellent contrast. These bright paints are usually derived and extracted from organic sources such as coloured soil, charcoal, plant leaves and sap, and even cow dung. The local sand called Chui Mitti helps in the production of the yellow colour, while Gheru Mitti serves the brown colour. Charcoal provides the black colour, Hibiscus flower gives red, and plant leaves impart green.

Resembling Australian aboriginal art, the Gond paintings are usually drawn during important festivals like those of Holi and Diwali. In the modern age, one can commonly find Gond art on wooden trays, boxes, and other objects of smooth surfaces. However, they are no longer painted on walls and floors. For the sake of convenience, the artists now prefer canvas. This ease of mobility has increased purchase and exchange, thus, aiding the popularity. Today, Gond artists use poster colours and other artificial paints to put their talent into the best portrayal. Combined with this, the use of simple canvas has enhanced modern Gond paintings into more vibrancy than its traditional counterparts.

Image credits: The copyright for the images used in this article belong to their respective owners. Best known credits are given under the image. For changing the image credit or to get the image removed from Caleidoscope, please contact us.

New to me but I surmise, each image is a visualization of its living folklore, exquisite and contextual of legacies lingering. I wish to know more. Thanks.

Thanks Prakash 🙂

I want to have Gond painting on walls..pls do share some painters details in Delhi NCR regions. Parveen WhatsApp me: 9818240628

Is there black outline on objects in Gond art or any dark shade outlines there?

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Tribal Folklore to Aesthetic and Religious Painting: Transition of Oral Narratives to Visual Art

Original Paper
Published: 07 November 2020
Volume 63 , pages 877–888, ( 2024 )

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Soubhagya Ranjan Padhi ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4877-6724 1 &
Manash Pratim Goswami 2

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Gond painting, an integral part of the Gond cultural identity of central India, has emerged as highly appreciated and recognised tribal art form worldwide in the recent times. These traditional paintings are believed to have started with the transformation of Gond oral folklores. The Pradhan Gond, a subgroup of the Gonds, who were traditionally assigned to sing songs of the glorification of the gods, goddesses and nature with a Bana, a traditional single-stringed musical instrument, was assumed to initiate the paintings of Gond folktales. They narrated the collective beliefs, values and legends of the Gond tribe on the origin, relationship and divine powers in the form of paintings. The traditions of performing the assigned responsibilities of Pradhan Gond were believed to have lost during the Mughal era and British rule. This research paper focuses on the study of the reflections of three popular Gond folk stories, i.e. Basin Kanya, Mahua tree and Bada Dev, in the contemporary Gond paintings of Madhya Pradesh. The paintings of Jangarh Singh Shyam and Durga Bai have been chosen for the study.

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Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh, India

Soubhagya Ranjan Padhi

Department of Media and Communication, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India

Manash Pratim Goswami

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Padhi, S.R., Goswami, M.P. Tribal Folklore to Aesthetic and Religious Painting: Transition of Oral Narratives to Visual Art. J Relig Health 63 , 877–888 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-020-01099-0

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Accepted : 26 September 2020

Published : 07 November 2020

Issue Date : April 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-020-01099-0

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Gond Paintings

Mapping lineage is the most problematic area in folk and tribal arts because of limited availability of archival resources or objects, the inherent impermanence of the materials and methods involved in the creative process. The historical evolution of ‘Gond’, or Pardhan painting or ‘Jangarh kalam,’ has to be understood in this background. A community of around four million people spread all over central India, Gonds have a recorded history of 1400 years. The word ‘Gond’ comes from the Dravidian expression ‘Kond’ which means ‘green mountain’.

Pictorial art on walls and floors has been part of the domestic life of Gonds, specially among Pardhans since it is done with the construction and re- construction of each and every house, with local colors and materials like charcoal, coloured soil, plant sap, leaves, cow dung, lime stone powder, etc. The images are tattoos or minimalist human and animal forms. In course of time, the diminution of agricultural life and social patronage has tended to reduce the Pardhans to a state of manual labor.

In the early 1980’s, the Bharat Bhavan art centre at Bhopal in Central India was started with a vision of establishing a common space for all kinds of contemporary art practices. The modern Indian painter and activist, J. Swaminathan led this mission with a passion for bringing forth the creative expressions of the rural folk and tribal societies in India. J . Swaminathan initiated young artist groups to go into the rural interlard to explore such expressions. While traveling in village Pattangarh, a group of such artists found a brilliant wall painting done by a young manual laborer aged seventeen called Jangarh Singh Syam, who later became a legendary name in the history of Gond painting.

Jangarh Singh Syam was invited to Bharat Bhavan where his creative practice did undergo sweeping changes. His inheritance in traditional music and storytelling provided him with a vast area of narratives which he articulated and transformed into paintings. This was a rare moment in Indian Contemporary art in which new materials and tools including canvases, acrylic, oil and pen were effectively adopted by a traditional/folk artist bringing forth unforeseen results. Jangar’s works started featuring in various galleries throughout the world and were received with great enthusiasm. From mid 1980s to’95, more than a hundred painters belonging to the Pardhaan community engaged themselves in the art of painting.

A new visual vocabulary was created by these artists by giving concrete visual shapes to their myths, legends, fables, tattoos and music, which were, till then, hidden from the ‘mainstream’ society. It was a paradigm shift in culture in which the historically marginalized gained momentum and ground in the narrative space of the country, and creative energy surged with the emergence of individuality in a traditionally collective society. Images, transcribed from oral narratives took shape as birds, flying snakes or growing trees, floating to the rhythm of music in diverse innovative variations.

Over the years, the Gond artists have developed their own devices to work with various contemporary mediums and materials. They would first make dots and calculate the volume of the images. These dots would be connected to bring about an outer shape, which would then filled with colours. As they respond to the immediate social situation and environment, each object they come across in life is aesthetically transformed.

“In such circumstances there is no inhibition for the painters to conceive a contemporary air craft, train or even the panoramic view of an airport as the subject of painting. But the airport may not look like the airport in naturalistic terms, but will be an airport in pictorial terms. Here, patterns are the most powerful element used by the Gond painter as her/his pictorial identity and individual expression. For the Gond painter, patterns are organic forms, not ornamental devices as generally observed by the urban viewers of art. Macro and micro image patterns of leaves, skin and textures of trees, ears of corn, young paddy shoots, crescent moon are some of the thousands of patterns which they appropriate into the pictorial language. It is not a matter in Gond iconography if an inorganic object like airplane might contain the patterns of seeds or flowers. For them the ethos of life is a mixture of myth and reality, of organic and inorganic forms.”

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The Painted Forest: Exploring human-nature interrelationships in Gond painting

South of the Narmada River in eastern Madhya Pradesh, India, the Gond hill-village of Patangarh is the birthplace of a rich painting tradition. Adapted from the decorative mural techniques of the village, Gond painting depicts community folklore, creation tales, the verdant landscape, urban and pastoral lifeways, and more.

Though only four decades old, Gond art is widely appreciated as an intricate and evocative painting style. At its heart, Gond painting is about spirits and creatures deep in the forest that people have coexisted with for centuries. While Gond art has grown to encompass subjects extending far beyond field and forest, interdependence remains a lasting theme.

Gond painting as we know it today was first imagined and practiced by an artist named Jangarh Singh Shyam. In the early 1980s, he transposed the bitti chitra and digna practices of the village (wall and floor art, respectively) onto paper.

The act of creating a digna mimics the Gond story of creation: the great god Bada Dev spread mud on water to create the living earth, with trees, animals, and human beings. Dignas are painted by village women in the aangans (courtyards) of their homes, using a paste of lime and chalk. Bitti chitra is painted on the facades of houses, depicting Gond fables, deities, and legends. They are filled with colours made from mud or crushed flowers, changing with the weather and wind.

The original traditions of Gond painting, digna and bitti chitra , were materially and metaphorically connected with the earth. Jangarh Singh Shyam, who started painting on canvas, didn’t veer far from its roots. His works drew on Gond folklore and the symbolism of the forest. In Origins of Art: The Gond Village of Patangarh, Jangarh Singh’s nephew and regarded artist, Bhajju Shyam, writes:

“The tree has become one of the main symbols in Gond art. This is powerful art, because it combines the rendering of a tree with stories, concepts, and metaphors. Painting tree stories actually began with Jangarh chacha . Give him any size of wall and he’d cover it with trees! […] We all began by observing him and helping him with his work, so trees became a big theme for us as well.”

Jangarh Singh Shyam passed away under tragic circumstances in Japan in 2001, leaving a legacy of artists. Today, Patangarh is home to a number of painting families who were inspired by him. The village itself is painted, and scenes of coexistence—trees heavy with beehives, children chasing cattle, women collecting mahua flowers—find their way onto canvases, walls, and floors.

I met with Jangarh Singh Shyam’s grandson, Mithilesh Shyam. He and his wife, Roshni Shyam, are both artists. They invited me to Patangarh in May 2022, where they shared work from a collection on human-nature interrelationships. I was struck by the vivid colours and whimsical forms, by the seamlessness between human and non-human elements. Roshni and Mithilesh had worked together on each of these paintings. Their commentary gave insight into underlying messages and themes:

“ In the monsoon of late August, we celebrate a festival called Hariyali [“greenery”]. Villagers wake early, gather their kulhad , tagiya , hashiya , and carry bamboo to the fields. We plant bamboo and pray to the earth, our mother goddess, heralding the start of the sowing cycle. Perhaps this is how humans first started planting trees.

The seeds of the first crop are sacrificed to family gods and goddesses—every community has its own. Since we are from the Shyam family, we pray to Sat Dev, the seven-headed god.

In my painting, you see a saj tree giving its leaves to a person and blessing his home with wealth and prosperity. We will eat in these leaves. Together, we will drink mahua and celebrate, singing karma dadariya and dancing to the beat of the madar .

I speak for trees because they can’t communicate in human languages. In this machine-filled world, humans can travel between countries and invent anything they dream up, but they remain dependent on trees. Trees, whose roots, leaves, and branches have so many worlds in them, are the keepers of the earth. When we clear the forest, we experience droughts and floods. Clouds and rivers weep and the soil can’t hold their tears, so we drown. We must save the forest. This is what I urge through my painting.”

I was moved by their conviction. The paintings are suffused with tenderness, revealing the ecocentrism of the Gonds. The graceful, flowing compositions and anthropomorphic figures convey exchanges between humans and the forest, making interlinkages apparent.

As we spoke, their daughter, Damini, stood on her toes and listened intently. When Roshni and Mithilesh had finished, she asked if she could add something.

“The eyes are always filled in last,” she grinned, pointing at her own. Why, I asked. Against a striking backdrop of birds and trees, Damini answered, “Then the painting comes alive.”

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Deepa Shyam की Painting of Dighna Art (2009) Dastkari Haat Samiti

Gond Pradhans and Their Art

India’s tribal communities make up 8.6% of its population, of which the Gonds are only a little over 9 million out of 104 million. The Gond Pardhans, only a little over 20 thousand in number, live in central India in an area earlier known as Gondwana. A remarkable group of artists from this community show how cultural traditions from an indiscernible past can recreate themselves many millennia later through a contemporary art form that represents their unique identity.

Anand Singh Shyam, Kala Bai Shyam की Crafts Maps of India - Madhya Pradesh - Back (1993-2010) Dastkari Haat Samiti

It is as if the artists have travelled backwards through incredible distances in space and time to create an art that is now uniquely Gond, uniquely Indian while also finding a place of respect in international art spaces. Just consider that human migrations that took place 70,000 years ago bind the ‘very long-ago people’ of Africa, Australia and Asia. Known as Adivasis (indigenous peoples) in India, and Aborigines in Australia, their story telling, music and other cultural traditions originate in times so long ago that they disappear into mist.

Women in many regions of India customarily practice the art of decorating in relief or painting the floors and walls of their homes. It is ritual, creativity and celebration rolled into one.

Gond Art: Photo showing Gond house decorations (2017) Dastkari Haat Samiti

Gond women call this dighna and chowka. The patterns are bold, geometric, and stark in their natural pigment colours, usually of black, deep red, white and ochre.

Gond Art: Bharat Bhavan (2017) Dastkari Haat Samiti

Bharat Bhavan

Bharat Bhavan, a Museum establishment in Bhopal was where Gond art, as we recognise it today, was given its first opportunity to establish itself. It happened at a meeting between the Director at that time, J Swaminathan, and a young Jangarh Shyam, whose talent he recognised and promoted. Today, Bharat Bhavan is like a place of pilgrimage for Gond Pardhan artists.

Bharat Bhavan, a Museum establishment in Bhopal was where Gond art, as we recognise it today, was given its first opportunity to establish itself.

It happened at a meeting between the Director at that time, J Swaminathan, and a young Jangarh Shyam, whose talent he recognised and promoted.

Gond Art: Tree at Bharat Bhavan (2017) Dastkari Haat Samiti

Today, Bharat Bhavan is like a place of pilgrimage for Gond Pardhan artists.

Jangarh Singh Shyam की Gond Art: Artwork for Crafts Map of Madhya Pradesh (1995) Dastkari Haat Samiti

Jangarh Singh Shyam

The jump from a simple domestic art form to the sophisticated expressions of Gond art today is an incredible story of success. That of excellence, unique creative vision, recognition and opportunity at the right time, and even the tragic death of Gond Pardhan artist Jangarh Singh Shyam (1962 -2001). These gave rise to inspiration and aspiration among young Gonds who wanted to walk down his chosen path to recognition.

Jangarh Singh Shyam, the prolific Gond artist flourished at Bharat Bhavan.

The exposure provided by Bharat Bhavan opened up a new perspective for the young artist.

These perspectives reflected in his work.

Jangarh Singh Shyam की Gond Art: Artwork for Crafts Map of Madhya Pradesh (2000) Dastkari Haat Samiti

The artist, Jangarh Singh Shyam moved from his tribal village to the city of Bhopal.

His works combined the expressions of his magical and forest worlds.

The magical and forest worlds he created were interpretations of what he saw and experienced outside.

Bhajju Shyam की Gond Art: Detail of Bhajju Shyam's mural at Manav Sangrahalaya (2017) Dastkari Haat Samiti

Bhajju Shyam's Embellishment at Bharat Bhavan

Gond Art is a story of how contemporary art emerges from ancient cultural wellsprings making it a shared community tradition within a few decades. Bhajju Shyam has contributed to the embellishment of Bharat Bhavan and Manav Sangrahalaya by combining dighna and chowkha patterns a symbol of his community to honour the very beginnings of their art in rural homes.

Bhajju Shyam की Gond Art: Bhajju Shyam with his mural at Manav Sangrahalaya (2017) Dastkari Haat Samiti

Bhajju Shyam contributed to the embellishment of Bharat Bhavan and Manav Sangrahalaya by combining dighna and chowkha patterns.

Bhajju Shyam की Gond Art: Bhajju Shyam's mural at Manav Sangrahalaya (2009) Dastkari Haat Samiti

The dighna and chowkha patterns were made to honour the very beginnings of Gond art which was done in rural homes.

Bhajju Shyam की Gond Art: Bharat Bhavan (2014) Dastkari Haat Samiti

Bhajju Shyam's Bharat Bhavan

The Gond community were kings and rulers, forest dwellers and agriculturists, but the Pardhans among them were the bards, singers, musicians and story tellers who kept alive their cultural histories, full of spirits, gods, legends and myths. Their beliefs are animistic in nature. They differentiate these from the Vedas by calling the system La-ved.

Their primary deity is Bada Deo who created the first humans, rather like Adam and Eve, called Naga Baiga and Naga Baigin. In one mythological tale, Naga Baigin clad her entire body in tattoos to hide her nakedness. From this came the intricate tattoo-like geometric patterns represented by dots, dashes and other elaborations that become tinier, finer, more defined and intricate as the skill of the artist develops.

In his painting of Bharat Bhavan he paid tribute to J. Swaminathan, the first promoter of Gond art, and his hallowed Bharat Bhavan, which nurtured and gave succour to its artists.

Bhajju Shyam की Gond Art: Detail of Bharat Bhavan (2014) Dastkari Haat Samiti

Like a giant tree in whose branches multifarious creatures shelter and thrive, the institution became home to many talents.

Visitors came from far and near.

Artists of all sorts flourished.

Performers of all sorts flourished

But inevitably, politics and competitive interests also came into play.

The worm bore through the fruit...

The crocodile snapped at the very branches of the tree that gave it shade. Bhajju Shyam has imparted significance and several layers of meaning into this artwork of the place that gave birth to Gond art as we know it today.

Bhajju Shyam की Gond Art: Painting of Dighna Art (2017) Dastkari Haat Samiti

Read more about Gond Painting here: - Bhajju Shyam - Stories and Signature - Gallery of Gond Artists

Text : Aloka Hiremath and Jaya Jaitly Photography : Suleiman Merchant Artisans : Bhajju Shyam, Deepa Shyam, Roshni Vayam, Dhavat Uike, Suresh Dhurve Ground Facilitator : Aloka Hiremath Curation : Ruchira Verma

The Many Faces of Purulia Masks

Women add a special touch to the jutti, puanchei products, recycling elephant dung to paper in rajasthan, हुनरमंद बुनकर, jamdani sarees, fashioning goa’s windows, a gallery of gond artists, makers of the famed patiala jutti , mobilizing the ramie grass community in meghalaya.

Understanding Gond Art: Origins, Techniques, and Cultural Significance

Gond Art , a vibrant expression of India's tribal heritage, captivates with its intricate designs and rich symbolism. In this comprehensive guide, we delve deep into the world of Gond Tribal Art, exploring its origins, techniques, and cultural significance. From the traditional practices rooted in ancient tribal traditions to its modern adaptations influencing global art trends, this article aims to unravel the essence of Gond Painting.

What is Gond Art?

Gond Art, also known as Gond Painting or Gond Folk Art, originates from the indigenous Gond tribes of central India. Characterized by its bold colors, intricate patterns, and depiction of tribal life, Gond Art is deeply rooted in the cultural traditions of the Gond community. This unique art form has evolved over centuries, blending traditional techniques with contemporary influences to create mesmerizing artworks that captivate audiences worldwide.

Evolution over Time:

Traditional Gond Art: Historically, Gond Art was primarily practiced on walls and floors of homes using natural materials such as plant extracts and charcoal.
Contemporary Adaptations: With the advent of modernization, Gond artists have embraced new mediums such as canvas, paper, and acrylic paints, expanding the scope of their artistic expression.

Iconography and Symbols:

Gond Art is characterized by its use of intricate motifs and symbols, each carrying deep cultural significance. From depictions of nature and wildlife to symbols representing tribal rituals and traditions, every element in Gond Art tells a story of the Gond Tribal Tradition.

Styles and Variations:

Regional variations in Gond Art reflect the diverse cultural landscape of India. While the Gond Art of Madhya Pradesh is known for its vibrant colors and dynamic compositions, the artworks from Maharashtra and Chattisgarh exhibit unique stylistic elements influenced by local customs and traditions. Renowned Gond artists have also developed distinct styles, contributing to the rich tapestry of Gond Artwork.

Techniques and Characteristics of Gond Art:

Materials Used: Gond artists traditionally utilized natural materials sourced from their surroundings, including plant-based colors, brushes made from natural fibers, and surfaces such as walls, floors, and cloth. However, with modernization, artists have embraced new materials such as acrylic paints, canvas, and paper, allowing for greater experimentation and versatility in their artworks.
Iconography and Symbols : Central to Gond Art are its intricate patterns and symbols, each carrying profound meaning within the Gond Tribal Tradition. From representations of animals like birds, elephants, and tigers to symbols depicting cosmic elements and tribal deities, every motif in Gond Art serves as a conduit for storytelling and cultural preservation.
Styles and Variations: Gond Art exhibits a remarkable diversity of styles and techniques, reflecting the unique cultural identities of different regions and artists. While some artworks feature bold, geometric patterns and vibrant colors, others showcase intricate, fine-lined designs reminiscent of tribal tattoos. Each style bears the imprint of its creator, highlighting the individuality and creativity of Gond artists.

Cultural Significance and Traditions:

Ritualistic and Ceremonial Practices:

Gond Art plays a pivotal role in various tribal rituals and ceremonies, serving as a form of spiritual expression and cultural identity. From adorning homes during festivals to creating sacred artworks for rituals, Gond artists imbue their creations with the essence of tribal traditions, fostering a sense of connection to ancestral heritage.

Socio-economic Impact:

Beyond its cultural significance, Gond Art also holds economic importance for indigenous communities, providing livelihood opportunities for tribal artists. Through initiatives aimed at promoting and preserving Gond Art, organizations and individuals contribute to the socio-economic empowerment of Gond tribes, fostering sustainable development and cultural resilience.

Gond Art in Contemporary Context:

Global Recognition and Influence:

In recent years, Gond Art has gained international acclaim, with exhibitions and collaborations showcasing the talent and creativity of Gond artists on a global stage. From art galleries to fashion runways, the influence of Gond motifs and designs can be seen across various industries, highlighting the universal appeal of this indigenous art form.

Challenges and Preservation Efforts:

Despite its growing popularity, Gond Art faces numerous challenges, including the threat of cultural appropriation, loss of traditional techniques, and environmental degradation. To address these challenges, initiatives aimed at preserving and promoting Gond Art have emerged, ranging from skill development programs for aspiring artists to advocacy campaigns for the protection of indigenous cultural rights.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Gond Art stands as a testament to the rich cultural heritage and artistic ingenuity of India's indigenous tribes. From its humble origins rooted in tribal traditions to its global recognition and influence in contemporary art scenes, Gond Art continues to captivate audiences with its vibrant colors, intricate patterns, and profound symbolism. As we celebrate the creativity and resilience of Gond artists, let us also commit to preserving and promoting this invaluable cultural heritage for future generations to cherish and enjoy. By supporting initiatives aimed at safeguarding indigenous art forms and honoring the traditions of Gond communities, we can ensure that Gond Art remains a vibrant expression of India's diverse cultural tapestry.

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions):

Q1. what materials are traditionally used in gond art.

Traditional Gond artists typically use natural materials such as plant-based colors, brushes made from natural fibers, and surfaces like walls or floors.

Q2. What are the main themes depicted in Gond Art?

Gond Art often features themes related to nature, tribal life, animals, and mythological figures, reflecting the cultural beliefs and traditions of the Gond community.

Q3. How is Gond Art different from other Indian art forms?

Gond Art is distinguished by its unique patterns, bold colors, and use of intricate symbols, setting it apart from other Indian art forms in terms of style and aesthetic appeal.

Q4. Are there different styles of Gond Art?

Yes, Gond Art exhibits a diverse range of styles influenced by regional variations and individual artistic interpretations, each with its own distinct characteristics and motifs.

Q5. How can I support the preservation of Gond Art?

You can support the preservation of Gond Art by purchasing artworks from authentic Gond artists, participating in cultural awareness events, and advocating for the protection of indigenous cultural rights.

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International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH

COLORS IN GOND TRIBAL ART: AN INTERPRETATION AND CRITICAL EVALUATION OF COLORS IN GOND PAINTINGS OF MADHYA PRADESH.

Dr. Kumkum Bharadwaj Asstt. Professor, Govt. M.L.B. Girls P.G. College, Indore
Anu Ukande Research Scholar

Abstract [English]

Fork-art forms have the great social mission of creating cultural identity. The integrity of individuals and equipping them to meet social challenges are a part of this. In Madhya Pradesh- the heart of India lies the oldest found art heritage in the world. Gond Tribal paintings of Madhya Pradesh have gained worldwide recognition in recent years. The Gond tribe, one of the largest Tribal communities of central India resides in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Over the past decades it has been observed that tribal people are being assimilated with the rest of the population and this process has been a continuous one. With the process of integration arise challenges of retaining, preserving and promoting the cultural elements of the tribes which may face the threat of extinction. This paper attempts to analyze the changes in Gond art brought about by their gradual assimilation into mainstream arts, and the future approaches to colors.

J Swaminathan, ‘Submerged Archipelago’, orig. in Swaminathan ed., The Perceiving

Fingers, catalogue of the Roopankar Museum (Bhopal: Bharat Bhavan, 1987), p. 8.

John Bowles, ‘Songlines from the Museum of Man’ (Tehelka, New Delhi, 28 January

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main16.asp?filename=hub012806Songlines.asp

Sheikh Gulab, The Gondsrpt. in Vajpeyi U. ‘JangarhKalam’Narrative of a tradition -

Gond Painting (Bhopal, 2008), p. 60.

UdayanVajpeyi and Vivek, JangarhKalam/ Narrative of a Tradition – Gond Painting

(Bhopal: VanyaPrakashan/ Department of Tribal Welfare, Government of Madhya

Pradesh, n. d. [2006]).

ignca.nic.in

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Visual Art of the Gond – Problems and Prospects of Documentation and Exhibition in Museum

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Granthaalayah Publications and Printers

Folk arts in India possess a distinct identity, setting them apart from other art forms, and they serve a crucial social mission in creating and preserving cultural identities. The Gond tribe, one of India's largest tribal communities, resides predominantly in central India, particularly in the regions of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Over the past few decades, Gond paintings have gained global recognition and acclaim, primarily thanks to the work of artist Jangarh Singh Shyam. For many years, members of the Gond tribe have continued to practice and pass down this traditional art form through generations. The data for this study was collected using visual analysis and in-depth interviews. The study aims to analyze the representation of everyday life in Gond paintings and examine viewers' perceptions of these artworks. The study's results demonstrate that Gond art vividly expresses the essence of the culture in all its vibrant hues. Gond paintings are a form of storytelling folk art, providing a captivating gateway to a world of imagination and astonishment. These artworks utilize a distinctive style characterized by multi-hued and dot-bright techniques to portray various aspects of Gond culture and everyday activities through indigenous communication.

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Museums may apply intangible heritage to improve their visitors have a better grasp of the subject matter. Museums may bridge the gap between themselves and their non-visitors with the aid of physical and intangible cultural assets, respectively. Identifying, documenting, and representing intangible components of a museum's collections is essential for this purpose. Museums may encourage towns, organizations, and people to conserve their intangible cultural heritage by displaying it in their permanent collections. With local communities' assistance, museums may regularly organize exhibitions and educational events such as gallery tours, seminars, conferences, and workshops. In their ecological pockets within their definite geographical areas, various ethnic groups from different regions exist, each with their own micro-cultural identity and bio-cultural diversity, vital in determining and recognizing a particular ethnic group through their identity. This article also provides an overview of the significant museums in central India. Moreover, it seeks to focus on the role played by museums in raising cultural awareness about art and culture in India.

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Various ethnic-groups of different regions live in their ecological pockets in their definite geographical areas with their micro-cultural identity and bio-cultural diversity, which plays a significant role in determining and recognizing a particular ethnic-group through their individual identity. In the wave of modernization, indigenous cultural traits are vanishing very fast, resulting in loss of cultural heritage. Museums are playing significant role in preservation and propagation of culture. There is the need of true representation of a particular culture of a specific community by means of community involvement for better cultural awareness and preservation with active public interest. The museum policy should be focused on community oriented cultural awareness activities for better results. This paper is based on community based research work among the major museums of central India in search of the current situation of preservation and propagation of cultural heritage of Baiga tribe. This is an attempt to see the level of active involvement of museums in generating cultural awareness and propagation of art and cultural aspects in and outside Baiga community.

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Annapurna Garimella

Through a close study of the artworks and representations of tribal communities in central India, in particular the Pardhans and Gonds, this essay explores the changing nature of their lifeworlds and ties with ecology. With a focus on the celebrated Pardhan artist Jangarh Singh Shyam, the author delves into the complex factors that led to his “discovery” by J. Swaminathan, his training at Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, and his association with a modern folk style that came to be recognized as “Gond art”. Looking at how this style has been carried forward by other artists from the region, she raises larger questions about the perception, preservation, institutionalization and consumption of this kind of art that has come to define the community, despite its disconnect from their roots. She also throws light onthe misleading representations of these indigenous peoples within Madhya Pradesh’s tribal museums, and the need to rethink these depictions and forms of engagement.

Dr. Pritish Chaudhuri

Painting is an exquisite expression of human thoughts and culture. Indian art and painting is believed to be emerged from the prehistoric and proto-historic rock paintings. The genesis of tribal painting showed a direct correlation with the pre and proto-historic rock art. They are lively and vibrant tradition and unveil the hidden meaning of tribal symbol and are a manifestation of cultural expression. In Rajasthan, tribal population since time immemorial offered a rich variety of art and painting which would provide a deep insight into their traditional culture. It reflects the reality of living, pattern of culture, philosophy of life besides extensive reflection of memory and geographic mosaic. In the present paper an attempt has been made to discuss the painting tradition of the four major tribal communities of Rajasthan viz., Bhil, Garasia, Mina and Saharia in the context of continuity and change. The paper also unveils commonness and distinctiveness of painting tradition among the four tribal groups of Rajasthan.

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Nagaur's stunning complex of sprawling palaces, pools, and ancillary buildings extends over 15 hectares, surrounded by massive fortification walls. From its 18th-century golden period, its decline continued through the 20th century until the Mehrangarh Museum Trust began its conservation in 1993. Following award-winning architectural interventions, the Trust moved on to its exceptional wall paintings. Gathering a range of international partners, the Trust aimed to demonstrate how integrated architectural and wall painting conservation programs can reestablish Nagaur Fort as a major regional cultural landmark. Here, conservation approaches are outlined and examined for the 18th-century Rajput-Mughal wall paintings in the Sheesh Mahal. Knowledge transfer for wall painting conservation is discussed. The benefits of long-term and continuous collaboration on-site between wall painting conservators from abroad and conservation professionals in India are emphasized.

Sānskritik Pravāh (सांस्कृतिक प्रवाह)

Dr. Indrajeet Bhattacharya (Ph.D.)

The term Heritage covers a broad area of both tangible as well as intangible resources that includes monuments and artefacts, folk dance, folk song, folk lore, religious practices and customs. So indirectly, the term heritage involves history, civics, trade & commerce, culture, language, lifestyle, food habits, religion, philosophy, behaviour and geography etc of a region for a period of time. All combined – they provide an identity to a person, society, community and finally a nation. Preserving our culture and heritage is therefore one of the most important aspect. Unfortunately, over the ages India has witnessed a careless attitude towards its culture and heritage that have already resulted and still resulting in the degeneration and complete destruction of its unique culture and heritage. This paper will not only throw light on our current problems and approach towards “National Heritage & Culture” but will also underline the importance of Museology (Museum studies) & Conservation in resolving these problems. Thereafter it will briefly explain some terminologies related to heritage. Further this paper will also cover the new initiatives, perspectives and practises that can bring remarkably positive attitude towards heritage and culture among the peoples along with its good impact over the society.

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Gond Painting

Gond Painting (Image: ishafoundation)

Gond paintings are a form of painting from folk and tribal art that is practiced by one of the largest tribes in India with whom it shares its name. Gond comes from the Dravidian expression, Kond which means ‘the green mountain’. While Gond paintings are considered to be from predominantly from Madhya Pradesh, it is also quite common in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhatisgarh and Odisha. Gond art has become so predominant that the Government of India has stepped in to preserve their art form for future generations to enjoy.

Painting in the region has been happening for a really long time as the history of the Gond people dates nearly 1400 years previously, however, the Gond people could just be imitating their ancestors as there are cave paintings in the region that go all the way back to the Mesolithic Period. Paintings, as well as other art forms, have always been quite popular with tribal people in India, especially the Gond tribe. Even amongst the Gond people, it was most prominent among the Pardhan Gonds who were renowned for their artistic skills, be it painting or music. The Gond people have a belief that viewing a good image begets good luck. This belief led the Gond people to decorate the walls as well as the floor of their houses with traditional tattoos and motifs. Gond paintings have also been used by the Gond people as a way to record their history.

Sources of Inspiration

According to the Gond belief system, each and everything whether it is a hill, river, rock or a tree is inhabited by a spirit and, consequently, is sacred. So the Gond people paint them as a form of respect and reverence. Gond paintings are a reflection of man’s close connection with his natural surroundings. However, while a majority of Gond paintings do take inspiration from nature, it isn’t the only source of inspiration. Gond paintings can also take inspiration from myths and legends of India or alternatively, they may also showcase images from the daily lives of the tribe. It can also showcase abstract concepts like emotions, dreams and imagination.

Gond Painting (Image: ignca.nic.in)

Gond paintings can best be described as ‘on line work’. The artist makes sure to draw the inner as well as outer lines with as much care as possible so that the perfection of the lines has an immediate effect on the viewer. Lines are used in such a way that it conveys a sense of movement to the still images. Dots and dashes are added to impart a greater sense of movement and increase the amount of detail.

Another very striking facet of Gond paintings has to be the use of bright vivid colours such as white, red, blue and yellow. The paints are usually derived naturally from objects such as charcoal, coloured soil, plant sap, leaves and even cow dung. More specifically, yellow from Chui mitti which is a type of local sand, brown from Gheru mitti which is another type of sand, green is readily procured from leaves while the colour red is obtained from the Hibiscus flower.

Gond Painting (Image: deccanfootprints)

Global influences

As a result of the efforts by the Indian Government to promote and showcase the beauty of tribal art, Gond paintings have become quite popular. There have been exhibitions of Gond paintings in many parts of the world, especially in Japan. Gond paintings can sell for anywhere between INR 2,000/- and INR 2,50,000/-

Modern Innovations

Modern Gond paintings aren’t painted on walls and floors and are instead painted on canvas. This makes sure that it is not only much easier to transport, carry and hang on a wall, but the use of canvas helps the paintings to stand out much more than it would if it were made on a wall. Due to the scarcity of natural colors in the current age, Gond artists have started to use poster colours. This combined with the use of canvas has made modern Gond paintings much more vivid than its traditional counter parts.

Interesting Facts

The Pardhan Gonds are also are accomplished singers and many paintings are visual depictions of these songs.
Gond paintings are popularly drawn during major festivals like Holi, Diwali, etc.
Gond paintings are of such a good quality that it isn’t uncommon for them to last 20 years or so, without any external tampering.
It is said that Gond paintings resemble aboriginal art from Australia.
Gond paintings have also become quite common on wooden trays, boxes and other miscellaneous objects which have helps to increase its popularity and spread awareness.
http://theindiacrafthouse.blogspot.in/2012/01/gond-paintings-mystic-world-created-by.html
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Categories: Motifs & Embroideries

Tags: gond painting , Hand Painted

Gond Art: Showcasing The Folk Heritage Of Gond Tribe

by Jahnavi Khajane August 15, 2022

Indian Tribal arts is known all over the world as the most lively form of artwork that liberally focuses on nature and rural life. Gond Art is one of the most beautiful tribal art forms of India that expresses the human association with nature in the best form.

The Prodigious Past of Gond Art:

Elements of Gond Art:

Narratives and Symbolism in Gond Art:

Conclusion :

Written by Jahnavi Khajane

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Gonds are one of the largest tribal groups in India. Gond people are spread across many states of India – Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh.

This article will provide information about the Gonds Tribe of India in the context of the IAS Exam .

It is useful for both GS Paper I and GS Paper-II of the UPSC Syllabus .

The candidates can read more relevant information from the links provided below:

Gond Tribe in India

Gonds speak regional languages like Marathi, Odia and Hindi.
There is a relation between Telugu and Gond language.
The population of Gonds was around 11 million as per Census 2001. The population of Gonds was 5.01 million as per 1971 Census.
In Chhattisgarh, the Bastar region is the home of three main Gonds tribes – Hill Maria, Bisonhorn Maria, the Muria.
The Hill Maria of the Gond tribe are the most isolated among them, they live in the rough terrains of Abujhmar Hills.
Bisonhorn Maria tribes are found in and around Jagdalpur of Chhattisgarh. They are also found in the Gadchiroli region of Maharashtra.
Dandami Maria is the dialect spoken by these tribes.
Bisonhorn Maria Gonds tribe got their name from the headgear worn by the men while dancing.
Bisonhorn Maria of the Gonds tribe cultivate their fields with bullocks and plows. They have more permanent fields. They live in places where it is less-hilly.

Gonds – History

One of the first kingdoms of Gonds was Chanda, which was founded in 1200.
The first defined revenue system among the Gond kingdoms was introduced in the Kingdom of Chanda.
Extensive irrigation system was developed by the Kingdom of Chanda.
The Kingdom of Chanda was also the first Gond kingdom to start building forts, which later on increased in sophistication.
The previous Kalachuri rulers were deposed by Jaduri in the 14th century and went on to establish the Kingdom of Garha.
Rani Durgavati is the most famous warrior-queen of Garha-Mandla.
Until her death in 1564, Rani Durgavati fought against Akbar.
Bir Narayan was the son of warrior queen Rani Durgavati and ruled the kingdom after her death. Even Bir Narayan fought against Mughals till his death.
The Gond kingdoms were conquered by Mughals for some duration, eventually the Gond rajas were restored and put under hegemony of the Mughals.
Until the Third-Anglo Maratha war, the territories of Gond rajas were occupied by Marathas.
After the war, the British took over the revenue collection by controlling the Gond Zamindaris.
The colonial forest management practices of the British, marginalised the Gonds.
The Gonds depended on the forests for their livelihoods, their rights were snatched away by the discriminatory forest policies of the British.
This led to the famous Bastar Rebellion in 1910, which was an armed struggle against the British.

preparation now and complement it with the links given below:

Gonds – Salwa Judum

To fight the Naxalite insurgency, the Government of Chhattisgarh had formed Salwa Judum, a group of Gond people.
On 5 July 2011, the Supreme Court of India disbanded Salwa Judum.

Gond Paintings

Image source: blog.penkraft.in

Gond Painting is a traditional folk art form that originated from the Gond tribes of Madhya Pradesh, India.
The paintings typically feature intricate patterns and bright colours depicting the natural world, animals, and tribal life.
Gond paintings are traditionally created using natural colours made from leaves, flowers, and mud.
Gond paintings are known for their unique style and technique, featuring intricate dot and line work.
Artists typically use a fine-tipped pen or brush to create the intricate details of the painting.
The themes of Gond paintings often revolve around nature, folk stories, and mythology.
Gond painting has become a popular art form worldwide and has been featured in several international exhibitions.

Gonds Tribe of India [UPSC Notes]:- Download PDF Here

Frequently Asked Questions on Gonds Tribe of India

What are gond tribes famous for.

Gond tribe is famous for its vibrant artworks. These art forms are exhibited in galleries worldwide. Earlier, these artworks were confined to decorating their homes.

What is the religion of the Gond tribe?

Worshipping Nature was the age-old practice of the Gond tribes. Hindu religion had a significant influence on the religious practices of the Gond tribe.

What are Gond tribes?

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Touch the GOND

What is gond art .

Gond art is the paintings of Pardhan Gonds, the indigenous people living near Madhya Pradesh in Central India.

In the olden times, the occupation of Pardhan Gond people were to sing invocations to the divine beings in nature, along with the string instrument called Bana. They were also the storytellers of the villages, who would educate the younger generation about their mythology and culture. The Gond art originates in the wall decoration they used to make in their house as a part of their daily life.

Gond art is characterised by the mythical as well as folklore motif passed down among them, floral as well as faunal motif, and the patterned designs delicately filling each motif. There is no end in listing its charm; the mutuality between the humans and the animals, uniquely drawn creatures, the variety of colour combinations, the beauty of patterned designs, and so on.

Pop and modern while being a tribal art, Gond art has been introduced in many museums around the world in the recent years. In Japan, it is increasingly being recognised through the handmade screen-printed books by Tara Books, such as “The Night Life of Trees” and “Creation”.

Jangarh Singh Shyam

In the 1980s, a group of researchers in search of indegenous art found a relief made by a young Pardhan Gond, Jangarh Singh Shyam (1962-2001). The curator J. Swaminathan, the leader of the research group, was astonished by the rare talent of Jangarh, and persuaded him to study painting. Jangarh moved from the village to city, and started painting on the paper and canvas that he was given. Jangarh’s unique work gained reputation, and the 1989 exhibition at Centre Pompidou mesmerised many art lovers.

Besides his own painting work, Jangarh started an atelier school called “Jangarh Kalam” where he taught his people from the village how to paint. This gave rise to the Gond art as we know now. Unfortunately, Jangarh left the world at the young age of 39; but his students are now flourishing as Gond artists worldwide.

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Art Appreciation is Not Learned

Photo by Fr. Barry Braum on Unsplash

Charles Dailey
— June 20, 2024

“The modern artist, in his physiology next-of-kin to the hysteric, is also distinguished by this morbidity as a character. The hysteric is false—he lies from love of lying, he is admirable in every art of dissimulation.”

—Friedrich Nietzsche, The Will to Power

Often the appreciation of art is framed as if it were a matter of understanding something that one doesn’t yet understand. That is, if one only knew certain things about an alleged work of art, one would appreciate that artwork. This is the line taken especially with regard to modern or abstract art. If one gazes at a banana duct-taped to a wall or at a photograph of a crucifix submerged in urine—both real ‘artworks’—and doesn’t appreciate it, then one doesn’t, it is often argued, know enough about it. Until one does, he must have faith in the judgment of an art expert that the thing is really art, for the expert knows best. Someone, somewhere, determined this—most likely in New York, Paris, or London. If you, dear reader, don’t agree with this, you’re likely a rube, a neanderthal, or a fascist. Best stand aside and let the experts decide the standards of creativity and beauty for all of us.

But in my own life, I haven’t found it to be the case that more knowledge about an object magically transforms it into an artwork. Reflecting on my own many experiences, from childhood on, of art and things called art, I’ve found that in those cases in which I immediately perceived a thing to be art, I still do. And, in those cases of alleged art in which I immediately thought the thing to be ugly, sick, or pretentious, I still do. I’ve never bought into the idea that art can be about something other than the beautiful, or more broadly-speaking, the harmonious. Art is, only is , about the Good and the True; and its visage in this world is a manifestation of the Beautiful, which is the harmony of all transcendental attributes. I’m not, of course, speaking here of inner beauty, which is better named character. I am speaking of (external) aesthetic appeal—the feeling that one gets when in the presence of profundity, sublimity, and incomparable greatness—which I’ve always felt in the presence of great artworks.

Learning more about a Gothic cathedral, a Da Vinci painting, or a Beethoven symphony, although it may increase (and has increased) my fascination with these artworks, and made me contemplate them even more, has never increased their beauty for me—it has not, in my eyes, made any one of them more of an artwork. In fact, I would go as far as to say that learning itself, at least conscious learning, in no way contributes to recognizing something as either beautiful or a work of art. The attempt, therefore, to apply the terms art and beautiful to objects which don’t warrant these labels is the work either of showmen or swindlers—persons who, for some reason, want to obfuscate these concepts, as well as to destroy the natural recognition of art and beauty.

My accumulated knowledge on various subjects over many years—since I first had conscious awareness of art and beauty—has never changed my perspective on art. I have, for example, never ‘learned’ to see a pile of garbage as beautiful. I also haven’t, after studying the architecture of various eras, ‘learned’ that American houses of the 1950s, with their low ceilings and few windows, are, after all, also art—not really ugly but ‘beautiful in their own way.’ There are a hundred examples I could give, but you get the point.

In contradiction to popular belief, appreciation of art and beauty is not learned, it is innate. Some people experience art; some do not. Some people are honest about this experience, or lack thereof; some are not. No art expert can teach you to recognize beauty in something in which you do not already recognize it, or explain to me how some object really is a work of art, which I didn’t already take to be one. It is true that one may learn more about objects that are incorrectly called artworks—and also want to learn more about these objects. For example, it is fascinating to ruminate on the psychological traits of humans who create nonsense and expect others to call it art. Such study, however, is not in any way related to the experience of beauty and art. For, again, studying a thing does not magically transform it into art.

When I was 14 years old, I first saw the Grand Canyon in person. Immediately, I thought that it was beautiful, or, perhaps more accurately put, what Kant called ‘sublime.’ Only later did I learn facts and curiosities about the Grand Canyon—how, for example, different groups of Native Americans had once lived there, how Europeans had explored it in the past, how the native flora and fauna of the region were distributed and interrelated in specific ways, and how a great many people have fallen, and still fall, to their deaths there in a variety of ridiculous ways. These facts about the Grand Canyon were, and are, of interest to me—some more, some less. But interest in an object does not suddenly make it beautiful.

I don’t remember the first time that I saw Michelangelo’s “Moses,” but I immediately considered it beautiful, as well as a great work of art. All that I knew about it, at the time, was that my father liked it. And lest one begin with the narrative of a son’s emulation, etc., there are many things which he likes that I do not. Alternatively, the first time that I saw Jackson Pollock’s “Number 11, 1952 (Blue Poles),” I immediately considered it to be pretentious and disharmonious, clearly a construct of the ‘art community.’ After studying “Blue Poles” for some time and trying to appreciate it—I even put a small postcard version of it on my office wall for a few years—I concluded (and still believe) that there must be some strange agenda or sickness behind it. “Why,” I thought, “did so many people want to promote and make others call it art?”

I later read quite a bit about “Moses” and “Blue Poles,” and learned various things about each work. I also read about the lives of the men who, respectively, created them. All, however, which I learned in no way changed my judgment or feeling about these artworks—and hasn’t to this day. “Moses” is a beautiful work of art; “Blue Poles” isn’t. For years, I, nevertheless, experimented with—held in suspense—my gut reactions on this and similar matters. I made myself approach potential artworks—those things called such by the ‘art community’—with the hypothesis that, if I only understood the context in which they were created, or the motives of their creators, or the nature of their creators’ lives, then I might, as they say, appreciate them. But, I didn’t—not really. Of course, in life one goes through phases, some of which are less genuine than others—and friends have some influence on matters as well. How many ‘artist’ friends does a person have in college, for instance? Too many for them all to be artists. I always came back to my initial conclusions. Knowledge, even thinking, does not change a thing from being a non-artwork to an artwork. “Moses” is a work of art; “Blue Poles” isn’t. “Moses” is the product of a higher attunement to metaphysical and cosmic harmony; “Blue Poles” is not. In fact, the latter is, quite oppositely, a product of mental illness or a narcissistic industry—two things that are not mutually exclusive.

There is a romantic notion in art interpretation or criticism which says that madness is closely associated with talent. One reads or hears of people traditionally thought of as artists being unstable or irascible, for example, or self-absorbed or melancholy, or reclusive or flamboyant. Some critics consider art to be a kind of therapy. Pollack’s madness was scary, but that was his muse. Beethoven was cantankerous and unsociable, but that was a part of his genius. Picasso was an ass, but that was excusable because he saw so much deeper into the social issues of the day. And everyone knows about Van Gogh—yes, the ear, but he also produced some rather good paintings. Ideas like this seem to appeal to a certain type of person. Some people, that is, want to see something as art because they like the idea of it being created by a human type which doesn’t fit in. Such types want, for personal reasons, to sell certain kinds of behavior and thought to the ‘masses’—for non-artistic reasons.

Such fascination with the psychology of artists, however, is not even art criticism—it is affectation. And then there are also the types which like to be associated with ‘art, ’ even if—or especially because—they have no artistic talent themselves. For them, it is the idea of seeing what isn’t art as art that is appealing—because of personal, hidden, or masochistic reasons. What is, for such types, called ‘art’ becomes a means to appear as superior experts on subjects which they have persuaded others requires their particular expertise.

Many times, since I was a child, I have observed at art galleries all the visitors in queues spending most of their time not communing with the art, but, instead, reading the little plaques placed beside the works, so that they might know more about the art. Many times I observed them listening on earphones to the canned explanations of the purported art. And often I thought, as I watched this uniquely modern spectacle, that these recently-contrived rituals were a sad waste of time, a reduction of art to history, to a representation of a certain set of facts. In observing these processes over the years, I began to think it would be better instead to spend one’s time, at the gallery or museum, experiencing for oneself the artworks, rather than just accepting the mass-inculcated belief that knowing something about the work, or the artist, or his income, or his social conditions, is somehow relevant to perceiving the greatness of the work.

At some point in my childhood, I decided that family trips to museums, art galleries, ballets, etc., were not so much to do with learning about art but learning about myself by means of art. I came to see experiences of art as windows into what the observer is . Family trips became more about self-learning and self-knowledge. Sometimes, the supposed art was what it claimed to be, sometimes it was not. I honed in on the pieces that clearly were art—that is, that could be seen to be art without knowing anything about them. Processes of rumination and self-reflection erupted within myself based upon these close observations. There were also interesting curiosities to be learned about the works and the historical figures related to them, but this was, and is, beside the point. For, the experience of art lies not in learning the context of a supposed artwork and then ‘making a decision’ as to what it, in fact, is. It lies in contemplating the greatness of objects or performances that are immediately grasped as art. It is, thus, that art is not that which is ‘objectively’ studied in order to determine its nature, but that which immediately calls one into a state of wonder and rapture that is not learned. I decided, at some place and time, that I was going to museums, art galleries, and other exhibits and performances to learn how I, personally, reacted to what I already knew—as soon as I was confronted by it—to be a higher expression of being.

I remember learning on one family trip—it must have been after looking at a horrible Picasso exhibit—that Picasso, although not known for it, could paint proficiently in classical styles. He was, in fact, very good at it. He didn’t create those pretentious Cubist monstrosities because he couldn’t do anything else but because he chose to do something else. He had, as the critics say, created a new style that could more strikingly express what he (and some others) felt to be important socio-political issues. Such pretentious information may have been conveyed at the exhibit itself—I don’t recall. But this information was often conveyed, I believe, to suggest that because Picasso had this ‘new’ ability—because he chose not to paint in a traditional manner—then, syllogistically almost, we the ‘artistically uneducated’ must accept Picasso’s more celebrated works as ‘art.’ Such productions were, we needed to learn, on the edge of aesthetic sensibility: they held a sort of mystery of the master that it was incumbent on us to appreciate. We, then, are obligated to change our expectations, get with the program, and accept the strange and ‘timely’ renderings as ‘great art.’ The general idea is that if the public could only understand the master’s way, then they would naturally see manifestations of ugliness also as art. But my immediate thinking, with respect to such pieces as “Three Musicians” and “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon,” was akin to my thinking today about strip malls, modern apartment complexes, and Hollywood mansions: they are pretentious, lifeless, and ugly. They are products of minds that are not trying to reveal beauty, but to be different. And no one taught me that. Of course, one is supposed to admire Picasso’s Cubist creations. But I had already decided that art was not a game invented in order to discern who can figure out someone’s genius—and then be graded on this by some art expert. That perspective, I irrevocably decided, is dishonest and irrelevant to what art actually is. For, if art is not about truth and beauty, then it is not art.

In his 1950 essay “The Origin of the Work of Art,” the German philosopher Martin Heidegger stated that the function of an artwork is “to set up a world.” But what kind of world does an artwork set up? Which world, that is, and for what kind of person? Do Jackson Pollock’s creations, for example, such as the previously mentioned “Blue Poles , ” set up a world? If they do, one wonders: is it a world that is fit for the mentally healthy? The individuals and groups behind modern art, it is fair to suggest based upon a wealth of bizarre and horrific examples, either: 1) themselves believe that art can be something else, or 2) want normal people to believe that art can be something else. But can it? What is beauty? Isn’t it to do with wholeness, and completeness, and health? When did we start believing that it isn’t about these things? Whether one is healthy or not is an objective state of being. Mustn’t beauty, like health, also be objective, just in order to have meaning?

In the last century or two, increasing numbers of individuals became convinced that art is really political, not about beauty or truth but about raising awareness, juxtaposing values, and testing sensibilities. This, again, treats art as if each artwork is a puzzle to be worked out. Those susceptible to thinking this way, however, are slaves to propagandistic ideas, or instead they are constantly troubled about whether they are in the good graces of the timely, progressive set. According to the ‘raising awareness’ view of art, only some gallery-goers are sufficiently socially aware to ‘get’ the ‘artworks.’ Hence, a division in society is created between an in-crowd and an out-crowd. The in-crowd ‘gets’ the ‘important art’ of the age—that art which is needed (for some reason) to be art by certain special interests and forces; the out-crowd does not. But why play the game? Why, that is, should we frequent so-called art galleries just in order to ‘learn’ that our innate, healthy, sensibilities require educating by pretentious strangers called experts?

Art, not propaganda or self-expression, naturally and immediately resonates with healthy, harmonious souls. It does not require preparation or study to appreciate. Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Taj Mahal in India, the Great Pyramid in Egypt, Westminster Abbey in England, the Pyramid of the Sun in Central America, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Michelangelo’s “Moses,” the Pantheon, Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana,” Paleolithic cave paintings at Lascaux, and other examples are all—for healthy and harmonious souls—immediately seen to be art, and beautiful. If they are not, then ‘learning’ will not make them so. For, one does not learn after many years of study that, for example, “After reflection, the Pyramid of Khafre is beautiful; it is a work of art!” To recognize art—to acknowledge beauty—is not a parlor trick or a secret password that one must remember and convey to the appropriate ‘expert.’ It is a transcendent experience that evokes feelings of certainty about an object’s or performance’s greatness. That the average person does not understand or get some novelty object which has been labeled art, turns art into a self-serving pursuit for the art critic or expert. In turn, he must be considered as skilled as the artist himself—because only he can interpret the artwork and reveal its ‘real’ truth. This reckoning, however, manifestly, is one at which all healthy and harmonious souls must laugh.

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Weisman Art Museum

Weisman Art Museum (WAM) is pleased to announce Kendra Greendeer as the new Ihlenfeld Curator of Collaborative and Community Exhibitions . Her selection is the culmination of an extensive national search by an interdepartmental committee at the University. She will begin her new role at the Weisman on July 8, 2024.

Building on the compelling and prolific collaborative projects of the former Target Studio program, as the Ihlenfeld Curator, Greendeer will infuse an ethos of collaboration into the whole of the museum’s exhibitions program. As a WAM associate curator, she will seek out and develop partnerships, on campus and across external communities, to create original, community-based exhibitions, and bring collaborative practice and community partnerships into the breadth of curatorial work at WAM. The Ihlenfeld Curator’s position is a distinctly co-creative role, integrating art with learning, civic engagement, and community development.

“I am honored to be part of the WAM team and bring an Indigenous curatorial approach to this position,” says Greendeer. “I look forward to expanding the collection to illustrate how communities across the campus and Minnesota are represented, creating community-based exhibitions, and working with students and community members. I look forward to collaborating with you in the future!”

“We’re thrilled to welcome Kendra to our curatorial team,” says WAM Director, Alejandra Peña Gutiérrez. “She brings with her a well-researched and nuanced understanding of art, artists, and forward-looking museum practice, combined with deep experience working collaboratively within communities important to the Weisman.”

A member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and descendant of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, Greendeer is an art historian specializing in Native American art. She received her Ph.D. in Art History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earned her M.A. in Art and Museum Studies from Georgetown University in Washington D.C., and her B.F.A. in Museum Studies from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her research interests center on contemporary Native American women artists, Indigenous museum practices, rematriation, and the relations between land, materiality, and memory.

Prior to taking this position at WAM, served as Assistant Professor of Art History at Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK). She recently completed a fellowship as the Paul Mellon Guest Predoctoral Fellow at the National Gallery of Art's Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts and has assisted with numerous exhibitions and community-based projects, including Weaving Together Our Cultures , the Prairie Interpretive Project, and the Teejop Community History Project.

This endowed curatorial position at the Weisman is made possible thanks to the generosity of Cindy and Jay Ihlenfeld.

Kendra Greendeer

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Gond Art : A Folk Art Form with Beautiful Tribal Colours, Themes, and
The Rich History of Gond Art Muria people a part of Gondi Tribe - Collin Key via Flickr. Amongst the Gond people, painting and other forms of expressive art are a popular and traditional practice. Dating back to more than 1400 years ago, the Gond tribe has painted and carved art on the walls of caves which all belong to the Mesolithic Period.
Gond Art: Stories and Signatures
A Gond artist is like an individual contemporary artist in the world. Often, the work is based on folklore or a tribal customs. There may be a seed of reality visible or the work could be abstract. It could even be a combination of the two. Gond Art: Dharti Ma (2010) by Bhajju Shyam Dastkari Haat Samiti.
Tribal Folklore to Aesthetic and Religious Painting ...
Gond painting, an integral part of the Gond cultural identity of central India, has emerged as highly appreciated and recognised tribal art form worldwide in the recent times. These traditional paintings are believed to have started with the transformation of Gond oral folklores. The Pradhan Gond, a subgroup of the Gonds, who were traditionally assigned to sing songs of the glorification of ...
Gond Paintings
The word 'Gond' comes from the Dravidian expression 'Kond' which means 'green mountain'. Pictorial art on walls and floors has been part of the domestic life of Gonds, specially among Pardhans since it is done with the construction and re- construction of each and every house, with local colors and materials like charcoal, coloured ...
Gond art: stories of the forest and the land
Gond painting was a wall art on tribal homes in the village, done for festivals and weddings. It was in the 1970s that celebrated Gond artist Jangar Singh Shyam came to the state capital Bhopal, and began drawing first on cloth and then on canvas and paper. He is credited with creating a new form of the art - on paper and canvas.
The Painted Forest: Exploring human-nature interrelationships in Gond
Gond painting as we know it today was first imagined and practiced by an artist named Jangarh Singh Shyam. In the early 1980s, he transposed the bitti chitra and digna practices of the village (wall and floor art, respectively) onto paper.. The act of creating a digna mimics the Gond story of creation: the great god Bada Dev spread mud on water to create the living earth, with trees, animals ...
The Stories and Signatures of Gond Art
Gond Art: Dharti Ma (2010) by Bhajju Shyam Dastkari Haat Samiti. This painting, depicting prayers to Dharti Mata or Mother Earth, is based on a tribal custom. Before the seed is sown in the fields, it is offered to the Earth. The many footprints symbolize the whole village, on behalf of whom the priest conducts the prayers and makes the ...
(PDF) Tribal Folklore to Aesthetic and Religious Painting: Transition
The Gond painting, one of the most-significant cultural identities of the Gond tribe of central India, has emerged worldwide as a highly recognised and appreciated tribal art form in recent times.
Gond Art
Gond Art is a story of how contemporary art emerges from ancient cultural wellsprings making it a shared community tradition within a few decades. Bhajju Shyam has contributed to the embellishment of Bharat Bhavan and Manav Sangrahalaya by combining dighna and chowkha patterns a symbol of his community to honour the very beginnings of their art ...
Gond Painting: A Study of Contemporary Scenario
The Gond painting, one of the most-significant cultural identities of the Gond tribe of central India, has emerged worldwide as a highly recognised and appreciated tribal art form in recent times.
Dots and Lines: Semiotics of the Motifs in Gond Painting
The Pradhan Gonds are musicians, genealogists, and storytellers. (Saxena, 2017) . The painters of the Gond painting, who have developed their personal motifs and . registered them to avoid ...
(Pdf) Indigenous Communication of Everyday Life and Philosophy: an
Drolia (2020) distinguished Gond art with other art forms in India indicates, each art forms rooted in distinct regions of India, offer a rich tapestry of cultural expression and artistic traditions. Gond art, originating in Madhya Pradesh and spreading to regions like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Orissa, is a vibrant folk and ...
Understanding Gond Art
Gond Art plays a pivotal role in various tribal rituals and ceremonies, serving as a form of spiritual expression and cultural identity. From adorning homes during festivals to creating sacred artworks for rituals, Gond artists imbue their creations with the essence of tribal traditions, fostering a sense of connection to ancestral heritage.
Colors in Gond Tribal Art: an Interpretation and Critical Evaluation of
Fork-art forms have the great social mission of creating cultural identity. The integrity of individuals and equipping them to meet social challenges are a part of this. In Madhya Pradesh- the heart of India lies the oldest found art heritage in the world. Gond Tribal paintings ofMadhya Pradesh have gained worldwide recognition in recent years.
Visual Art of the Gond
Visual Art of the Gond - Problems and Prospects of Documentation and Exhibition in Museum . × ... this essay explores the changing nature of their lifeworlds and ties with ecology. With a focus on the celebrated Pardhan artist Jangarh Singh Shyam, the author delves into the complex factors that led to his "discovery" by J. Swaminathan ...
Indian Folk Artist
A documentary about Gond Art through the eyes of a legendary Tribal Gond artist, Venkat Shyam who brought the Gond art to international markets and gave it a...
Getting To Know The Gond Painting: Unique Style, Art
Gond paintings are a form of painting from folk and tribal art that is practiced by one of the largest tribes in India with whom it shares its name. Gond comes from the Dravidian expression, Kond which means 'the green mountain'. While Gond paintings are considered to be from predominantly from Madhya Pradesh, it is also quite common in ...
(PDF) An account of dots and lines- The Gond Tribal Art of Madhya
The Gond painting, one of the most-significant cultural identities of the Gond tribe of central India, has emerged worldwide as a highly recognised and appreciated tribal art form in recent times.
Gond Art: Showcasing The Folk Heritage Of Gond Tribe
Despite being a centuries-old art style, Gond paintings have progressively moved from the mud walls of homes to canvases and papers throughout time and are hailed as one of the most popular art forms of India. In addition to drawing inspiration from myths and stories, nature is a key theme in these works.
Gond Tribe of India [UPSC Notes]
Gond Painting is a traditional folk art form that originated from the Gond tribes of Madhya Pradesh, India. The paintings typically feature intricate patterns and bright colours depicting the natural world, animals, and tribal life. Gond paintings are traditionally created using natural colours made from leaves, flowers, and mud.
Gond Art
Gond art is the paintings of Pardhan Gonds, the indigenous people living near Madhya Pradesh in Central India. In the olden times, the occupation of Pardhan Gond people were to sing invocations to the divine beings in nature, along with the string instrument called Bana. They were also the storytellers of the villages, who would educate the ...
Paragraph on Gond Painting || Essay on Gond Painting in ...
Paragraph on Gond Painting || Essay on Gond Painting in English|| Few lines on Gond Painting Gond paintings are a form of painting from folk and tribal art t...
Art Appreciation is Not Learned ━ The European Conservative
Charles William Dailey, Ph.D., is a researcher in the fields of comparative religion and philosophy and the philosophy of history, specifically the meanings of ancient symbols and the idea of tradition.He holds a doctorate in philosophy from the University of North Texas and is the author of The Serpent Symbol in Tradition and the forthcoming To Climb Is Philosophical: Essays on Philosophy and ...
(PDF) tribal painting Gond
IN TR OD UC TI O N. "Gond is an Indian tribal art of painting practiced by "Pradhan's and Gond "and the largest. Adivasi community of Ce ntral India. The population of Gond tribe is more ...
Weisman Art Museum Announces Kendra Greendeer, Ph.D. as the New
Weisman Art Museum (WAM) is pleased to announce Kendra Greendeer as the new Ihlenfeld Curator of Collaborative and Community Exhibitions. Her selection is the culmination of an extensive national search by an interdepartmental committee at the University. She will begin her new role at the Weisman on July 8, 2024.

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Understanding Gond Art: Origins, Techniques, and Cultural Significance

What is Gond Art?

Evolution over Time:

Techniques and Characteristics of Gond Art:

Cultural Significance and Traditions:

Gond Art in Contemporary Context:

Conclusion:

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Q2. What are the main themes depicted in Gond Art?

Q3. How is Gond Art different from other Indian art forms?

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COLORS IN GOND TRIBAL ART: AN INTERPRETATION AND CRITICAL EVALUATION OF COLORS IN GOND PAINTINGS OF MADHYA PRADESH.

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Gond Art: Showcasing The Folk Heritage Of Gond Tribe

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