Merchandising leading to misinterpretation of Indian folk art

Kolkata, March 23 (IANS) Use of folk art in merchandise such as T-shirts and coffee mugs leads to "misinterpretation" of its original meaning, a researcher said here on Monday.

With urbanisation, motifs of West Bengal's famed patachitra (scroll painting) are being increasingly seen on T-shirts and other textile products, Sampan Chakraborty of the Jadavpur University's Bengali department told IANS here.

"Though these merchandise are helpful in popularising the concept among youngsters, the original meaning and context of the scroll paintings is misinterpreted and lost in translation," Chakraborty said.

She was speaking at a national seminar on "Urban Folklore and Impact Of Urbanization On Folklore" organised by the Folkloristic Education and Research Institute (FERI) at the university.

Known for their bright hues and resemblance to cave paintings, patachitra - the ancient visual art form originating in Bengal's Midnapore - uses natural colours and derives inspiration from nature and local customs.

The artists are called Patuas who sing as they paint and unfurl the scrolls.

"The songs and paintings were sung in a particular context. But when you use the imagery today in various settings, without an explanation as to its original meaning, then it is misconstrued," Chakraborty said.

She said it was the same for other Indian folk traditions.

"People get to see folk arts in fragments in these merchandise. The complete picture is missing. What is being marketed and produced for the masses is not folk culture. It's a remake," Chakraborty said, adding that the problem extends to oral and written folk traditions as well.