Folk and tribal art, passed from one generation to the next, is the creative expression of people who live in harmony with nature. Traditionally, these art forms, though sometimes purely decorative, were used to mark different occasions such as celebrations, events to pacify malevolent deities or forces of nature, thanksgiving, harvests, the birth of a child, puberty, marriage and cultural festivals. Painted narratives on various surfaces, such as walls, floors, cloth, wood and paper became important sources of knowledge about local mythology, deities, heroes, epics, folktales and customs. Over time, the visual vocabulary of folk and tribal painting expanded beyond traditional contexts and, today, has evolved into a new genre of ethnic art. Several traditional styles of painting, which till recently languished, are now flourishing in improved and altered mediums, surfaces and contexts. An overall social change revived the tribal and folk art forms and gave a large number of these artists a stable means of livelihood. This book is an introduction to this unique and vibrant art form of India - a spectacular chronicle of its evolution, contextual development, continuity, brief obscurity and the recent marvellous resurgence.
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